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 at rabbischneeweiss@gmail.com. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the article I wrote entitled, The Principle of Humanity vs....
Jul 27, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 17
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 at rabbischneeweiss@gmail.com. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the article I wrote entitled, Taking the Road Less Traveled...
Jul 26, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, and told me, "No thanks needed!" so I'm not going to thank them. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page dvar Torah I wrote entitled, Declaring Hashem's Oneness in Love . This article was my attempt to understand a gem from the Abudirham's commentary on the conclusion of Ahavah Rabbah - one which I sense contains deep insight into the r...
Jul 23, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, and told me, "No thanks needed!" so I'm not going to thank them. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article entitled, Musings on the Inadequacy of Internet Research . This article was inspired by a humbling personal encounter I had with a modern version of an ancient problem. This article was also brought to you by the word "namast...
Jul 22, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, and told me, "No thanks needed!" so I'm not going to thank them. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article entitled, Bodily Posture as a Sensory Anchor for Kavanah in Tefilah . If you've ever had your mind wander while davening shemoneh esrei and you're looking for a technique to prevent this from happening, I may have stumbled up...
Jul 21, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, and told me, "No thanks needed!" so I'm not going to thank them. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article entitled, My Experience Fasting for 48 Hours on the 9th and 10th of Av . The operative phrase here is "my experience," for whatever that's worth. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear f...
Jul 20, 2021•6 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, and told me, "No thanks needed!" so I'm not going to thank them. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article entitled, The Tenth of Av, Seven Haftaros of Consolation, and Life After the Pain . This article is a PSA about an overlooked halachic institution viewed through the lens of a Tara Brach mindfulness practice, in hopes that th...
Jul 19, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by the Reznik family in dedication to the loving memory of Silvia Tanzer (Sora Hesha bas Chaim Moshe) and Irving Tanzer (Yisroel ben Yechezkel). Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote for Tishah b'Av 5781, entitled An Approach to the Blasphemy in Eichah and Kinnos , in which I present a new approach to reading Eichah and Kinnos, inspired by my involvement in the Internal...
Jul 16, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by the Reznik family in dedication to the loving memory of Silvia Tanzer (Sora Hesha bas Chaim Moshe) and Irving Tanzer (Yisroel ben Yechezkel). Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, Hunting for Treasure vs. Panning for Gold on the Beaches of Nome , in which I reflect on how my " Summer Experiment 2021 " of writing one-page articles has not only enabled me to ...
Jul 15, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by the Reznik family in dedication to the loving memory of Silvia Tanzer (Sora Hesha bas Chaim Moshe) and Irving Tanzer (Yisroel ben Yechezkel). Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, The Necessity of Metaphysical Trauma for National Teshuvah , in which we answer the titular question by drawing upon key ideas from Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural De...
Jul 14, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by the Reznik family in dedication to the loving memory of Silvia Tanzer (Sora Hesha bas Chaim Moshe) and Irving Tanzer (Yisroel ben Yechezkel). Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, The Sin of Refusing to Look at Oneself , in which we analyze Yeshayahu's first prophecy about the destruction of the first Beis ha'Mikdash in light of Anthony de Mello's statement...
Jul 13, 2021•4 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This week's Torah content is sponsored by the Reznik family in dedication to the loving memory of Silvia Tanzer (Sora Hesha bas Chaim Moshe) and Irving Tanzer (Yisroel ben Yechezkel). Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, The Induction of Metaphysical Trauma , which examines an idea from the Rav about how a Jew experiences time, in light of an insight I had about trauma from Bessel van der Kolk's b...
Jul 12, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is a recording of the shiur I gave over Zoom on Tishah b'Av 5780 (8/14/20). The shiur focuses on a methodology for learning kinos as applied to Kinah #31, the theme of which is a comparison of the Exodus from Mitzrayim to the "Exodus" from Yerushalayim. Three other things to note: (1) the actual shiur ends at 1:43:00; from there until the end I answer questions (2) over the course of this shiur I present my current underst...
Jul 11, 2021•2 hr 26 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, Haftarah of Mattos / Masei: Divine Love as the Foundation of Rebuke , in which I attempt to explain Yirmiyahu's first prophecy in light of the Rambam's categorization of Torah doctrines, combined with an insight from an expert in childhood trauma. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact...
Jul 09, 2021•4 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, Sameach b'Chelko as Unconditional Happiness , in which I compare an insight into happiness from Anthony de Mello to Ben Zoma's definition of wealth in Pirkei Avos, as explained by the classical commentaries. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ------...
Jul 08, 2021•4 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, Feynman: On Definitional Neurosis , in which I analyze a methodological insight conveyed by Richard Feynman in one of his quips. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributi...
Jul 07, 2021•4 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled, Bruce Lee's Oak and the Success of Evil , which is about an insight I had into Mishlei and Tehilim based on a nuance in one of my favorite Bruce Lee quotations. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned ...
