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The Stoic Jew

Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

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My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss. I am, first and foremost, an Orthodox Jew. I am also a student of the Stoic masters: Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. This podcast is dedicated to exploring the relationship between Judaism and Stoicism - where they overlap, where they differ, and how they complement each other. I also use this podcast to think out loud about how to apply the principles of Judaism and Stoicism to my own life, with all its ups and downs.
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Rambam Bekius

Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

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My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss, and this is the podcast for my Rambam Bekius Chavurah at Yeshiva Bnei Torah (YBT). We typically meet four days a week for an hour and learn the writings of the Rambam on a bekius level (i.e. with the aim of covering ground rather than doing an in-depth analysis). Our focus is on the Mishneh Torah, but we will frequently delve into the Sefer ha'Mitzvos, the Peirush ha'Mishnayos, the Moreh ha'Nevuchim, and other writings from the Rambam when our learning take ...
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The Mishlei Podcast

Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

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My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss, and this is the hub for all of my shiurim (classes) on Sefer Mishlei, a.k.a. The Book of Proverbs! Generally speaking we will follow the approach to Mishlei outlined by Saadia Gaon who views Mishlei as a guide for intelligent decision-making in everyday life with the goal of maximizing long-term pleasure and minimizing long-term pain. Each shiur will typically focus on one pasuk (verse), which we will attempt to analyze on our own before turning to the mefo ...
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Machshavah Lab

Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

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My 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 div ...
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The Tefilah Podcast

Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

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My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss, and this is the hub for all of my shiurim (classes) on Tefilah (Prayer) and related topics, such as Tehilim (Psalms) and Berachos (Blessings)! The shiurim I upload here are given in a variety of formats with different lengths and intended for different audiences. The common theme which unites all of these shiurim is our focus on strengthening our relationship with Hashem through Avodah she'ba'Lev (Service of the Heart). If you have any questions feel free t ...
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Do you have questions that the educational system didn't adequately address? Today, there are many who don't find Torah to be compelling or relevant as we are faced with unprecedented challenges such as the OTD phenomenon, suppression of ideas, cover-ups, assimilation, skepticism, biblical criticism, charlatanism, atheism, and a slew of other existential threats. As 2 lifelong Sepharadi friends, we decided to create the Torah content we couldn't find elsewhere: long-form discussions with thi ...
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 59 minutes Synopsis: This evening (8/7/24), in our final Stoic Jew Shiur of this summer, we learned the fourth entry in Marcus Aurelius's journal. This, too, is a self-reminder to keep his principles at the forefront of his mind - but this is the first time in the Meditations that M…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 15 minutes 22 seconds Synopsis: Today we finish the Rambam's halachos of Tishah b'Av itself, stopping to discuss an interesting minority manuscript and its implications. Tomorrow we'll move on to the next topic in the chapter: the commemorative practices that Chazal instituted to re…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 7 minutes 52 seconds Synopsis: We continue in Hilchos Taaniyos 5 with the halachos pertaining to the month of Av and Erev Tishah b'Av. As I said, we're keeping this in a "strictly bekius" mode for now to ensure that we finish the chapter before Tishah b'Av itself. ----- מקורות: רמב"…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 11 minutes 20 seconds Synopsis: We'll be taking another detour into the Laws of Fasts in order to prepare for Tishah b'Av, "Rambam Bekius style." Today we read the introductory halachos in which the Rambam tells us about each of the national fast days, why we fast on them, and what …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Mishlei 16:6 - Attaining Atonement the Mishleic Way בְּחֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יְכֻפַּר עָוֺן וּבְיִרְאַת י"י סוּר מֵרָע: Length: 1 hour 34 minutes Synopsis: This evening (8/5/24), in our Monday Night Mishlei shiur before a month-long hiatus, we took up a Mishlei pasuk on what didn't sound like a Mis…
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In this episode, we sit down with comedian and musician Ami Kozak, host of the Ami's House podcast and member of the band Distant Cousins, to delve into the nuances of his career and unique perspective as an orthodox Jew in the comedy world. We explore what initially drew him to comedy and the pivotal moments that solidified his path in the industr…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 5 pages Length of the audio: 17 minutes 25 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/1/24 entitled: Four Insights from a Jewish Renewal Rabbi. I can't say I've ever written an article prompted …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 28 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/31/24), in our Stoic Jew Shiur, we deviated from our sequential learn-through of Meditations and took up a timely question: What do Stoicism and Judaism have to say about the double-assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbolla…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 12 minutes 2 seconds Synopsis: Today we examine the Rambam's examples of the different ways that different people used to daven. There are some nuances in the Rambam's language that I never noticed before. We end off with a CORRECTED reading of the statement about facing Mikdash (wh…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 13 minutes 32 seconds Synopsis: Today we reread the Rambam's formulation of the obligation of tefilah from the Torah and make several inferences from the nuances of his formulation. These nuances help us to know what the actual chiyuv de'oraisa is, and also shed further light on the…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 14 minutes 15 seconds Synopsis: Well, THIS episode took an unexpected turn! I intended to just review one point we covered yesterday and read ten words from the Meiri on how to "make" God have mercy on you, but that little addition turned into a whole episode which touched upon the …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Mishlei 16:5 - Hashem Hates Haughty Hearts תּוֹעֲבַת י"י כׇּל גְּבַהּ לֵב יָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה: Length: 1 hour 19 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/29/24), in our Monday Night Mishlei shiur, we analyzed a pasuk that condemned haughtiness in the harshest terms and followed it up with a per…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 11 minutes 26 seconds Synopsis: And we're BACK to "actual bekius"! In this episode we cover two topics: (a) my mini-rant on how publishers (a.k.a. doofuses) screwed up the Rambam's division of the mini-halachos, and (b) how to understand the Rambam's use of the phrase "mispalel u'mi…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 22 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/26/24 entitled: Pinchas: The Korban Tamid as ... God's Food? How would you respond to the claim that korbanos…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 6 minutes 26 seconds Synopsis: We conclude this examination of women's obligation in tefilah by reading the Mishnah Berurah, who arrives at a similar conclusion to the Aruch ha'Shulchan but spells out a few more details in terms of practicality. Note: I recorded this late into the t…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 19 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/24/24), in our Stoic Jew Shiur, we learned the third entry in Meditations Book II, which deals with some weighty topics: God, the universe, hashgachah (providence), and theodicy (the question of evil in the world). We began by underscoring…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 11 minutes 45 seconds Synopsis: Today we finish the Aruch ha'Shulchan's analysis of how the machlokess on the mitzvah of tefilah de'oraisa plays itself out for women. After taking up the positions of Rashi, Tosafos, Ramban, and Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah, the Aruch ha'Shulchan arrives …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 20 minutes Synopsis: Because today is the 17th of Tammuz, I wanted to take a brief pause in our topic to address inyanei d'yoma, and what better way to do so than to review one thing that the Rambam and the Ramban both agree on: that zaakah b'eis tzarah (crying out to Hashem at a ti…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 10 minutes 49 seconds Synopsis: The next step in our analysis of the machlokess between the Rambam and Ramban and its impact on women's obligation in tefilah is to learn Gemara according to both sides. Turns out, this issue is complicated by the fact that there are three different g…
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Rabbi Shmuel Phillips joins the podcast again to take us on a journey through his thought-provoking book, "Talmud Reclaimed." Join us as we explore the current state of Halakha and the subconscious reverence for the Halakhic status quo. Rabbi Phillips discusses the pivotal role of the Sanhedrin in the Halakhic system, explaining why without it, we …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 6 minutes 31 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I originally published on my old blog on 12/27/13, which I edited and republished on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/19/24 entitled: Vaeira: Do You Believe …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 7 minutes 26 seconds Synopsis: Instead of continuing what we started yesterday, we're gonna slow down. After three weeks of Rambam Bekius, there's one change I'd like to make. ----- The Torah Content for the remainder of July has been sponsored by the Lichters in honor of Jonny Schn…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 45 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/19/24 entitled: Balak: Blaming Sins on “Sin City.” When it comes to nature vs. nurture, we think of "nurture"…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 17 minutes 32 seconds Synopsis: Guess what? We're taking another