All Episodes
Machshavah Lab — 638 episodes
Devarim: When Judges Are Threatened with Violence
Masei: The Release of Unintentional Killers
Chukas: Three Radical Takes on the Sin of Moshe and Aharon
Balak: The Appeal of Baal Peor (and Darwin)
Korach: How Did Korach and His Followers Think They Could Get Away With It?
Q&A #48 - Bribery Parameters, Bad/Good Influence on/from Friends, Torah on Inner Work, What is YBT
My Graduation Charge to the NEJA Class of 2026
Shelach: The Sin of the Spies and the Root of Idolatry
Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (FULL Article)
Rambam on Divine Knowledge and Hashgachah (Part 2: True Views) Moreh 3:17b-18
Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (Part 1: The Question)
Four Entered the Pardes: An Exploration With An Agenda
Naso: Three Explanations of the Chatas ha’Nazir (Nazrite’s Sin-Offering)
Can God Do the Impossible? Teaching High Schoolers the "Limits" of Divine Omnipotence in Iyov
Rambam on Divine Knowledge and Hashgachah (Part 1: False Views) Moreh 3:16-17a
Bamidbar / Korach: What We Guard in the Mikdash
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 6: Three Types of Ra)
Behar: The Torah’s Double Standard for Slave Labor
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 5: Intro to the Types of Ra)
Rambam: On the Purpose of the Universe (Moreh 3:13)
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 4: Theory of Ra)
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 3: Matter as the Cause of Ra)
Shemini / Tazria / Metzora: What a REAL Rationalist Would Say About Tumah
Q&A #47 - Hashgachah Diagnosis, Rambam on Lashon ha'Ra, Dividing Learning Into Thirds
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 2: The Form of Man)
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 1: Aristotelian Primer on Form and Matter)
Vayikra: Toward a Theory of Jewish Guilt
How to Relate to Arbitrary Halachic Details (Part 2 - Rambam and Rav Kook)
Vayakhel / Pikudei: Remembering Minas Tirith … I Mean Mikdash
How to Relate to Arbitrary Halachic Details (Part 1 - WILL BE REVISED IN PART 2)
Post-Purim 5786: Operation Growling Bear
What Modern Orthodoxy Means to Me (or Rabbi Fox’s 2007 NYHS Commencement Address)
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 3)
Ki Tisa: Is Shabbos a Day of Simchah?
Q&A #46 - 30 Days Before the Chag, Necessity of Haggadah, Mishlei vs. Gemara, Hodaah Anniversaries
The Tail of Vashti and Gavriel ha'Malach
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 2)
Explaining Arayos (Forbidden Relations) to an Aunt and Her Nephew Who Are In Love
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 3) Why Depict Angels as Physical?
Terumah – The “Where?” “What?” and “Why?” of Shechinah
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 2) Review and Clarification
Mishpatim – Is there a Conflict Between Trusting in Hashem and Trusting in Doctors?
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 1)
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 1)
Yisro – Ralbag: On Drafting an AI Policy for a Jewish Day School
Shlomo, Soloveitchik, and Slytherin (In Loving Memory of Adira Rose Koffsky, a"h)
Gam Zu l'Tovah: What does it mean and how do we live it? (Part 2 - Review, Main Idea, and Answers)
Bo/Beshalach: How Many Israelites Died in the Plague of Darkness?
Gam Zu l'Tovah: What does it mean and how do we live it? (Part 1 - Facts, Questions, and Set-up)
AI-Generated Podcast on My Paywalled Rav Kook Post (WARNING: Only 70% Accurate)
Iyov Catch-up Crash Course - Part 2: Review, Bildad, and Tzofar (Ch8-14)
Vaeira: An Explanation of Hashem Hardening Paroh’s Heart You May Not Have Heard
Iyov Catch-up Crash Course - Part 1: Overview, Review, Eliphaz (Ch4-7)
Avos 1:6 - Rabbeinu Yonah on Friendship (Knei Lecha Chaver)
Shemos: The “Second Chumash”?
Vayigash: Hulk Yehuda Threatens to Kill Yosef for Wanting Binyamin as a Sex Slave?!
Mikeitz: And Then They Got DRUNK
Prologue to Sefer Iyov - Part 6: Analysis of Iyov's Monologue
Vayeishev: Yosef ha’Tzadik – A Role Model in Sin
Avos 1:6 - Rambam on Friendship (Knei Lecha Chaver)
Did Dinah Marry Iyov? + Prologue to Sefer Iyov - Part 5: Iyov's Monologue
Vayishlach: Does Rashi Slander Dinah and Leah?
Did Rambam Actually Praise Ibn Ezra and Trash the French Jews (for Eating Salsa)?
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 4: Ikkarim Clarification and Iyov's Suffering (1:13 - 2:13)
Toldos: How Different Were Yaakov and Eisav?
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 3: Methodology, Avoiding Heresy, and Preface to the Satan (1:6-12)
Avos 1:6 - Aseh Lecha Rav - Make a Rav for Yourself (Part 2)
Chayei Sarah: Sarah’s Years — A Peshat-Style Alternative to Rashi’s Midrashic Reading
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 2: Iyov's Profile (Iyov 1:1-5)
Vayeira: Maybe Lote Wasn’t the Bad Guy Rashi Makes Him Out to Be
Avos 1:6 - Aseh Lecha Rav - Make a Teacher for Yourself (Part 1)
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 1: Questions on Iyov 1:1-5 (Plus Rant About Rambam's 13 Ikkarim)
Lech Lecha: Shadal on Jewish vs. Egyptian Circumcision
Avos 1:6 - Dan l'Chaf Zechus - Judge Each Person Favorably
Noach: Did All Humanity Really Speak One Language?
Q&A #45 - Desiring Olam ha'Ba, Blaming Sins on Hashem, and Should We Strive for the Crown of Torah
Sukkos 5778: I Hate Sukkah (In a Good Way)
Sukkos 5786: Musings on the “Branding” of Chag ha’Sukkos
Haazinu: What If You Find Torah Empty?
