Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s “zany to the max” episode was inspired by the lyrics of two shows I watched as a kid in the 90’s – Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures – which were stuck in my head this morning. After reflecting on their Stoic implications, we examine the broader implications of this particular kind of free association. Far from being accidental, this is something I strive to cultivate, in myself and in my students, and I thought that ...
Aug 03, 2021•15 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today’s episode I reflect on a real-world example that I’ve passed by on my walk to yeshiva every day involving two totaled cars; from there we extend the insight to our reputations, in light of an excerpt from Awareness , by Anthony de Mello. Today’s Torah content is dedicated to the joyous occasion of the marriage of Jon Deutsch and Avigayil Lev. Jon has "graduated" from student, to coworker, to chavrusa and friend. Avigay...
Aug 02, 2021•16 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today’s episode I discuss the three Stoic medallions I purchased – what they say, how their ideas are based in Judaism, and why I purchased them – as well as the fourth medallion which I have not yet purchased because I’m not on the level. 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 fa...
Jul 30, 2021•17 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today's ANTI-planned episode is about how to turn your problems into non-problems, how to make yourself immune to hurt, and how to turn any stumbling block into a stepping stone. How's THAT for a synopsis? 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. Related Rab...
Jul 27, 2021•17 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Last night I held a dying old man in my arms. This episode is about that experience. Today’s episode of The Stoic Jew Podcast is dedicated to the joyous occasion of the marriage of Isaac Lichter and Aviva Rubenstein. Isaac is my talmid chaver: my dear friend, my fellow student of Torah and chochmah, and a talmid who attended ALL of my shiurim this past year, morning, afternoon, and night. Aviva is also a student of mine, whom I...
Jul 25, 2021•15 min•Season 5Ep. 7
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: In today’s episode I discuss my conflicted feelings about my imminent return to New York and how Marcus Aurelius helped me to accept, use, and “love my fate.” Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - Putting The Stoic Jew Podcast on Sacred Pause - My Stoic Injury and TSJ Summer ...
Jul 22, 2021•17 min•Season 5Ep. 6
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: I accidentally lived a day to its fullest, and that day was Tishah b’Av. This episode is a debriefing in which I “follow the bright spots,” examining what led to this unexpected success. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - How to Enjoy the Present Day As If It’s Your Last -...
Jul 20, 2021•19 min•Season 5Ep. 7
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: In today’s (unplanned, longer-than-usual) episode I share some (unorganized, more meandering-than-usual) thoughts about how to apply Seneca’s Stoic technique of Premeditatio Malorum (“the premeditation of evils”) to the observance of Tishah b’Av. Related Content: - The Induc...
Jul 18, 2021•24 min•Season 5Ep. 6
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: Today’s episode was inspired by Irving Tanzer, in whose memory this content was dedicated. His granddaughter described him as "happy being happy," and I wanted to explore that idea through the lens of Stoicism and Judaism in light of an idea from ...
Jul 16, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 5
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: Today’s episode was as unplanned as my unplanned 4-hours of sleep last night. Thankfully, I was able to use the Stoic method of “the obstacle is the way” – or the Jewish method of “gam zu l’tovah” – to transform this “bad” sleep into a “good” slee...
Jul 13, 2021•11 min•Season 5Ep. 4
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: Today’s episode focuses on something that Judaism and Stoicism have in common, namely, a recognition that it is the soul, not the body, that is the essence of a person. Our reading is supplemented by a real-world example, in the form of Claire Win...
Jul 12, 2021•14 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: My post-Sacred Pause summer has been filled with a number of experiments. One of these was proposed by my chavrusa yesterday, and is the subject of today’s episode. I hope that some of you decide to join us in this experiment, and pair up with your own gratitude accountability buddy. If you do, let me know how it goes! Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - Aurelius - Meditations 4:22: That's a Jacket, Not a Bad Cat! - TSJ Interl...
Jul 08, 2021•14 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I’m back, after my much-needed Sacred Pause! In this episode I discuss my attempt to make my first episode of TSJ Season 5, which was thwarted by an injury, which was then converted into an episode. I also discuss my summer plans for TSJ. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - TSJ Intercession: Putting The Stoic Jew Podcast on Sacred Pause - The Obstacle is the Way to Knowledge of Hashem - The One-Page Article: a Summer 2021 Expe...
Jul 06, 2021•13 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In this last episode of the season, which is the last season of the first year of this podcast, I reflect on the year as a whole and on the role of this podcast in my year. If this episode is more “rambly” than usual, it’s only because I had a lot to say, and had to decide (in real time) what ought to be said, and how. Shlomo ha’Melech says: “there is a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Koheles 3:7) . I conclude this podc...
Jun 18, 2021•17 min
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today’s episode I share an interesting experience I had this past Sunday involving a fly, an unexpected burst of compassion, and renewed insight into a couple of pesukim I say in Ashrei three times each day – all of which enhanced my appreciation of the mission of The Stoic Jew Podcast. Related Episodes: - Stoic Strategies for Coping with the Kosher Ice Cream Truck (Aurelius – Meditations 2:1) Sources: - Aurelius, Meditation...
Jun 17, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode focuses on a practical application of Stoic techniques to one of the banes of my existence: the kosher ice cream truck, and its daemonic song. If you, too, have been subjected to this brutal strain and have employed your own successful coping strategies, please share them with me. As you’ll hear in my words and tone, this poses a real challenge for my own peace of mind. Pure Torture: - click here to hear the kos...
