Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 18 minutes 13 seconds Synopsis: After battling the resistance (and losing) all summer, I finally broke through and recorded my 300th episode! Originally this was supposed to coincide with my "two years of gratitude" milestone (which I passed 27 days ago), but better late than never! I address these topics and more in this stream-of-consciousness episode. Related Content: - 11/26/20: A Stoic Emperor's Thanksgiving - 7/8/21: The Gr...
Aug 09, 2023•18 min•Season 12Ep. 1
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! I don't usually do this, but since my latest article on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ fits so perfectly into The Stoic Jew podcast, I decided to cross-post the audio version here. Speaking of which, I'm genuinely curious as to how many listeners of TSJ are even aware that I have a substack. Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/12/23, entitled: Freddie Mercury, Shada...
Jul 12, 2023•13 min•Season 11Ep. 10
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 10 minutes 24 seconds Synopsis: The aim of this short episode is to explain why I haven’t made an episode since before Pesach, but the REAL reason I’m making this episode is to help jumpstart my production of content for TSJ again. If you're interested in the secret episode, feel free to email me or reach out to me on WhatsApp. If you'd like to help me build my Instagram presence, check out https://www.instagram.com/rabbischneewe...
May 15, 2023•11 min•Season 11Ep. 9
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 23 minutes 35 seconds Synopsis: In this episode we examine the practice of making a vow to Hashem at a time of distress - one of the major themes in Tehilim 116, which we recite in Hallel. We compare and contrast this to Seneca's views on gratitude (which align with Judaism) and his attitude towards vows (which does not). We focus on the real-world example of R' Sinai Adler, who made such a vow to Hashem at the gates of the crema...
Apr 11, 2023•24 min•Season 11Ep. 8
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 20 minutes 25 seconds Synopsis: In this pre-Pesach episode I share an insight I had this year while learning the halachos of Pesach which resulted in a rush of gratitude which is appropriate to Pesach for a number of reasons. If only Marcus Aurelius knew what he was missing out on. Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 4:49,8 - Haggadah shel Pesach, Yachol me’Rosh Chodesh - Mesivta Haggadah, pp. 424-425 - Rabbi Sinai Adler, Your Rod a...
Apr 05, 2023•21 min•Season 11Ep. 7
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 29 minutes Synopsis: I’ve recently been asked by several people about my current meditation practice and what I get out of it. I decided to make an episode in which I recap my history with meditation practices, review some of the key benefits of meditation according to Stoicism and Judaism, and conclude with a summary of my current relationship with meditation. Related Content: - On Doing Nothing: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , and P...
Mar 22, 2023•29 min•Season 11Ep. 6
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 23 minutes Synopsis: The impetus for this morning’s (unplanned) episode was yet another night of insomnia, in what has amounted to nearly a full week of insomnia. I decided to make this episode to help me process my thoughts as I tossed and turned in bed between 4 and 5am after being awakened at 2:15am by a guy blaring music in his car outside of my apartment for over an hour. But what started off as an episode of me venting my f...
Mar 16, 2023•23 min•Season 11Ep. 5
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 10 minutes 43 seconds Synopsis: This is the eulogy I delivered at the funeral of my Popo (grandmother), Helen Chang (10/5/1924 - 2/2/2023) on 3/13/23 in Honolulu, HI. I originally uploaded it to my Machshavah Lab podcast, where I post my miscellaneous shiurim and content, but I realized that it would be appropriate to upload it here as well. Click here for the video of my eulogy, and click here for the transcript. Be sure to chec...
Mar 13, 2023•11 min•Season 11Ep. 4
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 23 minutes Synopsis: This past Shabbos was my 600th day of gratitude, and I decided to delay making an episode until Purim so that I could talk about the common themes. Unfortunately, I got zero sleep last night - yes, ZERO - which yielded a benefit and a detriment. The benefit is that I got to use last night's insomnia as an example of how the gratitude journal has changed my life. The detriment is that the quality of this episo...
Mar 07, 2023•23 min•Season 11Ep. 3
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 18 minutes Synopsis: My primary goal in making this episode was to remove my "podcaster's block" that has been in place since the news of the four deaths reached me on 2/2/23. After recapping those events and their aftermath, I examine Marcus Aurelius's healthy approach to grief, followed by Epictetus's unhealthy approach, and then the superior approach of halacha as presented by the Rambam. Sources: - Ryan Holiday, Daily Stoic e...