Yom ha’Kippurim 5786 / Acharei Mos: The Order of Vidui
Approaching the “Sweet Secret” of Ha’Melech ha’Mishpat
Intro to Iyov - Part 3: Historicity (or Lack Thereof)
Vayeilech: When Hashem Hides His Face
Intro to Iyov - Part 2: More on Authorship
Avos 4:16 - Metaphors for Olam ha'Zeh and Olam ha'Ba
Nitzavim: Was Moshe Rabbeinu Pro-Philosophy or Anti-Philosophy?
Intro to Iyov - Part 1: Challenges, Pre-Learning Questions, and Authorship
Avos 4:15 - Greetings, Lion Tails, and Fox Heads
Ki Teitzei: Ibn Kaspi's Radical Rationale for Sending Away the Mother Bird
Sforno on the Prosperity of the Wicked and Suffering of the Righteous (Avos 4:15)
Re’eh: The Torah Temimah’s Counterintuitive Take on the Mitzvah to Live in Israel (and Rav Chaim Brisker’s Zionism)
Eikev: Slowing the Conquest ... For Animals?
Vaeschanan: The Loneliness of the Jew
Tishah b'Av 5785: Kinnah #7 - How Can Hashem Not Remember?
Tishah b’Av 5785: Metaphysical Trauma and the Aftermath of October 7th
Masei: Leviim as Countercultural Role Models Against Cancel Culture
Pinchas: Inheritance as a Non-Intuitive Mishpat
Balak: How Bad Omens Can Harm You (Even According to the Rambam)
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Integrity of the Masoretic Text (Q&A Response) Part 1
Chukas: A Maimonidean Explanation for Parah Adumah (from a Different Moshe)
Korach: Three Types of Machlokess (or “How Korach Wasn’t as Bad as You Think”)
Shelach: Rabbeinu Bachya on the Meraglim, Mishlei, and the Current War With Iran
The Potentially Problematic Line in Sheva Berachos (and What to Do About It)
My Graduation Charge to the NEJA Class of 2025 (spoken from the heart, with speech tics)
Behaalosecha: The Non-Symbolic Trumpets
Translating the Word Ashrei
Naso: Twelve Identical Offerings
Q&A #44: Mishleic Fatalism, Life Decisions, Halakhic Man, Pirkei Avos, What Yeshiva Bochrim Miss
Bamidbar: Dust, Sand, and Stars
Bechukosai: Does Hashem Ever Truly Loathe Israel?
Avos 4:14 - Exile Yourself to a Place of Torah
Lag ba’Omer PSA: The Falsehood of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s Yahrzeit
Kedoshim: “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself” – Not the Greatest Principle in Torah
Kedoshim: Ve'Ahavta l'Reiacha Kamocha Reexamined
Avos 4:13 - When Mistakes in Learning are Considered Intentional
Tazria/Metzora: How Niddah Protected Women
Mortimer J. Adler's Mussar for Religious Educators
Q&A #43: Evil Chacham, Wiki-Wars, World of Midrash, Zohar, Mind vs. Emotions, Mishleic Schadenfreude
Egypt Reflections as a Jew (by My Brother)
Why WE Eat Matzah vs. Why THEY Ate Matzah
Adir Hu: Praiseworthy Paean or Sacrilegious Screed?
Mit’chilah: Defining Avodah Zarah and Avodas Hashem
Q&A #42: Downtime with Rabbeim, God Creating Evil, What Was Given at Sinai, When to Share Learning
Ki Tisa: Shadal’s Anti-Rationalist Rational Explanation of Ayin ha’Ra (the Evil Eye)
Tetzaveh: Philosophical Pants
Ralbag's Lessons from Megilas Esther: Part 4 (#36-40)
Emulating a Vengeful God: ve'Halachta bi'Drachav and E-l Nekamos
Mishpatim: Judaism's Stance on (Extrajudicial) Witch Hunts
Mishpatim: Judaism's Take on [Literal] Witch Hunting (Shiur Version)
Yisro: Shadal’s Unfortunate Stance on Idolatry, Belief, and the Value of Knowledge
Beshalach: What Did the Splitting of the Sea Look Like?
Avos 4:11 and 5:17 - Meiri on Machlokess
Beshalach: Moshe’s Role in the Mahn Confusion and its Implications for Teachers
Shemos: Two Views of Hishtadlus
Vayechi: How Never to Be Angry at Anyone or Hate Anyone (Part 1: Questions)
Vayigash: Who Sent Yosef to Egypt? (Part 1: The Questions)
Avos 4:11 - Angelic Advocates and Accusers (Reexamined)
The Rabbi Schneeweiss Substack Update: 66 Changes I'm Considering for January 2025
Vayishlach: Bnei Yaakov at Beis-El and Bnei Yisrael at Sinai (Part 1: Questions)
Avos 4:10 - Minimize Business and Busy Yourself With Torah ... and Two Related (?) Clauses
Vayeitzei: Yaakov's (Scandalous?) Kiss (?)
Avos 4:9 - Devotion to Torah in Poverty
Bereishis: (How) Did Hashem Speak to Kayin?
Avos 4:8 - Don't Judge Alone
Vayeira: Vox Intellectus Vox Dei (The Voice of the Intellect is the Voice of God)
Lech Lecha: Avraham Avinu – a Vial of Perfume in a Cemetery
Avos 4:7 - Why Judges Should Avoid Judging
Sforno on the Nachash: Apikorsus or Pshat? Part 1: Methodology and Premises
Noach: Why Was Noach’s Family Saved?
Avos 2:1 - Contemplate Three Things and You Won't Come to Sin
INCOMPLETE SHIUR: Rosh ha'Shanah 5785 - The Sweet Secret of Ha'Melech ha'Misphat
Nitzavim/Vayeilech: Teshuvah as a Ledge
Avos 4:6 - How to Honor and Desecrate Yourself Through Torah
(SHIUR) Ki Tavo: How We Know It's a Mitzvah to Have Good Middos (and Why We Should Care)
Shofetim: Three Philosophies of Bal Tashchis (Wasteful Destruction)
Avos 2:13 - Shema, Tefilah, and Bad Self-Image
Re'eh: MEAT IS MURDER!!!
