Machshavah Lab

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page dvar Torah I wrote entitled, Migdal Bavel and the Hindu Account of the Mabul. The midrash states that the Dor Haflagah built Migdal Bavel to prevent another Mabul, which they believed to be a cyclical phenomenon. As it so happens, Hindus believe the same thing. But there is a key difference: the Dor Haflagah had access to Noach but denied his prophetic account, whereas the Hindus didn't have access to nevuah. Would the Torah still consider people in that situation blameworthy for responding to the Mabul as if it were a naturally recurring phenomenon?
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
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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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

This morning (10/8/21), in our "Machshavah Lab" series for women, we attempted to understand the pshat of the Migdal Bavel story, free from any midrashic biases. With the Ibn Ezra and Ralbag as our guides, we learned through the story and emerged with a fresh (and somewhat radical) view with implications for our present day lives. Perhaps more important was the showcasing of Ibn Ezra's pshat-oriented approach to the text.

Link to Midrashic Betrayal:  How the Lack of Clarity Surrounding Pshat and Drash Has Given Rise to Confusion, Disillusionment, and Conflict in Jewish High School Students
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
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מקורות:
בראשית יא:א-ט
רש"י - בראשית יא:א
מהר"י קרא - א' שמואל א:יז
אבן עזרא - בראשית יא:ד
אבן עזרא שיטה אחרת - בראשית יא:ה
רלב"ג - בראשית יא:ב-ד ביאור הפרשה
סנהדרין פרק י משנה ג
Coming of Age in the Milky Way (1988), by Timothy Ferriss
"The Tower of Babylon" (short story) from Stories of Your Life and Others (2010), by Ted Chiang
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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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
---------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Tonight (10/6/21) we began a multi-part series of shiurim on "The Saga of Kayin." In previous years I had learned specific parts of Kayin's story (i.e. his korban, Hashem's pep talk, his murder of hevel), but I had never asked questions like: What is the unity of Chapter 4? How does each part contribute to the whole? What are we supposed to get from the entire saga? It's all one parashah in the Torah, including the enumeration of Kayin's descendants, concluding with the birth of Enosh. In Part 1 we started our "close reading" of Chapter 4, identifying all of the questions and problems and nuances we could. We intended to finish tonight, but we only made it halfway. God willing, next week we'll do the same for the second half, and the following week we'll try to answer our major questions.
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
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מקורות:
בראשית פרק ד עם מפרשים שונים
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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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page dvar Torah I wrote entitled, Bereishis: (How) Did Hashem Speak to Kayin? The problem is that Kayin doesn't seem cut out to be a navi. Radak offers a shocking interpretation in his "esoteric commentary." Although I do not believe that this interpretation adequately solves our problem, it does provide us with an interesting methodological tool which might open the door to other novel interpretations.
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
----------
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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Does Hashem Actually Care What We Call Shemini Atzeres?  The title might make it seem like it's about Shemini Atzeres, but it's actually about why we should care about even the most trivial nuances in the nusach ha'tefilah.
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
----------
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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, The Joyful Progression from Yom ha’Kippurim through Sukkos. I have long been troubled by the fact that on Yom ha'Kippurim we act as though our fate is hanging in the balance, but after Yom ha'Kippurim we act as though our teshuvah and tefilos were accepted, without any doubt. In this 1-page article we attempt to reconcile these two antithetical moods, and in doing so, shed a new light on the "days of simchah" from the 11th of Tishrei through the 14th, and the simchah of the Chag ha'Sukkos itself.
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in gratitude to the YBT community for being so welcoming to the new guys, and to the "old" guys.
----------
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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

This morning (9/10/21) in our "Machshavah Lab" series for women, we revisited an old question: What is the difference between the year-round mitzvah of vidui (confession) and the special mitzvah of vidui Yom ha'Kippurim? After reviewing the facts and noting the differences, we develop an approach for understanding those differences - based on a Rambam in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim, but inspired by an encounter I had with a bear in southern Washington state. Although we didn't answer all of our question, we did develop a solid approach which (God willing) can help us to gain more out of our Yom ha'Kippurim.

For an alternative approach to this topic, see my article from 2017 entitled Yom ha'Kippurim 5778: Vidui Yom ha'Kippurim.
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in gratitude to the YBT community for being so welcoming to the new guys, and to the "old" guys.
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - ספר המדע, הלכות תשובה א:א; ב:ו-ח
רמב"ם - ספר אהבה, נוסח וידוי יום הכיפורים
מורה הנבוכים ג:לה-לו
הלכות תשובה ה:א-ב
Solzhenitsyn – The Gulag Archipelago
הלכות תשובה ג:ד
אבודרהם – סדר תפלת יום הכיפורים
נוסח כל נדרי
אבות ב:א
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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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Synopsis: This is the audio version of the informal article/reflection I wrote LAST Rosh ha'Shanah, entitled Meditations on Rosh ha'Shanah 5781 - The Meaning of "Shanah Tovah." I'm sharing this today for five reasons:
(1) This year I did something which I've never systematically done in the past: I went back and reviewed my whole year! That's when I was reminded of this.
(2) It is SO easy for us to forget the lessons of the pandemic; this reflection really captured my thoughts and feelings at that time, and serve as a good reminder.
(3) The ideas are still true and are as relevant as ever.
(4) This was only shared in audio form on my WhatsApp group, since my Machshavah Lab Podcast wasn't created until December 29th, 2020. I figured it would be good to upload this in podcast form.
(5) I might not get a chance to write a new article for this Rosh ha'Shanah, so I'm re-sharing this one to bypass that guilt. ;)  
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Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
----------
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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of Torah content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar and the 42-Letter Name of God. I wasn't planning on writing anything for today, but last night I became obsessed with the name Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar and its connection to the Rambam in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim, and I knew that I had to write this. Plus, I really wanted to record it. :)
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Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
----------
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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of Torah content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote entitled, Ki Teitzei: On the Merit of Giving Bad Explanations of Mitzvos, in which we examine the Sefer ha'Chinuch's reasons for giving less-than-stellar explanations of taamei ha'mitzvos (the reasons for the commandments), and consider the practical implications for teaching.
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Today's Torah content is sponsored by an anonymous donor, out of gratitude for all of the awesome opportunities for learning over Zoom that are available at YBT.
----------
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 at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of Torah content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html