Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

Rambam Bekius

Religion EN ↓ 387 episodes

My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss, and this is the podcast for my Rambam Bekius Chavurah at Yeshiva Bnei Torah (YBT). We typically meet four days a week for an hour and learn the writings of the Rambam on a bekius level (i.e. with the aim of covering ground rather than doing an in-depth analysis). Our focus is on the Mishneh Torah, but we will frequently delve into the Sefer ha'Mitzvos, the Peirush ha'Mishnayos, the Moreh ha'Nevuchim, and other writings from the Rambam when our learning takes us there. If you're interested in attaining fluency in the Rambam's Torah, then this is the podcast fo...

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Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

Episodes

Intro to the Mishneh Torah (Part 4 of 4) Az Lo Eivosh (Tehilim 119:6) 01.10.2020 40:17

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 10/01/20) we analyzed the Rambam's use of "Then I will not be ashamed when I look upon all of Your commandments" (Tehilim 119:6) as the crowning pasuk of the Mishneh Torah. First we analyzed it on our own in isolation, then we analyzed it in context, then we c...

Intro to the Mishneh Torah (Part 3 of 4) 30.09.2020 1:02:59

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 9/30/20) we finished reading the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishneh Torah, making an effort to understand his contextualization of the Mishneh Torah within the evolution (or devolution) of the Mesorah. ------------------------------------------------------------------...

Intro to the Mishneh Torah (Part 2 of 4) 23.09.2020 56:17

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given on 9/23/20) we continued with the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishneh Torah with the goal of getting through an initial reading of his account of the chain of transmission from Moshe Rabbeinu until the sealing of the Talmud. Tomorrow we plan on going back to address some of the...

Intro to the Mishneh Torah (Part 1 of 4) 22.09.2020 1:02:05

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 9/22/20) we began the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishneh Torah, but quickly took a detour to the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishnah in order to get a clearer understanding of his view on the relationship between the Written and Oral Torahs. --------------------...

Rambam's (Other) Statements of Purpose 21.09.2020 1:00:08

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's "Rambam Bekius" series (given on 9/21/20) we read through translations of various sources attributed to the Rambam in which he explicitly discusses the purpose of the Mishneh Torah. We had already read his statement of purpose in the introduction to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos and tomorrow we'll begin his intro...

b'Shem Hashem El Olam (Part 2 of 2) 17.09.2020 55:24

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In the sequel to our brief interlude within our "Rambam Bekius" series (given at YBT on 9/17/20) we take a deeper look at the Rambam's citation of בשם ה' אל עולם in Hilchos Avodah Zarah Chapter 1 in attempt to understand why this is the "crowning pasuk" of every book he wrote. ---------------------------------...

b'Shem Hashem El Olam (Part 1 of 2) 16.09.2020 58:45

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In this brief interlude within our "Rambam Bekius" series (given on 9/16/20) we attempted to understand why the Rambam begins every one of his books with בשם ה' אל עולם, using the three places in the Rambam's writings where he explains this pasuk. -------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Intro to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos (Part 5 of 5) 15.09.2020 58:39

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In Part 5 of the "Rambam Bekius" shiur series (given on 9/15/20) we discussed why the Rambam maintained that he needed to write the Sefer ha'Mitzvos, yet he didn't include any of its content in the Mishneh Torah except for the general minyan ha'mitzvos list at the beginning. This led to a discussion of the Rambam&a...

Intro to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos (Part 4 of 5) 14.09.2020 50:52

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In Part 4 of the "Rambam Bekius" shiur series (given on 9/14/20) we further analyze the Rambam's application of the prophecy in Yeshayahu 29 to the authors of other Sifrei ha'Mitzvos. We then conclude the Rambam's introduction to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos, and - mostly out of Rambam-induced guilt - quickly read thr...

Intro to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos (Part 3 of 5) 10.09.2020 46:16

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In Part 3 of the "Rambam Bekius" shiur (given on 9/10/20) we take a detour into Yeshayahu Perek 29 to examine the prophecy which the Rambam said was fulfilled through the misguided efforts of the "Sefer ha'Mitzvos" authors who preceded him. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Intro to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos (Part 2 of 5) 09.09.2020 1:02:27

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is Part 2 "Rambam Bekius" shiur, given at YBT on 9/9/20, with a continuation of the introduction to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos (a.k.a. the SECRET introduction to the Mishneh Torah). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bekius Disclaimer: Note that this is a BEKIUS chavurah - as opposed t...

Intro to the Sefer ha'Mitzvos (Part 1 of 5) 08.09.2020 1:02:44

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is the introduction to our "Rambam Bekius" shiur, given at YBT on 9/8/20. Although the shiur will focus primarily on the Mishneh Torah, we began with the Rambam's plan for writing the Mishneh Torah which he states at the beginning of the Sefer ha'Mitzvos. Borrowing a method from AP English Language and Composition...