Feb 16, 2023•18 min•Season 11Ep. 2
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far from Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’s On Grief and Grieving , it’s that we all process grief differently, and there’s no wrong way to grieve. As of the recording of this episode, Popo is still with us, but all indications point to the fact that she won’t be with us for much longer. This has been on my mind, and when I woke up this morning, I knew I had to make this episode to process my impending...
Feb 01, 2023•31 min•Season 11Ep. 1
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode was brought to you by my “mortality chavrusa,” who texted me yesterday saying that he can’t wait to hear my birthday recap. It may not be YOUR 39th birthday, but we all recently experienced New Years and many of us have recently started or will soon start our 2nd semester of the academic year. I figured this would be a good time to share some valuable tools I recently acquired from listening to Tim Ferriss’s int...
Jan 11, 2023•29 min•Season 10Ep. 15
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today’s episode I share a practical (albeit difficult) way to implement the injunction of the Sages to “judge every person favorably.” The technique was originated by Byron Katie, but I only just heard about it for the first time on Tim Ferriss’s interview of Tristan Harris. Even though I haven’t delved into Katie’s writings myself, I felt the need to share this as soon as I stumbled upon it because of its potential to trans...
Jan 02, 2023•27 min•Season 10Ep. 14
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today's somewhat-longer-than-usual episode, I recap my recent 30-day "Coffee Replacement Experiment," then reflect on (roughly) three insights I gleaned from the experience, in light of the teachings of Judaism, Stoicism, and Aristotle. Sources: - Michael Pollan, This is Your Mind on Plants - Epictetus, Discourses 2:18 - Seneca, Consolation of Helvia 11:14 - Seneca, Letter #39 - Mortimer J. Adler, Desires Right and Wrong: Th...
Dec 14, 2022•29 min•Season 10Ep. 13
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I don’t know about anyone else, but I have been FASCINATED with OpenAI GPT – the latest incarnation of an artificial intelligence chatbot which (for now) is freely available for the public at large. I’ve been equally parts amazed and horrified by its capabilities and their implications, despite never being interested in AI in the past. Since I’m still in the “honeymoon phase” of this interest, I figured I’d record my initial th...
Dec 07, 2022•27 min•Season 10Ep. 12
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Exactly one year ago I launched the “Weeks of My Life” calendar experiment. I was reminded of this by a friend who just listened to the Counting the Weeks of My Life episode I made upon launching that experiment (see the show notes for the link), who asked me how this weekly experiment has impacted me since then. I decided to make an impromptu episode in which I answer his question. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - Counting...
Dec 01, 2022•13 min•Season 10Ep. 11
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today marks the 500th day of my gratitude journal, and since this happens to fall out on Erev Thanksgiving, I figured I’d make a Thanksgiving episode in which I discuss the benefits – nay, the NECESSITY – of a gratitude accountability practice, and reflect on some of the more recent benefits I’ve gained from this habit. If you’re interested in listening to other episodes about gratitude and Thanksgiving, I’ve linked most (if no...
Nov 23, 2022•18 min•Season 10Ep. 10
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Both Judaism and Stoicism employ the technique of “the cosmic perspective,” albeit for different ends. This weekend I read an article about a cosmic explosion which led me to discover a new application of the cosmic perspective technique which might help us to cope with life’s unexpected turns. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - Don’t Cry Over Spilled Almond Extract Sources: - Seneca, Letter #99: On Consolation to the Bereave...
Nov 21, 2022•12 min•Season 10Ep. 9
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: The Gemara tells us that four of our greatest Sages “entered Pardes (the Orchard)” – that is, they embarked on the study of the deepest areas of metaphysics. One of those sages was Ben Azzai, who “glanced [at the Orchard] and died.” In this episode we unpack what that means, as explained by the Rashbatz, and we examine the practical ramifications for the role that learning plays in our life, in light of a passage from Oliver Bu...
Nov 15, 2022•26 min•Season 10Ep. 8
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Since I’m recording this during the week of Parashas Vayeira, which contains what the Rambam chose as the “crowning pasuk” for every book he ever wrote, I thought it would be appropriate to share my musings on that pasuk as it relates to Stoicism, especially since this happens to be a major theme in the book I’m currently reading: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman. Spoiler alert: if you think ...
