Machshavah Lab

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

In today's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (2/5/21) we continued our "guided reading" of Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman's book. In the last shiur we covered four out of six guidelines for how to respond to claims, questions, and problems raised by archeologists and scholars of ancient history against the historicity (and validity) of the Torah. In this shiur we tackled the remaining two, the last of which requires much nuance and caution.

Link to Part 1
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מקורות:
- link to Berman's latest book on Amazon
- link to the full text of Gottlieb's book
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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.
----------
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
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/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In this morning's Jewish Ethics class (2/4/21 at Lomdeha) we resumed our analysis of "know what to respond to an apikores (heretic)." After a brief review, we learned the commentaries of Rashi, Rambam, and Meiri and discussed their practical implications.
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מקורות:
אבות ב:יד
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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.
----------
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
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/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In this morning's Jewish Ethics class (2/2/21 at Lomdeha) we began learning the famous injunction "know what to respond to an apikores (heretic)." As usual, we began by raising all of the questions and problems we could think of, and then started to answer these questions on our own. Tomorrow we'll learn the meforshim. 
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מקורות:
אבות ב:יד
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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.
----------
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
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/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In today's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (1/15/21) we tackled a treacherous but important topic: how to respond to claims, questions, and problems raised by archeologists and scholars of ancient history against the historicity (and validity) of the Torah. In this shiur I identify six guidelines to bear in mind when navigating these issues, three of which were covered today and the other three of which will (God willing) be covered when we return from winter break in February. Since this is not my field, I relied heavily on material from Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman and Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb. Much of this shiur consists of me reading excerpts from their writings and offering my own commentary and examples.

Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the comments!
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מקורות:
- link to Berman's latest book on Amazon
- link to the full text of Gottlieb's book
----------
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://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/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 1/13/21) we finished R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's essay on the drashos of Chazal. We began by reviewing all five categories of drashah and the four categories of Talmudic anecdotes, raising a few questions and making some clarifications along the way. We then read the last category of Talmudic attitude and his conclusion to the treatise. According to R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam, we now have the keys to unlocking ALL drashos and anecdotes. May Hashem uncover our eyes that we may behold wonders from His Torah!

Part 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068922
Part 2: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068943
Part 3: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068976
Part 4: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7072852
Part 5: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7170874

I purchased my new edition of this essay on Ebay. Act now, while there are still copies available! 

Please feel free to leave your questions, insights, and feedback in the comments!
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מקורות:
ר' אברהם בן הרמב"ם - מאמר על דרשות חז"ל
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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
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/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

There's a reason why my Friday Lomdeha Seminar series is called "Machshavah Lab" - namely, because do experiments in machshavah! In this morning's shiur (1/8/21 at Lomdeha) we examined a "hidden" source in the Rambam, in which he hints at what turns out to be a very egalitarian stance on men and women in relation to their obligation in mitzvos. The first half of this shiur is factual, whereas the last 20 minutes are somewhat speculative. I state at the beginning of the shiur that we will be left with much more to think about, and if this proves to be true, then I've accomplished my objectives.
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - ספר המצוות: סיום מצות עשה
תלמוד בבלי קידושין דף לא עמוד א
תוספות ד"ה  גדול מצווה ועושה - תלמוד בבלי קידושין דף לא עמוד א
ריטב"א - תלמוד בבלי קידושין דף לא עמוד א
מצודת דוד - זכריה ט:יא
ספר החינוך: מצוה ב
Rabbi Gidon Rothstein: Men and Women’s Differing Religious Aims, as Taught by the Category of Mitzvot ‘Aseh She-Hazman Grama
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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.
----------
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
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 
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 1/6/21) we continued R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's essay on the midrashim of Chazal, beginning his classification of the four types of Talmudic anecdotes. Tonight we made it through the second, third, and fourth category of Talmudic anecdotes, attempting to "decode" some the examples he cited along the way. Next week should be our final installment in this series.

Part 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068922
Part 2: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068943
Part 3: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068976
Part 4: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7072852
Part 5: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7170874
Part 6: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7284478

I purchased my new edition of this essay on Ebay. Act now, while there are still copies available!
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מקורות:
ר' אברהם בן הרמב"ם - מאמר על דרשות חז"ל
----------
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://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 
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In this morning's shiur (1/1/21 at Lomdeha) we learned the views of five different meforshim on the incident involving Reuven and Bilhah and discussed the methodological implications for learning similar cases.
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מקורות:
קהלת ז:כ
בראשית מט:ג-ד
בראשית לה:כב
דברי הימים א' ה:א-ב
תלמוד בבלי – שבת דף נה עמוד ב
רש"י – בראשית לה:כב
נצי״ב – בראשית לה:כב; מט:ד
רד״ק בראשית לה:כב
רמב"ן – בראשית לה:כב
רלב"ג – בראשית מט:ד (תועלות)
בראשית מב:לו-לז
רלב"ג – בראשית מב:לז (ביאור המילות)
רלב"ג – בראשית מב:לז (תועלות)
מהר"י קרא – א' שמואל א:יז
ר' שמואל הנגיד: מבוא התלמוד
רמב"ם – הקדמה לפרק חלק
רמב"ם – איגרת לחכמי קהל עיר מארשילייא על ענייני אצטגנינות
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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.
----------
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
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 
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In tonight's Tehilim shiur (12/31/20 at YBT) we had PLANNED on finishing Tehilim 114. Instead, I felt compelled to use this "Erev New Years" to reflect on 2020 through a Tehilim-esque lens. This led to an informal discussion on bitachon (trust in Hashem), which in turn led us to read R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's discourse on the four ways people relate to bitachon, which ultimately led back to Tehilim 114.
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - משנה תורה, ספר קנין, הלכות זכייה ומתנה יב:יז
ר' אברהם בן הרמב"ם - המספיק לעובדי ה' פרק ה: שער הבטחון
רד"ק - תהלים קמו:ג
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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.
----------
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
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 
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/

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

In tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 12/30/20) we continued R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's essay on the midrashim of Chazal, beginning with his classification of the four types of Talmudic anecdotes. The first of these four types had four subcategories, each with a couple of examples. We spent most of the shiur reading through the examples and trying to refine our understanding of the subcategories on that basis.

Part 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068922
Part 2: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068943
Part 3: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068976
Part 4: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7072852
Part 5: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7170874
Part 6: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7284478

I purchased my new edition of this essay on Ebay. Act now, while there are still copies available!
----------
מקורות:
ר' אברהם בן הרמב"ם - מאמר על דרשות חז"ל
----------
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://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 
Our Yeshiva: https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/
Our Women's Program: https://www.lomdeha.org/