Eikev: When to Disregard Tznius (Modesty) and Act Like an Animal
Vaeschanan: Ayn Rand, Art, and Avodah Zarah
Kinnah #20: Incline Your Ear and Hear (Tishah b'Av 5784)
Tishah b’Av 5784: Does Hashem Still Listen to Our Prayers?
Haftaras Devarim: Will Hashem Hate Our Tishah b’Av?
Four Insights from a Jewish Renewal Rabbi
Pinchas: The Korban Tamid as ... God's Food?
Vaeira: Do You Believe in Magic?
Balak: Blaming Sins on “Sin City”
Chukas: How the Deaths of Tzadikim Atone
Korach: The Sexual Allegations Against Moshe Rabbeinu
Shelach: Shadal’s Radical Take on the Forty Years in the Wilderness
Shelach: Challah as a Consequence of the Cheit ha'Meraglim
Q&A #40: Working Hours, Freud-Ego, Waving Leviim, Blind Obedience, Self-Help, Teaching, Archaeology
Behaalosecha: Moshe’s Short[ened] Tefilah
Behaalosecha: Insights from the Shortest Tefilah Ever
Emulating Darwin: A Jewish Approach to Seeking God
Naso: Shivim Panim la'Torah in Context
Shavuos is NOT About the Giving of the Torah
Ralbag's Sixteen Toalos (Lessons) from Megilas Rus (The Book of Ruth)
She'eilas Shalom ba'Shem Greeting in the Name of God (Part 2)
Avos 4:5 - Sforno and Rashbatz on the Permissibility of Taking Money for Torah (Part 3)
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #7: Immortality in This World
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #6: His True Memorial
She'eilas Shalom ba'Shem (Greeting in the Name of God) Part 1
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #05b: Addendum - Fat Guys in the Woods
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #05: Tishah b’Av - The Most Enjoyable Day of the Summer
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #04: The Hike
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #03: A Rebbi of Students He Never Met
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #02: Burying My Rebbi Admit Tears and Suppressed Laughter
Rabbi Moskowitz Memory #01: Random Learning Session with Ben and Me and 2011
Bechukosai: Rav Hirsch on the Eight Stages of Going Off the Derech
Bechukosai: Ibn Kaspi on Why the Written Torah Doesn't Mention Olam ha'Ba
Behar: The Torah’s Double Standard for Slave Labor (Part 4: Approach #3)
Avos 4:5 - Rambam's Opposition to Taking Money for Torah (Part 2)
Behar: The Torah’s Double Standard for Slave Labor (Part 3: Approach #2)
Behar: The Torah’s Double Standard for Slave Labor (Part 2: Approach #1)
Behar: The Torah’s Double Standard for Slave Labor (Part 1: Questions)
Avos 4:5 - Rambam's Opposition to Taking Money for Torah (Part 1)
Emor / Kedoshim: Should Kids Be Taken to Magic Shows? (Written Version)
Emor / Kedoshim: Should I Take My Kid to a Magic Show? (Full Shiur)
Avos 4:5 - Two Motives for Learning
Q&A #39: Relationship with Learning, Identifying Social vs. Torah Values, Shlish, Curtailed Learning
How the (Seemingly) Outdated Elements of Torah Are Evidence of Its Perfection (REDUX)
Acharei Mos / Kedoshim: How Ancient Israelites Viewed Incest (and Why It Matters)
Avos 4:4 - Desecrating Hashem's Name in Secret
Q&A #38: Shefoch, Split-Hallel, Babies, Begin w/Degradation, Baruch ha'Makom, Haggadah Methodology
The Whore in the Haggadah
Haftaras Tazria: Charging Money for Miracles
Astronomy vs. Omens: A Jewish View of the Eclipse
Shemini: DUI (Davening Under the Influence)
Tzav: Heavenly Fire and Hidden Miracles
Avos 4:4 - Be Very, Very Humble (Part 1)
Ralbag's Lessons from Megilas Esther: Part 3 (#27-35)
The Ambiguous Vibe of Taanis Esther
A Theory Connecting Purim to Yom ha’Kipurim Which is NOT Based on Specious Linguistics
Ralbag's Lessons from Megilas Esther: Part 2 (#15-26)
Vayakhel/Pikudei: Tedious by Design
Ralbag's Lessons from Megilas Esther: Part 1 (#1-14)
Four Pillars of Classroom Management (2012 Edition)
Ki Tisa: “Please Erase Me From Your Book”
Tetzaveh: Urim v’Tumim – the Emergency (Outdated?) Divine Telegraph System
Q&A #37: Moshiach, Moshiach, Moshiach, Short-Torah Recommendations, AI, When to Listen to Podcasts
Avos 4:3 - Don't Diss Anyone or Anything
Q&A #36: Dealing with Guilt, Strengthening Halacha Observance, and Self-Diagnosis of Trends
Terumah: Badei ha’Aron (The Staves of the Ark)
Mishpatim: Which Gerim Shouldn’t We Oppress?
Avos 4:2 - Mitzvah Goreres Mitzvah, v'Aveirah Goreres Aveirah (Part 2)
That Time Onkelos Resurrected Jesus Through Necromancy (Gittin 56b) Part 2
Avos 4:2 - Mitzvah Goreres Mitzvah, v'Aveirah Goreres Aveirah (Part 1)
ChatGPTorah Talk: Berachah on Milah, "Can ChatGPT Give Brisker Sevara?" (and a Salmon Recipe)
Yisro: Rambam – On Miracles as a Foundation of Belief
Q&A #35: Vengeance, Struggles with God, Footnote 4, Changing Jobs, Prioritizing Emotional Quiescence
That Time Onkelos Resurrected Jesus Through Necromancy (Gittin 56b) Part 1
Avos 4:1 - Eizehu Mechubad? (Who is Honored?)
My Eulogy for Rabbi Daniel Rosenthal, the "Johnny Appleseed of Torah"
Bo: Eizov – The Humble Herb that Ended Egypt
Avos 4:1 - Eizehu Ashir? (Who is Wealthy?)
Why I Identify With Radak
Rambam: On Beating Tetris (and Rabbi Moskowitz: On Playing Tiddlywinks)
Avos 4:1 - Eizehu Gibor? (Who is Mighty?)
