Machshavah Lab

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This morning (9/16/22), in our Friday Q&A, we covered four topics: (1) Are the blessings described in Ki Savo (and elsewhere) natural, hashgachic, or both? (2) If God has no emotions, and we are commanded to emulate His actions, should our actions also be emotionless? (3) What makes a question a superior or inferior question? and (4) W...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (9/15/22), in our Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur, we began by reviewing the facts and questions from last time. After hearing some more approaches from the participants, we learned four commentaries: Rambam, Bartenura, and Rabbeinu Bachya - who all shared an approach - and Sforno, who unlocked our understanding of the main i...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! I am pleased to announce that this year I'm going to record my Q&A sessions! This morning (9/9/22), in our Friday Q&A, we covered three broad topics: (1) exploring the implications of Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Paquda's proofs of God's Oneness, (2) how emotions can interfere with perfection, and (3) what do we think of Emil...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! The first shiur of this year's "Machshavah Lab" series for women was a unique one, in which I attempted to convey the biggest insight from my philosophical-anthropological journey to the Crow Reservation in Montana in August 2022. The crux of this insight derived from two sources: (1) my conversation with a Crow Elder, and (...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (9/8/22), in our first Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur of the year, we began with an overview of Pirkei Avos to set the stage. We then read and translated Akavya ben Mahalalel's method of avoiding transgression, raised a bunch of questions and problems, and took a few tentative steps towards answering them. Next time (בג...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Memento Mori Musings on the First Day of Yeshiva (Koheles 7:1-2) (א) טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ. (ב) טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל בֵּית אֵבֶל מִלֶּכֶת אֶל בֵּית מִשְׁתֶּה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא סוֹף כׇּל הָאָדָם וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ. This morning (9/6/22) we kicked off our inaugural Mishlei shiur of year with Koheles. I s...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote, entitled, Rav Hirsch on Bad Biographies , in which I compare Lawrence Kaplan's critique of Hillel Goldberg's Between Berlin and Slobodka to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's critique of Heinrich Graetz's History of the Jews , concluding with the question of...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Note: This is the first time I've livestreamed a shiur on Facebook AND the first time I've had to strip the audio from a Facebook livestream using an audio extractor. If you notice any problems in the video or audio, please bring them to my attention! This morning (8/7/22), at The Island Synagogue (a.k.a. Shevet Achim) on Mercer...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Is it Permissible to Enjoy Learning on Tishah b’Av? I rarely write my articles about halacha, but after stating in an earlier article that Tishah b'Av used to be "the most enjoyable day of every summer," on account of the learning we'd do with...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, How to Make Kinnos Real , which showcases two applications of my continually evolving approach to kinnos . The Series: Part 1: The Induction of Metaphysical Trauma Part 2: The Necessity of Metaphysical Trauma for National Teshuvah Part 3: An Approach to the Blasph...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Wishful Thinking and Prophetic Interpretation, in which we examine a machlokess  between Ibn Kaspi and Rashi on how to learn Neviim and its ramifications for those who attempt to uncover the true meanings of their prophecies today. ---------- The Torah content for...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In lieu of a 1-page article, here is the audio version of the book review I wrote on Faith Shattered and Restored: Judaism in the Postmodern Age , by R' Shagar . I don't usually post my book reviews on my blog or record them as podcasts, but I felt like I had to make an exception here, for reasons which I explain in the...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled Masei: How to Read the Travels of Bnei Yisrael , in which we learn the Rambam's answer to the question, "Why does the Torah 'waste' so many pesukim by listing all 42 encampments of Bnei Yisrael in the Wilderness?" and discuss its implicatio...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled Why Talk About Other Religions? which is a response to a series of questions asked by a friend of mine about why I made a statement comparing Judaism to other religions in one of my articles last week. Related Content: - Minhag Mythbusters: Does a Husband Sing Eish...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled Sefer Mishlei's Jargon-Filled Introduction (Mishlei 1:1-6) . I recently initiated a project to learn Mishlei from the beginning again (as opposed to my usual practice of learning and teaching pesukim from Chapter 10 and on). I can't promise that I'll...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled Ralbag on the Speculative Nature of Taamei ha'Mitzvos ,  in which I defend the Ralbag (using his own words) against those who take issue with his Aristotelian explanations of mitzvos. ---------- The Torah content for this week has been sponsored by Ellis and J...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled Abandonment by Hashem as a Catalyst for Teshuvah ,  in which I share my new theory of how national catastrophe will lead Klal Yisrael to engage in teshuvah - a theory inspired by a passage in Amor Towles's The Lincoln Highway . ---------- The Torah content for...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled Haftaras Parashas Pinchas: Goyishe Jews . Here's my lengthy disclaimer: I wasn't in the mood to write a dvar Torah article for this Friday. I almost didn't write anything at all, but I told myself, "I'll just start writing and see if I end...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 7-page article I wrote entitled, My Rejected Kiruv Article on the Purpose of Life . I begin by providing you with the assignment I was given and the circumstances surrounding that assignment. I then read the article I wrote. After that, I share the feedback I received and my thoughts on that feedb...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, "Hump Day," Wednesday, and Yom Revii l'Shabbos , in which I explain why hearing a Starbucks customer wish the barista a "happy hump day!" made me grateful to be Jewish. ---------- The Torah content for these two weeks has been sponsored by...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Does a Husband Sing Eishes Chayil for His Wife? , in which we answer the titular question by engaging in some "halachic archaeology" in an attempt to trace the minhag  back to its origins.   ---------- The Torah content for these two weeks has been sponso...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, The Role of Episodic Memory in the Three Weeks and Tishah b'Av , in which I attempt to articulate the current framework I'm working with as we enter into the three weeks this year. For the sake of convenience, here are the links to the audio versions of t...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In lieu of a 1-page article on Parashas Balak, here is a 4-page article I originally wrote as a Facebook post last summer, entitled 17th of Tammuz Reflections on Waikiki . The impetus for this article was Jonathan Lear's, Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation, and the insights it triggered as I observed th...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, The Pros and Cons of Postmodernist Analysis of Halacha , in which I express my approbations and objections to an example of Rabbi Shagar's postmodernist approach to Judaism. ---------- The Torah content for these two weeks has been sponsored by Judah and Naomi...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Judaism and the Benefits of EFT (Episodic Future Thinking) in which we explore of the regular opportunities we have in halacha to practice EFT and enumerate the benefits of such a practice. Note that this is a sequel to yesterday's episode , which you are advi...