Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (2/9/23), in our Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur, we took up the next two mishnayos (depending on how you count) in Chapter 3, since they seem to be inherently related. On account of roller-coaster of a week I had with all the deaths, I didn't feel as prepared for this shiur as I usually do, and while we may not have arrived at polished ideas which live up to my usual standard, I'm pleased with the questions we raised, the ...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 43 min•Season 11Ep. 2
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Beshalach: Was Miriam a Prophetess? If you think you know the answer to this question, I recommend asking yourself: "How do I know?" or "Why is this even a question?" before reading (or listening to) this article. If you enjoy these 1-page articles (and my other written content), be sure to subscribe (for free!) to my substack at rabbischneeweiss.substack.com . ...
Feb 02, 2023•5 min•Season 11Ep. 1
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Bo: The Jewish Lunar Calendar as Anti-Egyptian Polemic . Rambam (Moreh 3:29) maintained that knowledge of the beliefs and practices of the ancient idolatrous nations is vital for understanding the reasons for the Torah's commandments. Here is an example. If you enjoy these 1-page articles (and my other written content), be sure to subscribe (for free!) to my sub...
Jan 26, 2023•5 min•Season 10Ep. 33
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Shemos: Dasan and Aviram - to Blame or Not to Blame? The Torah itself only ascribes one wrongdoing to Dasan and Aviram. It is the Sages who place them at the scene of other crimes. What are we to make of this? Let us turn to Rashi and Ralbag for insight. ----- The Torah content for the remainder of January has been sponsored by Yehuda in gratitude for fifteen ye...
Jan 13, 2023•5 min•Season 10Ep. 32
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 14 minutes Synopsis: This morning (1/12/22) we set out to do a Q&A, but the first question turned into a 30-minute tefilah shiur, which let only 14 minutes for other questions. We still managed to get in a few interesting questions. ----- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר זמנים, הלכות מגילה וחנוכה ד:יג-יד רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות מלכים ומלחמות י:יד רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות סנהדרין והעונשין המסורין להם יד:...
Jan 12, 2023•15 min•Season 10Ep. 31
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (1/11/23), in our Wednesday night Tefilah shiur, we continued and completed (for now!) our analysis of the midrash about Hashem davening to himself. The good news is that I believe we got the main idea of the midrash. The "bad" news is that we raised a powerful question on the Sefer ha'Chinuch and Rashba, which I THOUGHT I had an answer to, but I realized that I didn't have the answer as clear as I thought, so we didn't end ...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 10Ep. 30
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 21 minutes Synopsis: This morning (1/6/22), in our SECOND Friday Q&A (this one for women only), we took up a bunch of topics which included many subtopics: (1a) What can we infer about the relative importance of bein adam l'makom vs. bein adam l'chaveiro mitzvos from the reasons given for the destruction of both Batei ha'Mikdash? (1b) Which types of lo lishmah mitzvos are acceptable and which aren't? (2) How should we ...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 10Ep. 29
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Vayechi: The Wolf as an Allegory for the Shechinah . This article is about two topics that are near and dear to my heart: the wolf (as as a subject of epistemological epiphanies) and the shechinah. What do they have to do with each other? Listen and find out! ----- This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Rachayl as a "thank you" to me for teaching, and a...
Jan 06, 2023•6 min•Season 10Ep. 28
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 46 minutes Synopsis: This morning (1/6/22), in our Friday Q&A, we took up four questions: (1) What do we make of the fact that so much of our Judaism has been influenced by Aristotelian thought? (2) How do I cope with the fact that so much of my time is spent doing unimportant things instead of learning? (3) What advice do you have about learning the Mishneh Torah in English, for bekius purposes? (4) Do babies have souls, suc...