ChatGPTorah Talk: On Proverbs 16:32
Sforno's Counterintuitive Take on Makkas Bechoros and Korban Pesach (REDUX)
Rabbi Moskowitz on Shalom Bayis and Toilet Paper
Avos 5:21 - Pirkei Avos: On Turning Forty
The Rabbi Schneeweiss Substack Update: Three Changes for January 2024
Vayechi: Don’t Stop Working Or Else You’ll Die (Especially If You’re Not Jewish)
Vayigash: May [the Word of] God Be With You (Rough Draft)
Asarah b'Teves 5784: Ezkerah Matzok (Selichos Exploration)
Mikeitz: Self-Deprivation in Solidarity With Others Who Are Suffering
Mikeitz: Rabbeinu Bachya on Rabbeinu Bachya on Bitachon (Trust in Hashem)
Avos 4:1 - Eizehu Chacham? (Who is Wise?) Part 1
Chanukah 5784: Maimonian Doughnuts and My Current Understanding of Minhag (FREE version)
Asking for Miracles on Chanukah: Updated for 2023, in Light of the War with Hamas
Vayeishev: The Consequences of Tattling and Misguided Rebuke
Vayishlach: Does Hashem Always Keep His Promises and Should We Follow His Lead?
Vayishlach: When Should the Righteous Bow Before the Wicked?
Avos 3:20 - Entrées and Appetizers in Learning
Vayeitzei: Hashem’s Love-Hate Relationship With Stone Monuments
Vayeitzei: Leah’s Thanksgiving Revolution
God of Time or Dog Eating Its Own Vomit? (a "The Stoic Jew Podcast" Crossover Post)
Q&A #34: Shir ha'Shirim, Yitzchak's Blindness, Teaching the Derech, Knife Yod, "Right" Use of Time
Avos 3:19 - A Tale of Two Trees
Chayei Sarah: The Virgin Rivka - Plain Pshat and Wild Drash
Avos 3:19 - Kemach (Flour) Plus Torah
Vayeira: A Lesson in Tznius from Lote's Daughters
Avos 3:19 - Binah Plus Daas
Neither Hamas Nor the Nazis Are Halachically Amalek According to the Rambam
Lech Lecha: Avraham’s Origin Story and the Torah’s Silence
Sforno on Sedom: Understanding the Dialogue Between Avraham and Hashem (and Implications for Israel Today)
Noach: Searching for Meaning in the Post-Diluvian Genealogy
Avos 3:19 - Torah Plus Derech Eretz
Bereishis/Noah - Why God Hates Hamas (חמס and حماس)
Q&A #33: Crying Out, Feeling Powerless, For His Name, Teshuvah at This Time, Civilian Deaths, Evil
Q&A #32: Eis Ratzon, Covid-Gaza Connection, Balancing Life and Emotions During Wartime, Why We Fast
Thoughts on the Role of Jewish Educators at a Time of War
Shemini Atzeres 5781: The Festival of Holding On
This is Your Mind on Lulav: The Psychoactive Properties of the Four Species (Part 1)
The Beneficial Effects of Torah Wine on Metaphysical Heart Rate Recovery
Shabbos Shuvah 5784: How to Do Teshuvah, Little by Little
Interpersonal Teshuvah (Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah 2:9-11)
How to Do Teshuvah, Step by Step (Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah 2:2,9-11)
Avos 3:18 - R' Akiva's Amazon Fresh Allegory
Nitzavim: What Would Teshuvah Look Like If It Were Easy?
Ki Tavo: Lone Learning vs. Group Learning
Some Thoughts on Rabbi Moskowitz's Unveiling
Ki Teitzei: Ramban - On Cruelty to Animals
Two MAJOR Professional/Life Updates for the 2023-2024 Academic Year
Shoftim: Trusting Hashem in Poverty and Jurisprudence
Re’eh: The Meaning of Mixing Milk and Meat for a Modern Maimonidean
Eikev: When Avodah Zarah Works (and Why)
Vaeschanan: Mezuzah – Caffeine for the Soul
The Sins of Beitar (Tishah b'Av 5783 Post-Shiur Learning)
Kinnah #11 - Yirmiyahu Lamented Over Yoshiyahu (Tishah b'Av 5783)
The Sin of Columbus, Yehoyakim, and American Jewry
Devarim: The Idolatry of Showing Favoritism in Judgment
No Excuses in Talmud Torah: Ralbag’s Conclusion to Sefer Bamidbar
Freddie Mercury, Shadal, and the Crisis of Human Finitude
Pinchas: The Biological Kohen (and Why I Identify as a Levi)
17th of Tammuz 5783: Which Tamid Ceased (Part 1: Questions)
Become the Best by Accepting that You Aren’t
Chukas: Ultra-Pure Cave Babies, Taylor Swift, and Enriched Uranium
On Why I Value 18Forty and the Orthodox Conundrum Podcasts
Korach: To Guard and Revere the Mikdash
Shelach: That Time the Letter Yod Pleaded Before Hashem
Nazir Reexamined - Part 2: Ralbag's Approach
Q&A #31: Goals, Work, Weddings, Teaching Middos, Year in Review, Baal Teshuvah Baggage, Perfection
Behaalosecha: The Shechinah Isn't a Dog Person
Avos 3.18 - Hierarchies of Divine Love
Behaalosecha: Moshe's View of Miracles
Naso: Confessing to an Omnipotent God
Nazir Reexamined - Part 1: Facts and Questions
Q&A #30: Teshuvah, Tochachah, Svara, Drush, and Halachos Outside of Taryag
Avos 3:17 - Textual Integrity and Emunas Chachamim
Celebration of Rabbi Moskowitz's Life (held at YBT on his 1st Yahrzeit)
Rabbi Moskowitz's Approach to Eishes Chayil
Bamidbar: Moshe's Non-Biological Sons
Q&A #29: Keeping Pace with a Minyan, Is it a Mitzvah to Speculate, Can People Be Happy Without Torah
Avos 3:17 and 1:17 - The Virtue of Silence
Bamidbar: The Terminal Bachelorhood of Nadav and Avihu
Q&A #28: Entertainment, Rebuke, Accepting Lashon ha'Ra, Hedonism, and Echo-Chambers
Q&A #27: How to Engage Students, Shlish vs. Libo Chafetz, Benefits of Teaching, Purpose of a Yeshiva
Behar: The Prohibition to Free a Canaanite Slave
Avos 3:17 - How to Become Fabulously Wealthy! (Tithes are a Fence for Wealth)
Bechukosai: Why are Women Worth Less than Men?
