Explore every episode of the podcast The Stoic Jew
Dive into the complete episode list for The Stoic Jew. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
Rows per page:
50
1–50 of 332
Title
Pub. Date
Duration
My Oura Ring Was Stolen! ... But Only In My Mind (Epictetus - Discourses 2.18-30)
Length: 21 minutes 25 seconds Synopsis: There's nothing like a real-world example to showcase Stoic principles. This incident that happened to me a couple of weeks ago illustrates one of the core ideas in Epictetus's teachings: the use of "impressions." Not only that, but it also exemplifies one of the chief benefits of tefilah.
Sources: - Epictetus, Discourses 2:18-30 ----- The Torah content for the first month of the new school year has been sponsored by the Brevique BrewLid. The BrewLid integrates coffee directly into the lid, offering a cleaner, more convenient, and eco-friendly coffee experience. By eliminating the need for machine contact, it reduces contamination risk, minimizes steps, cuts down on waste, and keeps the aroma around longer while delivering every last drop of flavor. If you love coffee and want to get in on the ground floor of BrewLid, check out the Kickstarter! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Length: 14 minutes 6 seconds Synopsis: In an effort to jumpstart weekly TSJ episodes, I've decided to start from the beginning of Meditations Book 7 and work my way through. Chapter 1 is very reminiscent of Koheles ... or is it? You can be the judge of that.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 7:1 - Koheles 1:9-11 ----- The Torah content for the first month of the new school year has been sponsored by the Brevique BrewLid. The BrewLid integrates coffee directly into the lid, offering a cleaner, more convenient, and eco-friendly coffee experience. By eliminating the need for machine contact, it reduces contamination risk, minimizes steps, cuts down on waste, and keeps the aroma around longer while delivering every last drop of flavor. If you love coffee and want to get in on the ground floor of BrewLid, check out the Kickstarter! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
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 ideas and fruitful in providing insights into how we - or at least, how I - learn the writings of Stoics and non-Torah other philosophers and thinkers as Orthodox Jews. The shiur was scheduled for an hour, but after 90 minutes, we were still deep in our analysis. We decided to stop. Next time (בג"ה) we'll review what we learned, finish our analysis, and move on to the next chapter!
For a video recording of the shiur, in which I display the text and notes, check out the YouTube version. ----- מקורות: Aurelius - Meditations 2:1 (trans. Long, Farquharson, Waterfield) Richard Mitchell - On Knowing vs. Knowing About (excerpt from The Gift of Fire), https://rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/p/richard-mitchell-on-knowing-vs-knowing Tim Urban - Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/06/taming-mammoth-let-peoples-opinions-run-life.html ----- The Torah content for this week has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l'zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, whose yahrzeit is on the 21st of Sivan. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: This is the first installment of a two-part reflection on my upcoming Winter Break 2022. In today’s episode, Seneca and the Meiri join forces to give me permission – within the framework of my own psychological drives – to take this winter break, and actually use it to relax and recharge.
Sources: - Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind 17:5 (with commentary by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman) - Meiri, Beis ha’Bechirah Shabbos 118b ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously by someone whose identity even I don't know. Since I can't ask them for a dedicatory message, we'll just dedicate it to my January 10th birthday, and - God willing - to another year of learning, teaching, and life. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: What does it mean to "live an authentic life" or to "be an authentic person"? In this episode I argue that the answers given by Judaism and Stoicism are closely related, if not identical - in contrast to the popular conception. I then apply this idea to a rather amusing experience that happened to me a few months ago.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 5:3 - Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Paquda, Chovos ha'Levavos (Duties of the Heart), translated by Daniel Haberman - Avos 4:1 ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously by someone whose identity even I don't know. Since I can't ask them for a dedicatory message, we'll just dedicate it to my January 10th birthday, and - God willing - to another year of learning, teaching, and life. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: This episode begins with a review of what I think of as the three stages of Stoic development. I then share a new way of conceptualizing these stages as three ways we relate to fate (i.e. to those things we cannot control), which I apply to a situation of uncertainty I am currently facing in my life.
Sources: - Epictetus, Enchiridion 8 (with Keith Seddon’s commentary) - Aurelius, Meditations 5:20 - Nietzsche (citation needed) - Avos 2:4 - Talmud Bavli, Shabbos 88b ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously by someone whose identity even I don't know. Since I can't ask them for a dedicatory message, we'll just dedicate it to my January 10th birthday, and - God willing - to another year of learning, teaching, and life. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: Today is my 38th birthday! In this episode I reflect on where I was last year at this time, what happened in between, and where I hope I’m going.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 2:6 - Ralbag, Vayikra 23 - Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously by someone whose identity even I don't know. Since I can't ask them for a dedicatory message, we'll just dedicate it to my January 10th birthday, and - God willing - to another year of learning, teaching, and life. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: I recently attended the wedding of a dear friend. It would be accurate to say that the dancing at the wedding started out the same as at any Orthodox Jewish wedding and ended as a rave. In this episode I argue that this was a GOOD thing, and that it reflects a concept I suspect is unique to Judaism: simchah shel mitzvah. The episode concludes with a reflection on how the melody of the popular song “Hashem Melech” was taken from "C'est la vie," by Algerian raï singer Khaled, which is a song about the life of taivah (base pleasure).
