Machshavah Lab
456 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsMy name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss. My goal as a Torah educator is not merely to teach my students my OWN hashkafah. Rather, my goal is to equip them with the foundations, the methodological training, and the tools which will enable them to arrive at their OWN understanding of Judaism and cultivate their OWN relationship with Hashem and His Torah. This podcast is devoted to the shiurim I give which are geared specifically towards that end. As such, the range of topics covered here will be diverse. There will be shiurim on Jewish philosophy, Chumash methodology, aggadic midrashim, maybe even some non-Jewish philosophy as well. Merriam-Webster defines "laboratory" as a place providing opportunity for experimentation, observation, or practice in a field of study. I call this podcast "Machshavah Lab" because this is where we will conduct Torah "experiments" by exploring questions, texts, and ideas in an effort to develop our machshavah in a "hands on," exploratory, firsthand manner.
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Episodes
A Joke Before Shiur: The Role of Humor in Torah Study
April 16, 2021 17:00 - 55 minutes - 38 MBToday's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (4/16/21) was about the role of humor in Torah study, as reflected in a statement by Chazal. This shiur is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of the topic, or even a full analysis of this Gemara. Rather, as the name of this series - "Machshavah Lab" - implies, this was just an exploratory introduction to the topic. One might say that we were "playing" with the sugya. ---------- מקורות: קהלת ב:ב; ח:טו תלמוד בבלי - שבת דף ל עמוד ב, פסחים דף קיז עמוד א עם...
The Ten Principles of Shadal's Approach to Tanach Interpretation
April 15, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 48.1 MBTonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 4/14/21) is a follow-up to our shiur on Shadal's Opposition to Philosophical Judaism (given at YBT on 4/9/21). At the end of that shiur I was asked, "What is Shadal's approach to Chumash?" I was disappointed that he didn't write a methodological introduction to his commentary on Chumash, but I was delighted to discover his methodological introduction to his commentary on Sefer Yeshayahu, in which he formulates the ten foundational principl...
Mussar Without "Should"s and "Shouldn't"s
April 13, 2021 12:00 - 6 minutes - 4.71 MBThis episode is an "audiobook style" reading of an article I wrote on August 4, 2015 entitled Mussar Without "Should"s and "Shouldn't"s. Click here to access the article on my blog. ---------- 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.co...
Shadal's Opposition to Philosophical Judaism
April 09, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 39.3 MBToday's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (4/9/21) was intended to expand the horizons of my particular students, who (a) have been immersed in a largely Maimonidean Torah framework, and (b) have never been exposed to an anti-Maimonidean polemic. This shiur centered on Shadal's commentary on Devarim 6:5, about ahavas Hashem (love of God), which expressed a number of his criticisms of the philosophical approach to Judaism as taught by many of the Rishonim - especially the Rambam. We read his comments, d...
Can God Do the Impossible?
April 07, 2021 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.4 MBIn today's Iyov class (4/7/20 at Lomdeha) we tackled one of the classic "spicy questions": Can God do the impossible? We examined four "no" answers: one based on logic, and the other three given by various meforshim (Rambam, Saadia Gaon, and the Sefer ha'Ikkarim). Some questions we left unanswered, but hopefully the lesson was sufficiently clear to convey the main points. I usually don't upload my Iyov shiurim as podcasts, but this topic was enough a standalone that I deemed it uploadworth...
Maror as a Philosophical Theme of Pesach
March 19, 2021 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBLength: 43 minutes Synopsis: In today's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (3/19/21) we explored one of the most underappreciated themes of Pesach, namely, maror. People talk about the Egyptian slavery and oppression, but not the specific quality of "bitterness." In this shiur we utilize the best Chumash commentary in the entire world to arrive at our understanding of what this "bitterness" is, and why it is a central theme in Pesach. Not only that, but one of my students comes up with a better answer t...
Ramban: On Why We Commemorate Yetzias Mitzrayim (a.k.a. The Famous Ramban at the End of Bo)
March 16, 2021 17:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MBLength: 42 minutes Synopsis: Yesterday a student asked "why chametz is such a big deal" (my words, not hers). In this morning's Jewish Ethics class (3/16/21 at Lomdeha) we answered this question by learning/reviewing an excerpt from "the famous Ramban at the end of Parashas Bo" in which he explains the significance of the signs and wonders that Hashem did for our forefathers when He took them out of Egypt, and importance of our preservation of those events through the mitzvos which commemora...