Nov 08, 2022•24 min•Season 10Ep. 7
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode was brought to you by an amusingly profound epiphany I had, prompted by an interrupted sleep I had, a mistake in app-usage I made, and a book I happened to be reading. If you’re looking to make time for learning in your busy schedule, then perhaps this insight will come from just the right weird angle to make a difference. Sources: - Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, pp.135-136 -...
Nov 03, 2022•15 min•Season 10Ep. 8
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode is my first attempt to answer a question asked by one of my students: “Can you give me practical advice on how to not care about being liked by everyone?” In the first half of the episode I share a few different approaches, but then we switch gears and discuss a different way to approach the problem altogether. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - (I’m fairly certain I made an episode on how not to care about wh...
Nov 01, 2022•25 min•Season 10Ep. 7
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode has been brought to you by my insomnia. That’s right: ANOTHER episode of TSJ about my struggles with insomnia. I believe you’ll find that this one is far happier and more optimistic than the other three (which are linked in the show notes) – in part because it involves cake and an idea about kaparah (atonement). Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - A Stoic Cure for Insomnia ... I Hope - Applying Epictetus to My ...
Oct 26, 2022•28 min•Season 10Ep. 6
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today's episode I answer the following question, submitted by a listener: "I get very stressed out when I am late for something, and I would like to stop getting so stressed or get better at calming down. This feels like a stoicism type of thing. Do you have any podcast episodes that talk about this?" If you, too, get stressed out when you're late, try these out and let me know what you think! And if you have strategies of y...
Oct 24, 2022•16 min•Season 10Ep. 5
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today's (unplanned, disorganized, and rushed) episode, we compare and contrast the short prayer formulated by Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations with the short prayer uttered by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) in the Temple Service of Yom Kippur. We conclude by examining both prayers in light of an excerpt from Emerson's Self-Reliance on what prayers should and shouldn't be. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - The Stoic Appro...
Oct 06, 2022•19 min•Season 10Ep. 4
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today's episode we examine Marcus Aurelius's analysis of the lesser and greater motives for doing acts of tzedakah (righteousness), and compare his view with Judaism's, as taught by Shlomo ha'Melech (King Solomon) in Sefer Mishlei (the Book of Proverbs). Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - The Mishleic Spectrum: A Glossary of Mishlei Personalities (note that these definitions are NOT current, but they will still prove to be...
Sep 12, 2022•15 min•Season 10Ep. 3
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today's episode we read how Marcus Aurelius grappled with (what he deemed to be) his own intellectual inferiority. After getting the pshat of his meditation, I then turn the lens onto myself and recount how I grappled with my own intellectual inferiority in my yeshiva days, and how many of these feelings surged up yesterday when - for the first time in 13 years - I rejoined my rebbi's Gemara shiur in yeshiva. I recommend tha...
Sep 07, 2022•18 min•Season 10Ep. 2
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today’s inaugural episode of TSJ Season 10 (Fall 2022-2023) I make a case for why we should all aspire to pain and suffering during “teshuvah season” (i.e. Elul and the Aseres Ymei Teshuvah). Not ALL kinds of pain, but a specific kind of suffering which necessarily accompanies true growth and development. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - Bruce Lee: On Lefum Tzaara Agra Sources: - Epictetus, Discourses 3:23 - Avos 5:23 - ...
Sep 05, 2022•13 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: We’ve spoken about the concept of Stoic invulnerability in past episodes (some of which are linked below). This morning I stumbled upon a rather nice explanation from Marcus Aurelius about how it works – an explanation which lines up perfectly with some halachos from the Rambam in the Mishneh Torah. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - How to Convince Mom That You’re Invulnerable - Aurelius, Meditations 4:7: The Secret to Not G...
Aug 15, 2022•22 min•Season 9Ep. 12
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I can imagine someone saying something like this: “Look, I get that YOU find value in the ideas of the Stoics, and feel the need to teach those ideas, but why can’t you do so EXCLUSIVELY through Torah sources? Why do you have to actually present the ideas from the Stoic texts themselves?” This episode is my answer to that question. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - TSJ Interlude: A Defense of This Podcast - Why Do You Value ...
Aug 12, 2022•15 min•Season 9Ep. 11