detour! Since the machlokess between the Rambam and Ramban on tefilah de'oraisa has a direct bearing on the nature and parameters of women's obligation in tefilah, we're going to take up that topic for the next few epi…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 28 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/17/24), in our Stoic Jew Shiur, we learned and discussed the second chapter in Book II, which had a markedly different tone than the first chapter. Here we see Marcus reminding - or rebuking himself - in order not to lose sight of who he r…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 20 minutes 8 seconds Synopsis: Well, I can't put it off any longer: here's the approach my chavrusa and I have been developing to explain the machlokess betweenthe Ramban and the Rambam on tefilah de'oraisa. I did my best to present it clearly, which means that the fact that this ep…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 15 minutes 31 seconds Synopsis: I can't believe it, but this past Friday marked three YEARS of gratitude journaling! In this episode, as I usually do in these "gratitude milestone episodes," I recap my gratitude journal practice and identify the benefit or level-up that currently st…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 9 minutes 13 seconds Synopsis: Before I share the theory that my chavrusa and I have been working on, I'd like to share what the Aruch ha'Shulchan wrote. Like the Rav, he attempts to minimize the machlokess between these two "pillars of the world." What do you think of his line of r…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Mishlei 16:4 - The Rasha's Purpose כֹּל פָּעַל י"י לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ, וְגַם רָשָׁע לְיוֹם רָעָה: Length: 1 hour 20 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/15/24), in our Monday Night Mishlei shiur, we - another small summer crew - analyzed an anomalous pasuk about (wait for it) the purpose of the univ…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 12 minutes 11 seconds Synopsis: Last time we read the Ramban's critique of the Rambam's view that daily tefilah is a mitzvah from the Torah. Before I share the theory that my chavrusa and I have been working on, I'd like to share a famous explanation given by Rabbi Joseph B. Solovei…
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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Roslyn Weiss to explore her translation of Hasdai Crescas's Light of the Lord. We delve into the initial inspiration behind her translation project and the challenges she faced in capturing Crescas's philosophical nuances in English. Dr. Weiss provides insight into Crescas’s difficult life and the historical co…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 3 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/12/24 entitled: Chukas: How the Deaths of Tzadikim Atone. I was going to call this article, "How Miriam and Ah…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 21 minutes 29 seconds Synopsis: Today we'll go over the facts of the Ramban's machlokess with the Rambam regarding the mitzvah of tefilah from the Torah. If you've heard of this machlokess, do yourself a favor: BEFORE you listen to the episode, summarize what you THINK the Ramban's …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 11 minutes 22 seconds Synopsis: I could have moved on after answering yesterday's question, I figured that once we were already discussing the Rambam's take on Rabbinical hermeneutics, I might as well recap my current understanding of his position, as explained by Moshe Halbertal in…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 10 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/10/24), in our Stoic Jew Shiur, we achieved our goal of finishing our analysis of the opening entry of Book II. After reviewing and continuing what we did last time, we raised a question that has bothered me for years: Judaism has a clear …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 15 minutes 24 seconds Synopsis: Today we take up another question from a different listener. Unbeknownst to the listener, this question cuts deep to the core of a HUGE machlokess between the Rambam and the Ramban about the nature of the Torah text and Rabbinic authority. Although we…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 17 minutes 23 seconds Synopsis: Before we take up the question about the inclusion in the Sefer ha'Mitzvos of the halacha about facing Mikdash during tefilah, I'd like to attempt to answer three questions that were sent to me by a listener, and in so doing, refine our understanding …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Mishlei 16:3 - How to Achieve Your Goal [to Hashem All Your Actions] גֹּל אֶל י"י מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְיִכֹּנוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ: Length: 1 hour 34 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/8/24), in our Monday Night Mishlei shiur, we - a small crew this week! - analyzed what appeared to be an extremely fund…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 15 minutes 8 seconds Synopsis: We last left our hero (i.e. Rambam) on an open question: "What is the Rambam's idea of the mitzvah of 'avodah' such that it encompasses all mitzvos AND is a specific commandment for tefilah AND an injunction to study Torah?" Here is how the Ralbag answ…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 11 minutes 2 seconds Synopsis: Yesterday we read the Rambam's formulation of the mitzvah of tefilah in the Sefer ha'Mitzvos. Today we raise several questions on this formulation, and then acquaint ourselves with the facts of his three formulations in the Mishneh Torah. We will spend…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 1 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/5/24 entitled: Korach: The Sexual Allegations Against Moshe Rabbeinu. Did you know that Korach led a nationwid…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 14 minutes 3 seconds Synopsis: We begin our learning of Hilchos Tefilah with the Rambam's formulation of the mitzvah in the Sefer ha'Mitzvos. Right away we are confronted with an anomaly: according to one of the rules set forth by the Rambam in the introduction to the Sefer ha'Mitzv…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 32 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/3/24), in our Stoic Jew Shiur, we attempted to do an orderly review of what we covered last time, but instead, we slipped right into a fresh analysis of some of the most fundamental questions in ethics: What do we mean by good and bad? We …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 13 minutes 13 seconds Synopsis: The Rambam urged his student, R' Yosef, to "make [the Mishneh Torah] your book par excellence." In this episode, I share the methodology I was taught by one of my Rambam rabbeim for how to do that. This methodology will serve as the blueprint for how …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 11 minutes 31 seconds Synopsis: Before we start learning Hilchos Tefilah, I'd like to review two pillars of my Mishneh Torah methodology. Today we'll discuss how the Rambam intended for his magnum opus to be read, and tomorrow I'll share how one of my own Rambam mentors advised me t…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Mishlei 16:2 - [The Inability to] Know Thyself כׇּל דַּרְכֵי אִישׁ זַךְ בְּעֵינָיו וְתֹכֵן רוּחוֹת י"י: Length: 1 hour 36 minutes Synopsis: This evening (7/1/24), in our Monday Night Mishlei shiur, we began a new perek! This pasuk seemed intuitive on the surface, but we ended up with a bunc…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 17 minutes 55 seconds Synopsis: Welcome BACK to the Rambam Bekius Podcast! In this inaugural episode, I discuss what we mean by "Rambam Bekius," what our goals are for this podcast, and what the format will be. Whether you're a new or returning listener, be sure to check out this ep…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 4 pages Length of the audio: 15 minutes 31 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/28/24 entitled: Shelach: Shadal’s Radical Take on the Forty Years in the Wilderness. What if I told you that…
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 1 page Length of the audio: 4 minutes Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I originally published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/24/22, which I've edited and republished on 6/27/24, entitled: Shelach: Challah as a Consequence of the Cheit …
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 37 minutes Synopsis: This evening (6/26/24) was our inaugural "Stoic Jew Shiur"! After a brief overview of who Marcus Aurelius was and what his Meditations are, we dove RIGHT into the text of Book 2 Chapter 1. We quickly discovered that this opening paragraph was rich in idea…
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