Jul 06, 2021•4 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the one-page article I wrote entitled: The One-Page Article: A Summer 2021 Experiment , in which I state and explain my writing plans for the summer. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon a...
Jul 05, 2021•4 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Tonight's Chumash shiur (given at YBT on 6/16/21) wasn't a shiur, but an exploration of the short but perplexing incident of the fiery serpents, as explained by the Sforno. We only had time to set up the area, and didn't really arrive at any definitive conclusions, but I think the steps we took are good, and can be further developed by those who think into them. ---------- מקורות: במדבר כא:ד-ט עם פירוש הספורנו בראשית ג:א עם פירוש הספורנו...
Jun 17, 2021•54 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is an "audiobook version" of a dvar Torah I wrote in July 2016 entitled: Parashas Chukas: Overlooking Sacrilegious Speech. Click here for a link to the written version, which is also available as a PDF . ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: https...
Jun 15, 2021•7 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! I was talking with a former high school student of mine about the philosophically inclined education she received in Midreshet Shalhevet (a"h). Like any good student, she continued to learn and develop after high school, and to eventually begin to question and critique what she had been taught in an effort to forge her own path. She sent me an essay by Dr. David Shatz entitled "The Overexamined Life is Not Worth Living," saying that whil...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 59 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is an "audiobook version" of a dvar Torah I wrote in June 2017 entitled: Parashas Korach: What Happened to Korach? Click here for a link to the written version, which is also available as a PDF. And if you're a fan of these "audiobook versions" of my divrei Torah and blog posts, please let me know, since this will encourage me to record more. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Ple...
Jun 07, 2021•17 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is an "audiobook version" of a dvar Torah I wrote in June 2018 entitled: Parashas Shelach: The Torah's View of Temptation. Click here for a link to the written version, which is also available as a PDF. And if you're a fan of these "audiobook versions" of my divrei Torah and blog posts, please let me know, since this will encourage me to record more. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from ...
Jun 04, 2021•10 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Tonight (6/2/21 at YBT) we took up the question: What does the Torah mean by "toeivah" (abomination)? The impetus for taking up this topic was Mishlei 20:10, which referred to unjust weights and measures as a "toeivah," and which we spent a couple of days working on. I mentioned that I came up with a theory for the Torah's use of "toeivah" years ago, and felt that it was time to revisit it to see if it still held up. We began shiur by re...
Jun 02, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Tonight (5/26/21 at YBT), in lieu of our Chumash Methodology Shiur, we took a leaf from the playbook of Saadia Gaon by tackling a fundamental question in epistemology: "What are ideas?" This question, with its right and wrong answers, had surfaced numerous times in various discussions over the course of the year, and I kept on telling my talmidim, "You NEED to go through the first chapter of Adler's Ten Philosophical Mistakes!" They aske...
May 27, 2021•2 hr 1 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Tonight (5/25/20 at YBT), in lieu of our Tehilim shiur, we took up a topic inspired by our Rambam Bekius shiur last week, which focused on the virtue of silence. One of the statements cited by Chazal on silence was from Avos 3:13: "a fence for wisdom is silence." I found Rabbeinu Yonah's commentary on this statement to be illuminating, but was disappointed that he didn't go into detail about HOW to implement these strategies. Then I reme...
May 26, 2021•39 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 5/19/21) we continued learning through the section of his book "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do" (1975) entitled "Organized Despair." If you haven't seen Part 1, I suggest you do so before watching Part 2, since that's where I explain who Bruce Lee is to me, and how his teachings form the foundation of my own approach. In Part 2 our discussion centered on methodology of learning and on how ...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In this week's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (5/7/21) I gave over a presentation that I've given every year in my hashkafah class in Shalhevet (a"h). The foundation of this presentation was a series of shiurim given by Rabbi Fox at Northwest Yeshiva High School a number of years ago in which he identified three schools of thought (or trends) in Jewish thinking: Rationalist, Traditionalist, and Blind Faith. I only heard two of the shiurim in tha...
May 07, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 5/5/21) I undertook the daunting task of attempting to convey to my talmidim the impact that Bruce Lee has had on my personal derech. Although I've quoted Bruce Lee's teachings here and there over the course of the year, I've never really devoted time to explaining exactly how his teachings have shaped my own approach to teaching and learning, specifically when it comes to methodolo...
May 06, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In last week's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (4/30/21) we learned three answers to the question, "What is the theme of the Chag ha'Shavuos?" - that of the Ralbag, the Abravanel, and Rav Hirsch. In every machlokess there will be strengths and weaknesses to each side, and we attempted to identify the strengths and weaknesses in each of these three. We ended off with a handful of questions that remain to be answered. My hope is that this shiur pav...
Apr 30, 2021•52 min