Jan 06, 2023•45 min•Season 10Ep. 27
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (1/5/22), in our Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur, we began by reviewing what we learned last week, since last week's mishnah is so related to this week's. We then analyzed the new mishnah according to Meiri and Rabbeinu Yonah, which we supplemented with Rabbeinu Yonah's commentary on a related mishnah in chapter 5. We concluded by making sure we answered all our questions, and by addressing a few practical applications. ---...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 10Ep. 26
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (1/4/23), in our Wednesday night Tefilah shiur, we took up an exceedingly perplexing and seemingly problematic midrash about Hashem davening and asking for berachos from human beings. The plan was to learn this midrash in accordance with the commentary of the Rashba, but we didn't want to rush things. Tonight we went over the facts, developed our own approach, and read the Rashba's preface to his commentary on the midrash. N...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 25
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote, entitled, An Etymological Drash from Rav Hirsch on Jewish vs. Pagan Priests . Yes, this is a TWO page article (as opposed to the usual one page article). Yes, this is on LAST week's parashah (Mikeitz) rather than this week's parashah (Vayigash). But when I saw this comment from Rav Hirsch, I simply NEEDED to write a piece about it, and this is what I ended up writing. ---...
Dec 30, 2022•10 min•Season 10Ep. 24
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (12/29/22), in our Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur, we began by updating our theory on the purpose and intended audience of Pirkei Avos, in light of an observation made by Moshe Halbertal. Next, we tackled yet another short but practical mishnah about one's relationship with learning. We learned this mishnah according to Meiri, Abravanel, and Rabbeinu Yonah, managing to answer all our questions. We concluded by fleshing out...
Dec 30, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Season 10Ep. 23
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Chanukah 5783: The “Beloved” Mitzvah of Ner Chanukah. What makes Ner Chanukah a "beloved mitzvah"? My current answer to that question draws upon teachings from Rambam, the Rav, and the beautiful definition of "shechinah" given by R' Dovid Tzvi Hoffmann. And, on a personal note, this article was an important reminder to me that not EVERY article has to be an orig...
Dec 25, 2022•5 min•Season 10Ep. 22
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This Friday morning "Machshavah Lab" shiur for women (12/16/22) was something like a follow-up from last week's shiur on "The Meta-Halachic Implications of the Halachos of Fingernail Cutting." Although the topics of dreams, prophecy, and prophetic dreams are fraught with difficulty, they DO have an anchor in two halachic institutions: the strange "ritual" of Hatavas Chalom (interpreting a bad dream for the good) and Taanis Chalom (fastin...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 10Ep. 21
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This morning (12/16/22), in our Friday Q&A, we spent the majority of our time talking about some questions which were important, difficult, and soul-searching ... but we didn't record them, since the "off-the-record" clause was invoked. And it was a good thing, too, since it allowed us to discuss these issues freely. We did record the last question, which I didn't answer in full. That'll have to wait until another time. The...
Dec 16, 2022•7 min•Season 10Ep. 20
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Vayeishev: Should this Rashi be Taught to Children? This title sounds clickbaity but I'm honestly looking for an answer to the question: Can anyone make a convincing argument that it is better to teach Rashi's explanation of Yosef's fate than Ralbag's? ----- The Torah content for the month of Kislev has been sponsored by Serena and Paul Koppel, who want to be ma...
Dec 16, 2022•5 min•Season 10Ep. 20
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (12/15/22), in our Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur, we learned a short but practical mishnah. After raising all the questions and problems, we actually managed to figure out the main idea by ourselves. After that, we learned three meforshim - all of whom added layers of nuance to the idea we discovered. We ended the shiur by making sure we answered all of our questions and by reviewing the practical applications. And here's...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 10Ep. 19
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In today's Friday morning "Machshavah Lab" shiur for women (12/9/22), we took up an unusual and interesting topic: the halachos of fingernail cutting. "Halachos?" you say. Yes! According to the Rema in the Shulchan Aruch, we don't cut our fingernails in sequence, but instead, we cut them in a specific order - and if we violate this halacha, we are subject to danger (according to the sources). I was asked what the status is of such halach...
Dec 09, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 10Ep. 18
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This morning (12/9/22), in our Friday Q&A, we addressed three topics: (1) When learning Chumash - or, to be honest, any other area - how do you know what to treat as a "fact" and what to treat as a "theory"? (2) How do curses from other human beings work? (3) How do berachos from other human beings work? Although we didn't arrive at definitive answers for all three questions, we definitely gained some insights! ----- מקורות...
