Machshavah Lab
My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss. My goal as a Torah educator is not merely to teach my students my OWN hashkafah. Rather, my goal is to equip them with the foundations, the methodological training, and the tools which will enable them to arrive at their OWN understanding of Judaism and cultivate their OWN relationship with Hashem and His Torah. This podcast is devoted to the shiurim I give which are geared specifically towards that end. As such, the range of topics covered here will be diverse. There will be shiurim on Jewish philosophy, Chumash methodology, aggadic midrashim, maybe even some non-Jewish philosophy as well. Merriam-Webster defines "laboratory" as a place providing opportunity for experimentation, observation, or practice in a field of study. I call this podcast "Machshavah Lab" because this is where we will conduct Torah "experiments" by exploring questions, texts, and ideas in an effort to develop our machshavah in a "hands on," exploratory, firsthand manner.
Podcasting since 2020 • 567 episodes
Machshavah Lab
Latest Episodes
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 1: Questions on Iyov 1:1-5 (Plus Rant About Rambam's 13 Ikkarim)
Length: 1 hour 17 minutesSynopsis: This morning (10/31/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we began our unit on what I call the Prologue to Sefer Iyov (1:1 - 3:1). The initial plan was to have a brief introduction, t...
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Season 23
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Episode 19
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1:17:35
Lech Lecha: Shadal on Jewish vs. Egyptian Circumcision
Length of article: 2 pagesLength of audio: 8 minutes 45 secondsSynopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/3...
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Season 23
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Episode 18
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9:36
Avos 1:6 - Dan l'Chaf Zechus - Judge Each Person Favorably
Length: 2 hoursSynopsis: This evening (10/30/25), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we took up the famous precept of being dan l'chaf zechus. We ended up raising twenty questions total and answering most (if not all) of the...
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Season 23
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Episode 17
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2:01:17
Noach: Did All Humanity Really Speak One Language?
Length of article: 4 pagesLength of audio: 15 minutes 24 secondsSynopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/...
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Season 23
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Episode 16
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16:14
Q&A #45 - Desiring Olam ha'Ba, Blaming Sins on Hashem, and Should We Strive for the Crown of Torah
Length: 40 minutesSynopsis: This morning (10/23/25), in lieu of our usual morning Mishlei, we had a Q&A session! We discussed the following three questions: (1) According to the Rambam, if Olam ha'Ba is non-physical, and if our desires ...
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Season 23
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Episode 15
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40:16
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