Eight Explanations of Shaatnez
Q&A #26: Should a Rebbi Talk Openly About Personal Struggles? Workplace Temptations, and Publicizing One’s Jewishness
Emor: Why Judaism Punishes Converts
Avos 3:17 - Vows are a Fence for Prishus
Emor: Does Hashem Hate Unibrows?
Kedoshim: Defining Rechilus (Gossip)
Acharei Mos / Kedoshim: Is it Immoral to Desire Arayos? (According to the Rambam)
Q&A #25: Rechilus, Benefits of YBT, Work/Life, Benefits of Jewish Community, Justifying Religiosity
Avos 3:16 - How to Relate to Superiors, Inferiors, and All People
Tazria: Rambam's Explanation for Why Milah is Done on the Eighth Day
Overview of the Halachos of Rechilus and Lashon ha'Ra
Q&A #24: Davening for Refuah for Others, Avraham's Care About Legacy, New Theory of HashgaXXX XXXXXX
Avos 3:15 - Five Ways to Lose Olam ha'Ba
Shemini - Why Can't We Eat Bugs?
Jewish Pedagogy: On Asking Stupid Questions
Memento Mori and True Human Empathy at the Seder
Avadim Hayinu: Would We Still Be Slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt?
Arbaah Banim: The Alternate Version of the Wise and Simple Sons
Maaseh b’Rebbi Eliezer: Abravanel’s Framing of Insomnia on Pesach Night
Four Reasons for the Four Cups
Q&A #23: Overcoming Closemindedness, Seeing Chidushim, Dealing with Shame, Phenomenology in Judaism
Tzav: Korban Todah – Thanking God with a Chametz and Matzah Party
Vayikra: Shadal's View of Korbanos
The Fundamental Importance of NON-Symbolic Chametz
Q&A #22: Why Are You Orthodox, Chavrusa Off-Days, Side-Stepping Perfection, Concealing Observance
"Hashem Decreed the Egyptian Slavery?! God Forbid!" (Sforno on Shemos 1:1-14)
Vayakhel: The Meaning of the Mirror Donation (ABBREVIATED 1-page article version)
Pikudei: The Meaning of the Mirror Donation (SHIUR version)
Q&A #21: "What should I do if my friends are speaking lashon ha'ra about our other friends?"
Avos 3:14 - Four Bad Habits that Remove You From the World
My Eulogy for Popo
Ki Tisa: Is Shabbos a Day of Simchah?
If Hashem Only Gives Chochmah to Chachamim, How Do WE Get It? (Berachos 55a) Part 2
If Hashem Only Gives Chochmah to Chachamim, How Do WE Get It? (Berachos 55a) Part 1
Megilas Esther: How Esther Stayed Religious
Mechiyas Amalek: Emulating a Vengeful God
ABBREVIATED VERSION: My Current (Radical?) Understanding of the Mitzvah to Get Drunk on Purim
My Current (Radical?) Understanding of the Mitzvah to Get Drunk on Purim
The Perils of Distracted Learning (Avos 3:9)
HALF ARTICLE VERSION Mishpatim: The Sanctuary-Altar Sanctuary (or Mizbeach as Refuge for Killers)
Q&A #20: Changing TSBP, Bakashah Advice, Chesed/Tzedakah Guidance, What Should I Learn?, Harry Potter
Q&A #19: Impromptu Hodaah, Is God Bound by Logic, Svara Intuition, Inyanei d'Yoma, Mourner's Kaddish
SHIUR VERSION of Mishpatim: The Sanctuary-Altar Sanctuary (or "Mizbeach as a Refuge for Killers")
Everything I Know About Techiyas ha'Meisim
Q&A #18: Wisdom Literature, Time Allotment, Food Forests, Matrilineal Descent, and Geonic Works
Mishpatim: Does Hashem Reward Good Dogs?
Avos 3:13 - The Relationship Between Social Approval and Divine Approval
Spectral Clergy, Living Torah, and My Izzet Grieving Process
Avos 3:11-12 - The Relationship Between Chochmah, Fear of Sin, and Deeds
Beshalach: Was Miriam a Prophetess?
Bo: The Jewish Lunar Calendar as Anti-Egyptian Polemic
Shemos: Dasan and Aviram - to Blame or Not to Blame?
Q&A #17: Shalom Bayis, Darchei Shalom, and Questions About Jewish Cemeteries
Does Hashem Actually Pray?! - Part 2 (Berachos 7a)
Q&A #16: Churban, Minhag, "Shmiras Einayim," Sharing Psak, Reading, Feeding Animals 1st, MO Problems
Vayechi: The Wolf as an Allegory for the Shechinah
Q&A #15: Aristotelian Torah, Ox-Filth, English Mishneh Torah, and Baby Souls
Avos 3:10 & 5:12 - The Consequences of Forgetting Your Torah
Does Hashem Actually Pray?! - Part 1 (Berachos 7a)
An Etymological Drash from Rav Hirsch on Jewish vs. Pagan Priests
Avos 3:9 - Interrupting Torah for a Tree
Chanukah 5783: The “Beloved” Mitzvah of Ner Chanukah
Dream Analysis in Halacha: Aruch ha'Shulchan and Rambam
Q&A #14 - Off-the-Record Questions, Shabbos King, and Melaveh Malka
Vayeishev: Should this Rashi be Taught to Children?
Avos 3:8 - Giving to God
The Meta-Halachic Implications of the Halachos of Fingernail Cutting
Q&A #13 - What to Treat as a Fact, How Curses Work, and How Berachos Work
Avos 3:7 - Levels of Shechinah
Vayishlach: Can We Talk About Reuven’s Sin?