Dec 09, 2022•38 min•Season 10Ep. 17
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (12/8/22), in our Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur, we learned a very challenging mishnah which partially overlaps with a previous mishnah in Avos and ALSO partially overlaps with a Gemara in Berachos. To make things even more difficult, most of our "go to" meforshim barely commented on anything - except for the Sforno! With Sforno as our guide, we gave it our best shot. While we may not have answered ALL our questions, we d...
Dec 09, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Season 10Ep. 16
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Vayishlach: Can We Talk About Reuven's Sin? Did Reuven sleep with Bilhah, as the text states? If so, why would the Sages of the Talmud tell us that anyone who makes such a claim is mistaken? How could so many commentators ignore this warning? If you’re interested in a full-length shiur I gave on this topic, entitled Midrashic Embellishment: Why Did Chazal Villai...
Dec 07, 2022•6 min•Season 10Ep. 15
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Note: Today's YBT Sunday Shiur (12/4/22) is a "Take #2" of a shiur I gave on 5/20/22 as part of my "Machshavah Lab" series for women. Synopsis: It would be great to give a comprehensive shiur about how hashgachah pratis, reward and punishment, and Divine justice work. The problem is that these topics are WAY too broad and WAY too deep and WAY too beyond my knowledge level. However, there are many statements of Chazal which seem to presup...
Dec 04, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Season 10Ep. 41
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This morning (12/2/22), in a SPECIAL session of Friday Q&A in lieu of our usual Machshavah Lab shiur for women, we addressed eight topics: (1) How do you know when you're ready to push your own limits and/or take on stringencies? (2) What obligation do we have to bring about the geulah? (3) What do I do if I notice that my thinking is conditioned by other ideas I've heard? (4) What's the deal with meat and wine on Shabbos a...
Dec 02, 2022•51 min•Season 10Ep. 40
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This morning (12/2/22), in our Friday Q&A, we addressed five topics: (1) What kavanah should a person have during the kedushah in the repetition of the amidah? (2) What is the purpose of halacha, and why does it have to be so complex? (3) How can you tell if you are improving or declining in your relationship with Torah? (4) Chazal say that we should "love work" but how? (5) If you fall short of a personal benchmark or obje...
Dec 02, 2022•45 min•Season 10Ep. 39
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (12/2/22), in our Thursday Night Pirkei Avos shiur, we learned our next mishnah which is all about yokes: the yoke of Torah, the yoke of malchus, and the yoke of derech eretz. The teaching in the mishnah presents itself in a stark, binary, transactional language - as if these are the terms of the deal which we can either take or leave. Our goal was to understand the nature of this deal and to what extent it applies to us. Wi...
Dec 02, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Season 10Ep. 38
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Vayeitzei: The Eyes of Leah in the Eyes of Three Schools of Commentary . What does the Torah mean when it describes Leah's eyes as "soft" and why does it inform us of this fact? In this 1-page article we reflect on the 13 answers given by three schools of commentators. ----- The Torah content for the month of Kislev has been sponsored by Serena and Paul Koppel, ...
Nov 28, 2022•5 min•Season 10Ep. 37
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This morning (11/25/22), in our Friday Q&A, we addressed three topics: (1a) What is the advised course of action when starting a sugya in Gemara? (1b) What methodological differences are there between iyun in Tanach and iyun in Gemara? (2) What are the guidelines for maintaining one's own halachic integrity in the presence of someone who is not as committed to halachic observance? (3) How should one react to the loss of a s...
Nov 25, 2022•34 min•Season 10Ep. 36
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Toldos: Does God Judge Our Prayers Based on Our Parents? One would think the answer is "no" were it not for the challenge posed by a Gemara. This article provides a possible answer and - more importantly - an important principle of midrash methodology. ----- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously, by a listener who always manages to find me sup...
Nov 25, 2022•5 min•Season 10Ep. 35
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This evening (11/23/22), in our Wednesday night Tehilim/Tefilah shiur which fell out on Erev Thanksgiving, it would be apropos to take up "inyanei d'yoma" as it were. Since this perek is only five pesukim long, I was fairly confident we might be able to get at least one main idea tonight, and - despite what seemed like a scattered initial analysis - I believe we succeeded! We ended by reading the thanksgiving words of another national le...
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 10Ep. 34
