Machshavah Lab

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 Hashem Actually Care What We Call Shemini Atzeres?   The title might make it seem like it's about Shemini Atzeres, but it's actually about why we should care about even the most trivial nuances in the nusach ha'tefilah . ---------- This week&apo...

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 Joyful Progression from Yom ha’Kippurim through Sukkos . I have long been troubled by the fact that on Yom ha'Kippurim we act as though our fate is hanging in the balance, but after Yom ha'Kippurim we act as though our teshuvah and tefilos were accept...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This morning (9/10/21) in our "Machshavah Lab" series for women, we revisited an old question: What is the difference between the year-round mitzvah of vidui (confession) and the special mitzvah of vidui Yom ha'Kippurim? After reviewing the facts and noting the differences, we develop an approach for understanding those diff...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the informal article/reflection I wrote LAST Rosh ha'Shanah, entitled Meditations on Rosh ha'Shanah 5781 - The Meaning of "Shanah Tovah." I'm sharing this today for five reasons: (1) This year I did something which I've never systematically done in the past: I went back a...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar and the 42-Letter Name of God . I wasn't planning on writing anything for today, but last night I became obsessed with the name Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar and its connection to the Rambam in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim, and...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Ki Teitzei: On the Merit of Giving Bad Explanations of Mitzvos , in which we examine the Sefer ha'Chinuch's reasons for giving less-than-stellar explanations of taamei ha'mitzvos (the reasons for the commandments), and consider the practical implicat...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, When to Dance Between Two Opinions , in which I attempted to capture a burgeoning realization, which I anticipate will be a "leveling up" of a major shift in the most important shiur I gave last year: Of Wolves, Men, and Methodology . ---------- Today&apo...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Halacha as a Playground of Mindfulness , which is my rebuttal to a cartoon I saw which depicts "religion" as a prison and "spirituality" as freedom. ---------- Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on...

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 Insidious Nature of Metaphysical and Epistemological Premises , in which I reflect on two opposing but equally alluring fantasies: the fantasy that we can learn non-Torah sources while guarding ourselves against adopting their false metaphysical and epistemolog...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Tallis as a Vehicle of Gratitude and a Reminder of Death . In it, I share my current practice of putting on my tallis in the morning, which incorporates elements from halacha, aggadah, Stoicism, and meditation. ---------- Today's Torah content has been brought...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Shoftim: The Parameters of Idolatrous Cultural Appropriation , in which we attempt to explain a contradiction between the Rambam's theory of korbanos and his explanation for why we are prohibited from planting trees on the Temple Mount.  ---------- This week&a...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, On Being Present in Tefilah , in which I recount a radical tefilah experiment I tried earlier this year, and the scaled down version which is my current practice. ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Joey and Estee Lichter in honor of 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, Rambam: On Awakening (The Question) , in which we draw attention to the three instances of the  "waking up" metaphor in the Rambam's Mishneh Torah and raise the question about what they have in common. ---------- This week's Torah content has be...

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 Choose What to Learn Before You Die . If you have or had a good relationship with learning but have fallen into a rut and are looking for a way to reconnect, perhaps this exercise will help you to get back on track - provided you fit the description in the d...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the article I wrote entitled, King Kamehameha III and Moshiach , while I was in Hawaii earlier this summer. I found myself contemplating Hawaii's state motto, which led to a Mishleic idea, an insight about Hawaii's history, and an appreciation of King Kamehameha III's role in bringing a...

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 Re'eh: Torah as Water, Wine, and Milk , which is a riff on the Radak's explanation of the three metaphors for Torah expressed by Yeshayahu in this week's haftarah .  ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to he...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Today's Torah content was sponsored by someone who wishes to remain anonymous for someone else whom they wish to remain anonymous for an occasion that I'm told should not be mentioned. I would have found some sneaky way to show honor and gratitude to those involved and for the event being commemorated, but I must respect true tzn...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Tonight (8/4/21 at YBT) we continued learning the opening chapter of Darchei ha'Talmud, by R' Yitzchak Kanpanton (1360 - 1463 CE). When I was preparing, I realized that there was only ONE correct decision for how to give tonight's shiur, and if you listened to Part 1, you'll know exactly what that means ... ---------- T...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Today’s Torah content is sponsored by Naomi Mann, in honor of Yeshiva Bnei Torah's 50th year. May Hashem grant YBT continued success! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Sitting Bull's Ghost Dance and Moshiach , in which we examine the parallels between Jonathan Lear's analysis of the...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Today’s Torah content is sponsored by Avygayl Zucker in honor of the 90th birthday of her grandfather, Yedidyah Halimi, whose dedication to Torah and mitzvos continues to be an inspiration. May Hashem grant him many more years of health and happiness! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, The Madness o...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Today’s Torah content is dedicated to the joyous occasion of the marriage of Jon Deutsch and Avigayil Lev. Jon has "graduated" from student, to coworker, to chavrusa and friend. Avigayil, another former student and fellow Slytherin, remains a daily presence in my virtual beis midrash. I am happy for them and I'm excited to s...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Sol and Chummie Azose, in honor of the upcoming 81st birthday of the Rosh ha'Yeshiva, Rabbi Yisroel Chait, and the 91st birthday of Sol's father, Hazzan Isaac Azose. If you're interested in sponsoring a day's or a week's worth of Torah content, you can contact me...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Tonight (7/28/21 at YBT) we learned the opening sentences of Darchei ha'Talmud - the very first methodology sefer, written by R' Yitzchak Kanpanton (1360 - 1463 CE). Our intent was to gain insight into methodology in general, beginning with the author's explanation of the Gemara's answer to the question: "How does...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Sol and Chummie Azose, in honor of the upcoming 81st birthday of the Rosh ha'Yeshiva, Rabbi Yisroel Chait, and the 91st birthday of Sol's father, Hazzan Isaac Azose. If you're interested in sponsoring a day's or a week's worth of Torah content, you can contact me...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Sol and Chummie Azose, in honor of the upcoming 81st birthday of the Rosh ha'Yeshiva, Rabbi Yisroel Chait, and the 91st birthday of Sol's father, Hazzan Isaac Azose. If you're interested in sponsoring a day's or a week's worth of Torah content, you can contact me...