The Metaphysical Implications of Stubbing Your Toe (Redux)
Q&A #12 - Pushing Limits, Israel, Conditioned Thinking, Meat & Wine, Voucher's Morality, Leadership
Q&A #11 - Kavanah in Kedushah, Halachic Complexity, Torah Fluctuations, Love Work, Diagnosing Lapses
Avos 3:6 - Yokes on You
Vayeitzei: The Eyes of Leah in the Eyes of Three Schools of Commentary
Q&A #10 - Iyun Procedures, Sensitivity to Halachic Laxity, and Dealing with the IRS
Toldos: Does God Judge Our Prayers Based on Our Parents?
Tehilim 100: Mizmor l'Todah (A Psalm of Thanksgiving)
Chayei Sarah: Musings on Judaism's Response to Animal Suffering
Q&A #09 - Is Belief a Choice, Tefilah vs. Avodah Zarah, How to Safely Attend a Red Carpet Event
Chayei Sarah: The Pshat of "Place Your Hand Under My Thigh"
Avos 3:5 - DIY Soul-Endangerment
The Prohibition to Gaze at a Rainbow (or Those Who Gaze at Rainbows Are Better Off Never Being Born)
Q&A #08 - Stoicism, Commanding Emotions, Productivity Compulsion, and Embracing Mortality to Make the Most of Life
Vayeira: Don't Deviate from the Minhag: XTREME Edition
Avos 3:4 - Three Who Eat With or Without Torah
Noach's Unwillingness to Procreate - Part 2 (Some Answers)
Lech Lecha: Is Circumcision "Mutilation"?
Q&A #07 - Tefilah Technicalities, Pas b'Melach Tochal, & Prioritizing Animal Care Over Talmud Torah
Avos 3:3 - The Shechinah Among Friends
Beur Tefilah: Who is the "Aleinu" in Sim Shalom?
Noach's Unwillingness to Procreate - Part 1 (Facts and Questions)
Noach: Shadal's Radical Application of Dibra Torah ki'Lshon Bnei Adam
Q&A #06 - Sim Shalom, Singular vs. Plural, Current Meditation Practice, Shogeg, pre-Ashrei Pesukim
Avos 3:2 - Davening for the Peace of the Government
Q&A #05 - Learning Neviim, Hashgachah Pratis Meetings, Non-Jews and Yomim Noraim, Koheles on Sukkos, and Moshiach as an Ikkar
The Four Days Between Yom ha'Kippurim and Sukkos
Q&A #04 - Al Cheit, Discerning Hashgachah, Trolly Problems, Birkas ha'Gomel, and Idyllic Torah Life
Yom ha’Kippurim 5783: Musings on Erev Yom ha’Kippurim Anxiety
Yom ha'Kippurim 5783: Ne'ilah - It's Not What You Think It Is
Q&A #03 - Assorted Aseres Ymei Teshuvah Questions
Avos 4:11 - Mitzvos and Aveiros as Defenders and Prosecutors
R' Akiva's Guidelines for a Good Judgment on Rosh ha'Shanah
Nitzavim: Is Teshuvah/Torah Really THAT Easy?
Ki Savo: Accursed to God
Q&A #02 - God's Blessings, How to Emulate Him, What Makes a Good Question, and What is Hishtadlus?
Avos 3:1 - How to Avoid Transgression (Part 2: Answers and Ideas)
What I Learned About Jewish Identity and Survival from an Elder of the Crow Tribe and Rav Hirsch
Q&A #01 - Proofs of God's Oneness, Emotions & Perfection, and Emily Dickinson's Judgment of Bible
Avos 3:1 - How to Avoid Transgression (Part 1: Intro, Facts, and Questions)
Memento Mori Musings on the First Day of Yeshiva (Koheles 7:1-2)
Rav Hirsch on Bad Biographies
Tishah b'Av 5782 - Kinnah #28: Eich Enacheim? (How Can I Be Consoled?)
Is it Permissible to Enjoy Learning on Tishah b’Av?
How to Make Kinnos Real
Wishful Thinking and Prophetic Interpretation
Review of R' Shagar's book: "Faith Shattered and Restored: Judaism in the Postmodern Age"
Masei: How to Read the Travels of Bnei Yisrael
Why Talk About Other Religions?
Sefer Mishlei's Jargon-Filled Introduction (Mishlei 1:1-6)
Ralbag on the Speculative Nature of Taamei ha’Mitzvos
Abandonment by Hashem as a Catalyst for Teshuvah
Haftaras Parashas Pinchas: Goyishe Jews
My Rejected Kiruv Article on the Purpose of Life
“Hump Day,” Wednesday, and Yom Revii l’Shabbos
Minhag Mythbusters: Does a Husband Sing Eishes Chayil for His Wife?
The Role of Episodic Memory in the Three Weeks and Tishah b'Av
17th of Tammuz Reflections on Waikiki
The Pros and Cons of Postmodernist Analysis of Halacha
Judaism and the Benefits of EFT (Episodic Future Thinking)
EFT (Episodic Future Thinking) A Summer 2022 Project
How Rambam Sees God in the Sunset
State of the Blog: Summer 2022
Leo Tolstoy, Eishes Chayil, and Caring What Others Think
When Hashem Prefers Telling Lies Over Doing Miracles
Shloshim for Rabbi Morton Moskowitz zt"l
On Reading the Rambam's Mishneh Torah Like a Love Letter
An Example of My Idiosyncratic Brand of Spirituality
Parashas Naso: Nine Explanations for a Twelvefold Repetition
My Eulogy for Rabbi Moskowitz zt"l
Judaism's Nuanced Attitude Towards Converts as Exemplified by Naomi
How to Daven for a Sick Person Who is Beyond Recovery
What is Kareis? Part 3 (Abravanel with some Ran)
The Metaphysical Implications of Stubbing Your Toe
What is Kareis? Part 2 (Tosafos, Rambam, Ramban)
R' Yitzchak Kanpanton and R. Waldo Emerson on Emunas Chachamim
What is Kareis? Part 1 (Saadia Gaon, Ibn Ezra, Rashi, Tosafos)
Why Do We Count the Omer? Three Explanations You (Probably) Haven't Heard (YBT Sunday Shiur)
Three Insights into Shehecheyanu
A Fresh Look at the Shalosh Regalim: Mishpatim and Ki Sisa (Part 2)
A Fresh Look at the Shalosh Regalim: Mishpatim and Ki Sisa (Part 1)
Etzba Elohim: The Finger of WHICH God?