How the (Seemingly) Outdated Elements of Torah Are Evidence of Its Perfection (Part 2)
March 12, 2021 18:00 - 50 minutes - 34.5 MB[Note: If you have not yet listened to Part 1, it is critical that you listen to it first!] In today's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (3/12/21) we continued discussing the topic we raised last week, focusing on the last three out of the seven premises enumerated last time, with one final premise thrown in for good measure. All three premises are rooted in the Rambam's view on how Hashem works with human nature instead of against it, and a large part of today's shiur was spent reading and discussing...
Ritva on Haggadah (Part 3: Meh)
March 12, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBThis evening (3/11/21 at YBT) I made a mistake. I had a really rough week and was super exhausted. I knew I'd be able to give my Tehilim shiur, but I seriously considered cancelling my haggadah shiur. Unfortunately, my feelings of guilt got the better of me, and I pushed ahead anyway. Bad move. I could barely think during the shiur, and after around 35 minutes, I decided to call it quits. I thought about not uploading it at all, but I decided to do so (a) because there are SOME ideas of valu...
Ritva on Haggadah (Part 2: Avadim Hayinu)
March 10, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 52.7 MBThis evening (3/10/21 at YBT) we continued learning through the Ritva's commentary on the Haggadah, focusing on Avadim Hayinu and the various halachos surrounding that portion of the text. ---------- מקורות: פירוש הריטב"א להגדה של פסח תלמוד בבלי פסחים דף קטז עמוד א ---------- 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: ht...
How the (Seemingly) Outdated Elements of Torah Are Evidence of Its Perfection (Part 1)
March 05, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBIn today's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (3/5/21) we broached a broad, deep, and nuanced topic: what to make of the elements of Torah which seem to be obsolete, or worse. The goal of this shiur was to initiate the conversation and to present my own perspective on how to address such questions and problems. My "answer" involves seven premises about Torah: four of which were discussed in Part 1, and the remaining three of which will be discussed next week in Part 2. Needless to say, there are many pa...
Ritva on Haggadah (Part 1: Ha Lachma Anya)
March 03, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 52.1 MBThis evening (3/3/21 at YBT) we began our hagadah preparation for the year! We've chosen to focus on the Ritva (for reasons I explain at the beginning of the video), and we began learning his commentary from the beginning. He ended up providing a non-intuitive reading of Ha Lachma Anya which certainly gave us food for thought. We briefly read his commentary on Mah Nishtanah before concluding the shiur. ---------- מקורות: פירוש הריטב"א להגדה של פסח ---------- If you have questions, comments, ...
Haman's Ancient Motive
February 25, 2021 20:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBI was about to sit down to reread an article I wrote on Purim two years ago (Purim 5779, 3/21/19) entitled Haman's Ancient Motive, when I thought to myself, "Why don't I just read it out loud, record it, and upload it as a podcast episode?" and so I did! If you're in the mood for 20-minute "audiobook style" shiur to get you into the mindset of Purim, here you go! Here's a link to the written version: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2019/03/purim-5779-hamans-ancient-motive.html ----------...
Purim 5781: The Limits of the Human Intellect as a Theme of Purim
February 21, 2021 05:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBIn today's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (2/19/21) we learned a pischa (or pesichta) - that is, a midrashic introduction to Megilas Esther. We explained the main idea of the midrash and how it serves as a thematic framework for reading the megilah, and we concluding by connecting this theme (albeit with a speculative theory) to the obligation to get drunk on Purim. For a written version of 80% of this shiur, check out my article entitled: Human Expectations and Divine Redemption. For the "wolf s...
Of Wolves, Men, and Methodology: an Attempt to Capture and Articulate an Epistemological Upheaval
February 19, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBIn tonight's Topics in Jewish Philosophy shiur (2/18/21 at YBT) I attempted to capture and articulate an epistemological upheaval I recently underwent, triggered by my binge-reading of Barry Lopez's award winning wildlife book "Of Wolves and Men" (1978). As I mention at the outset, I was hesitant to give this shiur because I was skeptical of how much value it would be to those who hadn't accompanied me on the wild journey of reading this book. At best, I would be able to convey the insights ...
Rambam vs. Riaz (and Thomas Jefferson vs. Pirkei Avos)
February 16, 2021 21:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBNote: This is essentially the same shiur I gave in my Rambam Bekius chavurah at YBT on 2/15/21, but this one is slightly shorter, due to the length of the periods at Lomdeha. Also, I didn't mistakenly refer to the Riaz as the Rid in this shiur! This morning (2/16/21 at Lomdeha) we took up a side-quest: to defend the Rambam against a charge leveled by the Riaz (R' Yeshaya Acharon di'Trani). The Rambam famously held that one who believes that Hashem has a body or an appearance qualifies as a...