Jun 16, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode may be thought of as a further elucidation of the concepts I’ve been speaking about in relation to my Mezuzah Experiment that’s been going on for the last two weeks. Although you can definitely listen to this one on its own, it’ll make more sense in context to listen to the “Sacred Pause”-related episodes linked below. As for the experiment itself: we’ll see if the new trick I introduced today helps! (Think of t...
Jun 15, 2021•14 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today’s episode we explore what is possibly a new technique or avenue of internalizing Stoic insights. The insight was sparked by Naval Ravikant’s explanation of why he takes cold showers, which – surprise surprise! – I couldn’t help but read through the lens of Tara Brach’s Radical Acceptance and Shlomo ha’Melech’s Sefer Mishlei . I decided to share this insight in its nascent form in order to facilitate my own thinking abo...
Jun 14, 2021•13 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode is a follow-up on the “Sacred Pause as Applied to Mezuzah” experiment I initiated last Friday. I was asked a question about this experiment which happens to relate to Parashas Korach. My response to this question clarifies what mitzvos are, how they are intended to function, and what I endeavor to do in my application of non-Jewish ideas and techniques to Torah. Related Episodes: - The Sacred Pause as Applied to...
Jun 11, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 41
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! My apologies for the late upload this morning! This will be addressed in the episode itself. Synopsis: Ordinarily I would say what the episode is about, but the nature of the episode has inclined me not to do so. I know that people tend to listen to these recordings in a variety of situations and while doing a variety of things, but I have four recommendations for this particular episode: (1) set aside 15 minutes to listen to this entire...
Jun 10, 2021•14 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In past episodes I’ve voiced my own critiques of Epictetus’s brand of Stoicism. Specifically, I’ve indicted him for advocating heartlessness, inhumanity, and sociopathy. I recently came across a defense of Epictetus against such charges. While it’s too early to tell whether this defense addresses all of my problems, I am certain that the distinction he makes between feeling and emotion will be useful in understanding Epictetus’...
Jun 09, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I chose this excerpt for two reasons: (1) Marcus Aurelius’s statements about the value of honesty, integrity, and lack of pretense complement the statements of the Rambam in Hilchos Deios on the same topic, which we recently covered in my Rambam Bekius shiur; (2) I love the analogy of the smelly goat! Related Episodes of Rambam Bekius Podcast: - Speech of Duplicity and Integrity (Hilchos Deios 2:6) - How Can the Rambam Permit A...
Jun 08, 2021•12 min•Season 4Ep. 38
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode is about a two-week experiment I’m in the midst of conducting: What will happen if I utilize Tara Brach’s “sacred pause” technique in order to more fully attend to the mezuzah and its ideational content? To my mind this is a good example of how there are things to learn from non-Jewish sources and practices which can allow us to better access the good of the Torah without corrupting or distorting it – which, let...
Jun 07, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 37
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I recorded this on Thursday morning about my state of mind on Thursday morning. The main topic of the episode is what I refer to as “phantom stress” – getting stressed out about elements of the past that my psyche is convinced still exist in the present and the future – and the approach I intend to use to address it. My musings on this topic led me to think about how I intend to approach this next phase in my teaching career. R...
Jun 04, 2021•17 min•Season 4Ep. 36
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s musings were sparked by my recommendation of the Charlie Kaufman movie Synecdoche, New York , and my decision not to rewatch it because it’s too depressing. In today’s episode we discuss four perspectives on tragedies – three from the thinkers listed in the title, and the fourth from Judaism itself. Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 11:6 - Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, The Birth of Hope: Bechukotai 5779 - Mark Twain, Review...
Jun 03, 2021•13 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today we compare Epictetus’s treatment of the topic of speech vs. silence with that of the Rambam. We examined the latter in-depth and at length in our Rambam Bekius podcast (see show notes for links to the relevant episodes), but in this episode, we’ll content ourselves with broad observations about how their approaches differ in light of Stoicism and Judaism in general. Related Episodes of Rambam Bekius Podcast: - A Discussio...
Jun 02, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 34
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: If you’re looking for new ideas and insights on Stoicism and Judaism, then MAYBE this episode isn’t for you. I stumbled upon these words of Marcus Aurelius which resonated with me with regards to the dilemma I find myself in. Now that Lomdeha is officially over, I need to decide the best way to make up for that loss of income. I found the multifaceted analogy provided by Aurelius and Epictetus to be helpful for thinking about t...
Jun 01, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I'm posting Friday's episode now, on Thursday afternoon, 45 minutes before the beginning of the wedding that I discuss in the episode itself, just in case any of my listeners are also planning on attending this same wedding and would like to hear my "Stoic Jew thoughts" going into it. Warning: it's a bit "Three Weeks / Tishah b'Av"-esque. But I think that's a good thing. Sources: - Yirmiyahu 7:32-34; 16:8-12; 25:8-14; 33:10-11 ...
May 27, 2021•12 min•Season 4Ep. 32
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This episode begins with a move advocated by Epictetus called “making use of impressions.” We then read a lengthy excerpt from Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach about a technique she refers to as “The Sacred Pause.” After comparing and contrast this technique with that of Epictetus, we consider the role that The Sacred Pause might play in Judaism, specifically with regards to mitzvos. Related Episodes: - Aurelius - Meditations 4...
May 27, 2021•14 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This episode was brought to you by insomnia, burnout, Iron Archer, human nature, and the human struggle. And if you were one of the 7-10 individuals across the Atlantic who woke up to discover that there was no new episode this morning, this is why. Related Episodes: - Thank Iron Archer (and IFS) for Today’s Non-Episode Episode - On Deviating from Self-Imposed Routines (Epictetus: Enchiridion 50) Sources: - Aurelius, Meditation...
May 26, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 30