Tzfarde’a: The Plague That Lasted Forever
Even If We Are All Wise, Understanding, Elders, Those Who Know Torah
Chad Gadya: A New Song with an Ancient Theme
Baruch ha'Makom in the Haggadah
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam on the Mysterious Incident of Tziporah and Bris Milah (Shemos 4:24-26)
Rambam on: What is Avodas Hashem? (Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:51; Hilchos Deios 3:2-3)
Pesach Q&A 5782
The Superiority of Rabbinic Laws Over Torah Laws - Part 4: Answers
Why Did Hashem Redeem Us From Egypt? Sforno's Counterintuitive Take
The Superiority of Rabbinic Laws Over Torah Laws - Part 3: the Ran's First Counterargument
Nevuchadnetzar's Statue and Haman's Decree: Part 2 (An Approach)
The Superiority of Rabbinic Laws Over Torah Laws - Part 2: Initial Answers
Nevuchadnetzar's Statue and Haman's Decree: Part 1 (Facts and Questions)
The Superiority of Rabbinic Laws Over Torah Laws - Part 1: Scope and Nature of Rabbinic Authority
Sefer ha'Chinuch's Intro to Mikdash: Part 3 (Seir l'Azazel)
Midrashic Embellishment: Why Did Chazal Villainize “the Bad Guys” and Vindicate “the Good Guys” and What are the Educational Implications for Us?
R' Akiva's View of Human Existence (Avos 3:15) Part 3
R' Akiva's View of Human Existence (Avos 3:15) Part 2
Sefer ha'Chinuch's Intro to Mikdash: Part 2 (Shechinah and Korbanos)
Hashgachah Clarification from the Rosh ha'Yeshiva
R' Akiva's View of Human Existence (Avos 3:15) Part 1
Sefer ha'Chinuch's Intro to Mikdash: Part 1 (Intro to the Intro)
How "Wholeheartedly" Does Hashem Endorse Tefilah? (or "Insights Into Tefilah from Parashas Beshalach")
Bo: Sforno's Counterintuitive Take on Korban Pesach and Makkas Bechoros
Vaeira: Rambam vs. Sforno on the Hardening of Paroh's Heart
Rambam's Shitah on Hashgachah Revisited (Part 3)
Vicarious Merit in the Framework of the Rambam's Ikkarim
What is YOUR Relationship to the Beis Midrash? (Avos 5:14) Part 2
Shemos: Lessons from Mosaic Intervention
What is YOUR Relationship to the Beis Midrash? (Avos 5:14) Part 1
Rambam's Shitah on Hashgachah Revisited (Part 2)
Vayechi: Yaakov Avinu Was Mummified ... But Did He Die?
Rambam's Shitah on Hashgachah Revisited (Part 1)
Vayigash: Yaakov's Brief and Bizarre Conversation with Paroh
Chanukah 5872: The Secret Theme of Al Ha'Nissim
Vayeishev + Miketz: Insights from Yosef and His Brothers on How to Respond to Catastrophe
How to Cultivate Humility: Practical Guidelines (Part 2) Haughtiness from Beauty and Strength
Vayishlach: Would Rambam Advocate Davening at the Kever of the Fifth Matriarch?
How to Cultivate Humility: a Quest for Practical Guidelines (Part 1)
Vayeitzei: Practical Insights from Yaakov Avinu's Neder
The Saga of Kayin (Part 5) The Epic Conclusion
Chayei Sarah: The Fine Line Between Divine Signs and Divination
The Saga of Kayin (Part 4) Applying the Unifying Theory
Parashas Vayeira: Avraham and Islam
Sforno on Sedom: Understanding the Dialogue Between Avraham and Hashem
The Saga of Kayin (Part 3) The Unifying Theory
Torah as Regimen: Ralbag's Approach to Chumash
"Adam's Demonic Spawn" or "Did Hashem Turn the Builders of Migdal Bavel into Monkeys?!"
The Saga of Kayin (Part 2) More Questions and Problems
Parashas Noach: Migdal Bavel and the Hindu Account of the Mabul
What's the Pshat of Migdal Bavel? (Parashas Noach)
The Saga of Kayin (Part 1) Questions and Problems
Parashas Bereishis: (How) Did Hashem Speak to Kayin?
Does Hashem Actually Care What We Call Shemini Atzeres?
The Joyful Progression from Yom ha’Kippurim through Sukkos
Yom ha'Kippurim 5782: Vidui Yom ha'Kippurim and the Inner Bears of Our Nature
Meditations on Rosh ha'Shanah 5781: The Meaning of "Shanah Tovah"
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar and the 42-Letter Name of God
Ki Teitzei: On the Merit of Giving Bad Explanations of Mitzvos
When to Dance Between Two Opinions
Halacha as a Playground of Mindfulness
The Insidious Nature of Metaphysical and Epistemological Premises
Tallis as a Vehicle of Gratitude and a Reminder of Death
Shoftim: The Parameters of Idolatrous Cultural Appropriation
On Being Present in Tefilah
Rambam: On Awakening (The Question)
How to Choose What to Learn Before You Die
King Kamehameha III and Moshiach
Haftaras Re'eh: Torah as Water, Wine, and Milk
Musings on Unrecorded Shiurim
How to Become Wise: Part 2 (R' Yitzchak Kanpanton on Niddah 70b)
Sitting Bull's Ghost Dance and Moshiach
The Madness of Lishmah
On Seeing the Hearts of Human Beings
Simone Biles is My Hero
How to Become Wise: Part 1 (R' Yitzchak Kanpanton on Niddah 70b)
Help! I've Fallen Into Sufi Poetry and I Have No Idea What I'm Doing!