Lo Tachmod: a Case Study in How the Torah Commands Emotions
February 15, 2021 15:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBNote: I initially gave this over at YBT as a Chumash Methodology shiur, but since I felt that the Lomdeha version was clearer, I replaced the earlier upload with this one. In today's Lomdeha Friday Seminar (2/12/21) we examined the question of how the Torah commands our emotions. I am of the opinion that the Torah NEVER commands us to feel or not feel a particular emotion. My view originated with the Ralbag's Introduction to Torah, which is where tonight's shiur begins. We then look at the ...
Seltzer Theories vs. Jam Theories
February 09, 2021 05:00 - 11 minutes - 7.61 MBThis episode is an "audiobook style" reading of an article I wrote on July 2, 2014 entitled Seltzer Theories vs. Jam Theories. Click here to access the article on my blog and click here for a PDF version. ---------- 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://k...
Some Guidelines for Thinking About Biblical Historicity vs. Archaeology (Part 2 of 2)
February 05, 2021 20:00 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBIn 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 ---------- מקורות: - link to Berman's latest book on ...
Some Guidelines for Thinking About Biblical Historicity vs. Archaeology: Part 2 of 2
February 05, 2021 20:00 - 1 hour - 43 MBIn 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 ---------- מקורות: - link to Berman's latest book on ...
Know What to Respond to a Heretic (Avos 2:14) Part 2
February 04, 2021 17:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBIn 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. ---------- מקורות: אבות ב:יד ---------- 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 Y...
Know What to Respond to a Heretic (Avos 2:14) Part 1
February 02, 2021 19:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBIn 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. ---------- מקורות: אבות ב:יד ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gm...
Some Guidelines for Thinking About Biblical Historicity vs. Archaeology (Part 1 of 2)
January 15, 2021 17:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MBIn 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 f...
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 6 of 6)
January 14, 2021 01:00 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MBIn 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. Ma...
Rambam's Hidden Egalitarian Stance on Mitzvos
January 08, 2021 18:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBThere'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 ...
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 5 of 6)
January 07, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBIn 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.buzz...
Vayechi - The Cheit of Reuven: A Case Study in Analyzing the Flaws of Tzadikim
January 01, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBIn 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. ---------- 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 – בראש...
Lessons in Bitachon from 2020
January 01, 2021 02:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBIn 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. ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה, ספר קנין, הלכות זכייה ומתנה יב:יז ר' אברהם בן הרמ...
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 4 of 6)
December 31, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBIn 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: http...
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 4 of 6)
December 31, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBIn 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: http...
Asarah b'Teves 5781: A Live Prophecy About an Ongoing Tragedy
December 25, 2020 16:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBIn this morning's shiur (12/25/20 at Lomdeha) we set out to accomplish three objectives: (1) to learn, on a basic level, the prophecy in Sefer Yechezkel about the event we are commemorating today (2) understand the transgressions which led to the catastrophe that are being highlighted in this prophecy (3) to translate these insights into practical ways for us to do teshuvah today This shiur was given in memory of my student, Yocheved Gourarie (a"h). Because her life was lost to mental illne...
Chanukah 5781: Asking for Miracles on Chanukah
December 18, 2020 16:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBThis morning's shiur (12/18/20 at Lomdeha) was an adventure in "tefilah archaeology" focusing on a curious addition to the end of Al ha'Nissim involving a request for miracles. After surveying the evidence which establishes that this is the authentic version of Al ha'Nissim, we investigate the reason why most Ashkenazim don't include this request. We then analyze the ideas behind each of these approaches and conclude with practical tefilah advice for how to frame our davening during the last...
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 3 of 6)
December 16, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBIn tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 12/16/20) we continued R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's essay on the midrashim of Chazal, completing the 4th and 5th categories of drashos, supplemented by the relevant footnotes in the new edition. 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/157675...
Can Hashem Transform Into a Human Barber So He Can Cut My Hair? (Part 2)
December 11, 2020 15:00 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MBThis morning's shiur (12/11/20 at Lomdeha) is a continuation of our exploration of the midrash about Hashem transforming into a human barber and cut Sancheriv's hair. After a methodological introduction from the Rambam and Rav Hirsch, we conduct a general overview of seven approaches to the most difficult part of this midrash - one from the Yad Ramah, another from the Ben Yehoyada, and five from the Anaf Yosef. We dive into this seventh approach and attempt to understand every step of the al...
