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.
Episodes
608 episodes
Post-Purim 5786: Operation Growling Bear
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/11/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 25
•
17:09
What Modern Orthodoxy Means to Me (or Rabbi Fox’s 2007 NYHS Commencement Address)
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/9/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 24
•
7:33
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 3)
Length: 1 hour 40 minutesSynopsis: This evening (3/5/25), in our Thursday night women’s shiur, we continued our exploration of Rabbeinu Yonah on bitachon. The bad news is that I didn't have a chance to prepare. The good news is that our rev...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 23
•
1:40:50
Ki Tisa: Is Shabbos a Day of Simchah?
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/5/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 22
•
5:29
Q&A #46 - 30 Days Before the Chag, Necessity of Haggadah, Mishlei vs. Gemara, Hodaah Anniversaries
Length: 31 minutesSynopsis: This morning (3/5/26), in lieu of our usual morning Mishlei, we had a Q&A session! We discussed four questions: (1) What's the nature of the halacha of "learning the halachos of the chag 30 days before the ch...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 21
•
32:09
The Tail of Vashti and Gavriel ha'Malach
Length: 1 hour 26 minutesSynopsis: This morning (2/27/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we capped off our series of shiurim on malachim with a midrash on Megilas Esther about a malach (in preparation for Purim, of cour...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 20
•
1:27:26
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 2)
Length: 1 hour 46 minutesSynopsis: This evening (2/26/25), in our Thursday night women’s shiur, we continued our exploration of Rabbeinu Yonah on bitachon. After a lengthy, in-depth review of what we covered last time on Mishlei 3:5, we beg...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 19
•
1:47:40
Explaining Arayos (Forbidden Relations) to an Aunt and Her Nephew Who Are In Love
Length: 2 hoursSynopsis: Back in 2022, I gave a shiur on the extremely niche topic of avunculate marriage, that is, an uncle marrying his niece. Two years later, I received an email titled “Avunculate Marriage: Need Some Spiritual Guidance”...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 18
•
2:00:54
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 3) Why Depict Angels as Physical?
Length: 1 hour 26 minutesSynopsis: This morning (2/20/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we continued our exploration of the Rambam’s view of angels. After a brief review, a question led us on an unplanned detour throug...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 17
•
1:26:34
Terumah – The “Where?” “What?” and “Why?” of Shechinah
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/20/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 16
•
9:48
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 2) Review and Clarification
Length: 56 minutesSynopsis: This morning (2/13/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, I had planned to continue our analysis of the Rambam's view of angels. Instead, we did something more important: review and clarification...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 15
•
57:29
Mishpatim – Is there a Conflict Between Trusting in Hashem and Trusting in Doctors?
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/13/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 14
•
13:03
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 1)
Length: 1 hour 30 minutesSynopsis: This morning (2/6/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we initiated the next phase: decoding the allegory of the satan. After reviewing and raising questions about the first few pesukim ...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 13
•
1:31:25
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 1)
Length: 1 hour 59 minutesSynopsis: This evening (2/5/25), in our Thursday night women's shiur, we embarked toward an unknown destination, though in very specific waters. Our goal was to understand Rabbeinu Yonah’s take on bitachon (trust, o...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 12
•
2:00:17
Yisro – Ralbag: On Drafting an AI Policy for a Jewish Day School
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/5/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 11
•
15:25
Shlomo, Soloveitchik, and Slytherin (In Loving Memory of Adira Rose Koffsky, a"h)
Length: 1 hour 7 minutesSynopsis: Last night (2/1/26), I was honored to give a shiur at Congregation Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park (West Hempstead, NY) in memory of my dear student Adira a"h, on the occasion of her third yahrzeit. As I mentio...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 10
•
1:08:37
Gam Zu l'Tovah: What does it mean and how do we live it? (Part 2 - Review, Main Idea, and Answers)
Length: 1 hour 13 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/30/26), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we began with a comprehensive review of the facts, questions, and steps we took last time. Then I presented my approach, which...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 9
•
1:14:30
Bo/Beshalach: How Many Israelites Died in the Plague of Darkness?
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 1/28/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 8
•
16:11
Gam Zu l'Tovah: What does it mean and how do we live it? (Part 1 - Facts, Questions, and Set-up)
Length: 1 hour 26 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/23/26), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we took a brief interlude from our learning of Sefer Iyov to analyze the well-known slogan of Nachum Ish Gam Zu, as well as th...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 7
•
1:27:54
AI-Generated Podcast on My Paywalled Rav Kook Post (WARNING: Only 70% Accurate)
Length: 17 minutes 53 secondsSynopsis: Last week (1/14/26), I published an article on my Substack titled Rav Kook: First Impressions of a New ...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 6
•
19:14
Iyov Catch-up Crash Course - Part 2: Review, Bildad, and Tzofar (Ch8-14)
Length: 1 hour 28 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/16/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we concluded our catch-up crash course. After reviewing our mission and Iyov's exchange with Eliphaz, we covered Bildad's spee...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 5
•
1:28:12
Vaeira: An Explanation of Hashem Hardening Paroh’s Heart You May Not Have Heard
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 1/16/26 titled:
•
Season 24
•
Episode 4
•
9:07
Iyov Catch-up Crash Course - Part 1: Overview, Review, Eliphaz (Ch4-7)
Length: 1 hour 8 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/9/26), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we changed course. I explain my reasons at the beginning of shiur and justify them based on how the meforshim approach Iyov, but...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 3
•
1:09:20
Avos 1:6 - Rabbeinu Yonah on Friendship (Knei Lecha Chaver)
Length: 1 hour 34 minutesSynopsis: This evening (1/8/26), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we finally concluded our analysis of Avos 1:6. In many ways, this was a follow-up to our Rambam Shiur on friendship, both because I...
•
Season 24
•
Episode 2
•
1:22:55