The Principle of Humanity vs. Emunas Chachamim
Taking the Road Less Traveled in Learning
Vaeschanan: Declaring Hashem's Oneness in Love
Musings on the Inadequacy of Internet Research
Bodily Posture as a Sensory Anchor for Kavanah in Tefilah
My Experience Fasting for 48 Hours on the 9th and 10th of Av
The Tenth of Av, Seven Haftaros of Consolation, and Life After the Pain
Tishah b’Av 5781: An Approach to the Blasphemy in Eichah and Kinnos
Hunting for Treasure vs. Panning for Gold on the Beaches of Nome
The Necessity of Metaphysical Trauma for National Teshuvah
The Sin of Refusing to Look at Oneself
The Induction of Metaphysical Trauma
Tishah b'Av 5780: Methodology of Kinnos as Applied to Kinah #31 (Eish Tukad b'Kirbi)
Haftarah of Mattos / Masei: Divine Love as the Foundation of Rebuke
Sameach b’Chelko as Unconditional Happiness
Feynman: On Definitional Neurosis
Bruce Lee’s Oak and the Success of Evil
The One-Page Article: a Summer 2021 Experiment
Musings on Sforno's Approach to the Incident of the Fiery Snakes
Parashas Chukas: Overlooking Sacrilegious Speech (Audiobook Dvar Torah)
An Examination of "The Overexamined Life is Not Worth Living"
Parashas Korach: What Happened to Korach? (Audiobook Dvar Torah)
Parashas Shelach: The Torah's View of Temptation (Audiobook Dvar Torah)
What Does the Torah Mean by "Toeivah"?
What Are Ideas? (Mortimer J. Adler's "Ten Philosophical Mistakes," Chapter 1)
Avos 3:13 - Rabbeinu Yonah (and Krishnamurti) on Silence, Listening, and Chochmah
A Glimpse Into Bruce Lee's Impact on My Methodology of Teaching and Learning (Part 2)
Three Schools of Jewish Thought
A Glimpse Into Bruce Lee's Impact on My Methodology of Teaching and Learning (Part 1)
What is the REAL Theme of Shavuos?
The Mitzvah of Kavod Talmidei Chachamim: An Example of What’s Missing from Rabbeinu Tam’s Curriculum
Parashas Kedoshim Mitzvah Marathon
"Is There an Obligation to Believe that the Zohar Was Written by R' Shimon Bar Yochai?" (Part 1)
Midrashic Betrayal: the Detrimental Effects of the Failure to Distinguish Between Pshat and Drash
A Joke Before Shiur: The Role of Humor in Torah Study
The Ten Principles of Shadal's Approach to Tanach Interpretation
Mussar Without "Should"s and "Shouldn't"s
Shadal's Opposition to Philosophical Judaism
Can God Do the Impossible?
Maror as a Philosophical Theme of Pesach
Ramban: On Why We Commemorate Yetzias Mitzrayim (a.k.a. The Famous Ramban at the End of Bo)
How the (Seemingly) Outdated Elements of Torah Are Evidence of Its Perfection (Part 2)
Ritva on Haggadah (Part 3: Meh)
Ritva on Haggadah (Part 2: Avadim Hayinu)
How the (Seemingly) Outdated Elements of Torah Are Evidence of Its Perfection (Part 1)
Ritva on Haggadah (Part 1: Ha Lachma Anya)
Haman's Ancient Motive
Purim 5781: The Limits of the Human Intellect as a Theme of Purim
Of Wolves, Men, and Methodology: an Attempt to Capture and Articulate an Epistemological Upheaval
Rambam vs. Riaz (and Thomas Jefferson vs. Pirkei Avos)
Lo Tachmod: a Case Study in How the Torah Commands Emotions
Seltzer Theories vs. Jam Theories
Some Guidelines for Thinking About Biblical Historicity vs. Archaeology (Part 2 of 2)
Know What to Respond to a Heretic (Avos 2:14) Part 2
Know What to Respond to a Heretic (Avos 2:14) Part 1
Some Guidelines for Thinking About Biblical Historicity vs. Archaeology (Part 1 of 2)
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 6 of 6)
Rambam's Hidden Egalitarian Stance on Mitzvos
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 5 of 6)
Vayechi - The Cheit of Reuven: A Case Study in Analyzing the Flaws of Tzadikim
Lessons in Bitachon from 2020
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 4 of 6)
Asarah b'Teves 5781: A Live Prophecy About an Ongoing Tragedy
Chanukah 5781: Asking for Miracles on Chanukah
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 3 of 6)
Can Hashem Transform Into a Human Barber So He Can Cut My Hair? (Part 2)
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 2 of 6)
Can Hashem Transform Into a Human Barber So He Can Cut My Hair? (Part 1)
R' Avraham ben ha'Rambam: On Midrashim (Part 1 of 6)
Kiddush: The Universe of Torah in a Glass of Wine
"The Palace Allegory Revisited" or "Was the Rambam an Elitist?"
Introductions of the Rashbam and Saadia Gaon
Is Judaism FOR or AGAINST Free Thinking?
Ibn Ezra's Introduction to Torah (Part 3 of 3) PLUS Mahari Kara on Pshat vs. Drash
Three Non-Mainstream Explanations of Akeidas Yitzchak
Ibn Ezra's Introduction to Torah (Part 2 of 3)
Chazal's Method of Vanquishing the Yetzer ha'Ra (Lomdeha)
Ibn Ezra's Introduction to Torah (Part 1 of 3)
The Mabul vs. Science (Lomdeha) + Follow-up Discussion
Ralbag's Allegorical Interpretation of Gan Eden Part 2 - Beur ha'Milos on Bereishis 2.4-14
The Curious Tale of Sasson and Simchah
Ralbag's Allegorical Interpretation of Gan Eden Part 1 - Preface
Ralbag's Introduction to Chumash (Part 3 of 3)
Yom ha'Kippurim 5781: Ralbag on the [13] Middos [ha'Rachamim]
Ralbag's Introduction to Chumash (Part 2 of 3)
Ralbag's Introduction to Chumash (Part 1 of 3)
Rosh ha'Shanah 5781: Yom ha'Din vs. Yom Teruah