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 2 of 6)
December 10, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBIn tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 12/9/20) we continued R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's essay on the midrashim of Chazal - THIS time with the recently published critical edition. We went back and read a section from the introduction which didn't appear in our version, as well as some jam-packed footnotes from the editor - most notably about R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's explanation of why Rebbi Yehuda ha'Nassi was called "Rabbeinu ha'Kadosh." We then read about the third catego...
Can Hashem Transform Into a Human Barber So He Can Cut My Hair? (Part 1)
December 04, 2020 16:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBThis morning's shiur (12/4/20 at Lomdeha) was prompted by a question I was sent by a listener about a statement in the Gemara to the effect that Hashem transformed into a human barber and cut Sancheriv's hair. I was asked what I thought about this Gemara and figured this would make for a good "midrash workshop." In Part 1 we discuss how to approach such statements in GENERAL. This coming Friday, in Part 2, we will attempt to elucidate the midrash itself. ---------- מקורות: תלמוד בבלי סנהדרין...
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 1 of 6)
December 03, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 49.9 MBIn tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 12/2/20) we began R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam's essay on the midrashim of Chazal. We covered his introduction, in which he praises Chazal's intellectual honesty and criticizes those people who would accept their non-halachic statements simply because Chazal said them. We then began his explanation of the five categories of drashos, which we will continue next week. Part 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1576750/7068922 Part 2: https://www.buz...
Kiddush: The Universe of Torah in a Glass of Wine
November 22, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBThis morning's Sunday shiur (11/22/20 at YBT) was inspired by a poem by Richard Feynman entitled, "The Universe in a Glass of Wine." Our aim in this shiur was three-fold: (1) to conceptualize the mitzvah of kiddush as "the universe of Torah in a glass of wine," (2) to explain a trio of strange midrashim, and (3) to provide a “sample platter” of ideas to contemplate every week when saying kiddush. ---------- Link to Feynman's Poem: https://youtu.be/b3_n7TDL7lc מקורות: תלמוד בבלי – שבת דף קיט...
"The Palace Allegory Revisited" or "Was the Rambam an Elitist?"
November 20, 2020 00:00 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBIn tonight's Topics in Jewish Philosophy shiur (11/19/20 at YBT) we reviewed the Rambam's Palace Allegory in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:51 in order to see what insights it yielded this time around, and in order to respond to those who accuse the Rambam of being an elitist. ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:נא ---------- 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...
Introductions of the Rashbam and Saadia Gaon
November 18, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 49.4 MBIn tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 11/18/20) we learned through the Rashbam's three "introductions" to his commentary. The word "introductions" is in quotations because he doesn't have a formal introduction; rather, these are three sources in which he states his approach and differentiates it from other approaches to Chumash commentary. Afterwards we learned through Saadia Gaon's actual introduction to his Chumash commentary. ---------- מקורות: רשב"ם - הקדמה לפרשיות בראש...
Is Judaism FOR or AGAINST Free Thinking?
November 13, 2020 16:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBIn today's Lomdeha Seminar shiur (11/13/20) we took up the juicy question in the title, focusing primarily on the framework provided by the Rambam's explanation of "al tifnu el ha'elilim" and "lo sasuru acharei levavchem v'acharei eineichem." I won't spoil the answer with any teasers. Let's just say: it's not so simple! ---------- מקורות: רמב"ם – משנה תורה, הלכות יסודי התורה, הקדמה רמב"ם – ספר המצוות, לא תעשה י רמב"ם – ספר המצוות, לא תעשה מ"ז רמב"ם – משנה תורה, הלכות עבודה זרה וחוקות הגוים פ...
Ibn Ezra's Introduction to Torah (Part 3 of 3) PLUS Mahari Kara on Pshat vs. Drash
November 11, 2020 23:00 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MBIn tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 11/11/20) we concluding learning the Ibn Ezra's introductions to Chumash. After reviewing the first four methods, learning the fourth one inside the text his "Shitah Acheres" commentary, we read his presentation of the fifth method - HIS method. In addition to describing his procedure for learning, the Ibn Ezra also made it very clear what little regard he has for the Masoretes' explanations of orthographical anomolies and what high reg...
Three Non-Mainstream Explanations of Akeidas Yitzchak
November 06, 2020 16:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MBIn today's Lomdeha Seminar shiur (11/6/20, Parashas Vayeira) we took up three non-mainstream explanations of Akeidas Yitzchak: that of Shadal, Ralbag, and Rashbam. We also applied a useful three-question Chumash methodology formula to maximize what we gained from these three approaches. DISCLAIMER: some of these views might be perceived as extremely radical ... proceed with caution! -------------------- מקורות: בראשית כב:א-ב, יב שד"ל – בראשית כב:א רלב"ג – בראשית כב:א, ביאור המלות, וביאור הפר...
Ibn Ezra's Introduction to Torah (Part 2 of 3)
November 04, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 53.5 MBIn tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 11/4/20) we continued learning the Ibn Ezra's introduction to Chumash. We began with his criticism of "the third approach," in which he discusses when it is and isn't acceptable to interpret pesukim allegorically. We read about this in two other places: the intro to his second commentary on Bereishis, and his commentary on the Aseres ha'Dibros. We then moved on to his criticism of "the fourth approach," those commentaries which rely hea...
Chazal's Method of Vanquishing the Yetzer ha'Ra (Lomdeha)
October 30, 2020 15:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBIn today's Lomdeha Seminar shiur (10/30/20) we took up the midrash in Berachos 5a about how to vanquish the yetzer ha'ra: "le'olam yargiz adam yetzer tov al yetzer ha'ra etc." We learned through the commentaries of R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam and the Meiri, then attempted to come up with our own cohesive understanding making use of both approaches. We may or may not have succeeded, but after all, the title of this Lomdeha Seminar series is "Machshavah Lab," and what is the purpose of a lab if n...
Ibn Ezra's Introduction to Torah (Part 1 of 3)
October 29, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 51 MBIn tonight's Chumash Methodology shiur (given at YBT on 10/28/20) we began learning the Ibn Ezra's introduction to Chumash. We spent the first part of shiur defining "pshat" according to Ibn Ezra, and then we delved into his intro. Ibn Ezra says that he's going to analyze five approaches to Chumash, and we discussed the first two. ---------- מקורות: אבן עזרא - הקדמה לתורה אבן עזרא - פירוש הקצר לשמות כ:א אבן עזרא - הקדמה למגילת איכה ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I w...
The Mabul vs. Science (Lomdeha) + Follow-up Discussion
October 23, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MBIn today's Lomdeha Seminar shiur (10/23/20) we addressed what some might consider to be a controversial topic: the questions and problems raised by science against the narrative of The Flood in Parashas Noach. We began with an overview of four major problems. After briefly outlining three possible approaches to addressing these problems, we learned (what I currently consider to be) the ONLY viable solution that answers all of the questions in a manner which is consistent with our general app...
Ralbag's Allegorical Interpretation of Gan Eden Part 2 - Beur ha'Milos on Bereishis 2.4-14
October 21, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 61 MBIn tonight's Chumash shiur (given at YBT on 10/21/20) we began learning the Ralbag's commentary on Gan Eden. We encountered some Aristotelian bumps along the way - most of which had to do with the Active Intellect - but we at least got most of what he was saying. Certainly an original and creative approach! ---------- מקורות: רלב"ג בראשית ב:ד-יד, ביאור המלות ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneew...
The Curious Tale of Sasson and Simchah
October 16, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 45.8 MBIn today's Lomdeha Seminar shiur (10/16/20) we took up the midrash in Sukkah 48b about the two heretics, Sasson and Simchah. We learned and evaluated three approaches, and concluded with a fourth quasi-original approach, with plenty of methodological insights along the way. -------------------- מקורות: שמואל הנגיד - מבוא התלמוד תלמוד בבלי סוכה דף מח עמוד ב רש"י שם רשימות שיעורי הגרי"ד שם מהרש"א – חדושי אגדות שם משמואל – סוכות פרק א אות לג-לו רמב"ן - הויכוח -------------------- If you have q...
Ralbag's Allegorical Interpretation of Gan Eden Part 1 - Preface
October 15, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 70.9 MBThe topic of tonight's Chumash shiur (given at YBT on 10/14/20) was the Ralbag's preface to his allegorical commentary on Gan Eden. We began with the Abravanel's objections to taking Gan Eden as a mashal. We then learned through the Ralbag's intro to Gan Eden in which he gives an overview of the ideas in the nimshal. Whether or not we embark on learning through his commentary in the upcoming weeks remains to be seen. ---------- מקורות: אברבנאל - בראשית פרק ב רלב"ג בראשית ב:ד - ג:כד, הצעה לחל...