Sources: - Seneca, Letter #59 - Talmud Bavli Shabbos 30b - Hashem Melech - Khaled, C’est La Vie ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Albert Hanan and Justin Coskey in honor of Aryel's and Batya's wedding. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: In today’s (short!) episode we compare Epictetus’s unrealistic and inhuman standards of grieving (or lack thereof) with the tempered and realistic alternative taught by Seneca, as codified by the Rambam in the Mishneh Torah. The explanation Seneca provides for why people grieve excessively raises an interesting question about the psychodynamic forces behind our own experiences of suffering and loss.
Sources: - Epictetus, Enchiridion 3 - Seneca, Letter #63 - Rambam: Mishneh Torah, Sefer Shoftim, Hilchos Avel 13:11-12 ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Yael Weiss, in honor of Rabbi Moskowitz's birthday last week, and in gratitude for all the Mishlei he has taught his many generations of students. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: I came across a quotation from Thoreau which resonated with me, thanks to my “Counting the Weeks of My Life” experiment. In this episode we expand upon Thoreau’s thoughts with excerpts from Epictetus, du Lair, and Pirkei Avos.
Sources: - Thoreau, Walden - Epictetus, Enchiridion 12:2; 25:4-5; Discourses 1:29:21 - Guillaume du Lair, The Moral Philosophy of the Stoics - Avos 2:1 ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Yael Weiss, in honor of Rabbi Moskowitz's birthday last week, and in gratitude for all the Mishlei he has taught his many generations of students. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: I recently started reading a book called The Anatomy of Peace. This morning’s reading triggered an insight into another critique I have of Epictetus’s Stoicism, beyond what I’ve expressed in the past. In my opinion, Marcus Aurelius’s Stoicism doesn’t partake of this flaw in the same way, and Judaism’s ethics actively opposes it. This is a new and developing insight, but I wanted to capture it in its nascent stage.
Sources: - Epictetus, Enchiridion 3 - Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, An Ecology of Love - Devarim 28:9; see Rambam: Sefer ha’Mitzvos Aseh #8, Sefer ha’Chinuch Mitzvah #611
This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously by a student of mine in support of "a life of increased clarity."
If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Synopsis: Since today is the 10th of Teves, I decided to devote the episode to a reflection on how the very existence of The Stoic Jew Podcast is directly related to one of the three events we commemorate on this day – namely, the translation of the Torah into Greek.
Sources: - Rambam: Mishneh Torah, Sefer Zmanim, Hilchos Taaniyos 5:1 - Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 580:1-2 - Aruch ha'Shulchan ibid. - Maseches Sofrim 1:7 - Selichos l'Asarah b'Teves (Koren translation) - Rambam: Letter to Shmuel ibn Tibbon ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously by a student of mine in support of "a life of increased clarity." ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: Last night I gave a Chumash shiur on the brief and bizarre conversation between Yaakov Avinu and Paroh in Parashas Vayigash. Three of the interpretations we learned featured Stoic ideas: two from Shadal (one in the name of Rav Reggio and Gesenius, and the other in the name of his late son, Filosseno), and another from Rav Hirsch. I decided to repackage those three interpretations as today’s episode, and to release it on Thursday instead of Friday for the sake of those who are in Israel (since it’s on the parashah, and is therefore more “time-sensitive” than the usual episode).
This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously with appreciation for all the learning opportunities offered by YBT over Zoom.
Sources: - Epictetus, Enchiridion 7, 1 - Bereishis 47:7-10 with Shadal and Rav Hirsch - Tehilim 119:19 with Rashbam and Radak; Tehilim 39:13 with Radak - Seneca, On the Shortness of Life 3
I should have made this announcement more than an hour before the first shiur, but better late than never! 😅 ----- The Torah content for this week has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l'zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, whose yahrzeit is on the 21st of Sivan. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: I seem to be on a memento mori kick as of late. In today’s episode I discuss the biggest impact (thus far) of my “Counting the Weeks of My Life” experiment, which I spoke about in one of last week’s episodes. For those who are turned off to memento mori practices because they see them as overly negative or morbid might find Marcus Aurelius’s alternative approach to be more appealing.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 7:56 - Aaron Sorkin, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – Episode 9: The Option Period - Band of Brothers (not sure which episode) ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously with appreciation for all the learning opportunities offered by YBT over Zoom. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: Today we return to a familiar theme: how to live like it’s your last day. In past episodes we’ve discussed the challenges to implementing this in practice. Thanks to some insights from Mark Nepo and Steve Jobs, I think I’ve found another piece to the puzzle. This is one of those “thinking aloud” episodes in which I explore how these ideas can apply to my own life. I hope that listening to my own musings helps you to adapt these ideas to your own situation in life.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored in memory of Rabbi Dr Leon & Frances Gersten.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 2:11 - Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening, November 15 (pp.376-377) - Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic, December 2 (p.358) - Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address 2005 ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_share
Synopsis: In today’s episode I reflect on the unique experience I had in which I counted every single week of my life. Like, I physically marked off each of my 1,977 weeks on the “Weeks of My Life” calendar I bought on Amazon. Will this help me to internalize the ideas in Tehilim 90:12, Seneca’s On the Shortness of Life, and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town: Act III? Only the future weeks will tell, if Hashem grants me the time.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored in memory of Rabbi Dr Leon & Frances Gersten.
Sources: - Seneca, On the Shortness of Life - Tehilim 90:12 with Ibn Ezra - Thornton Wilder, Our Town: Act III (check out this video then this video for an excellent performance)
If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Synopsis: In today’s episode I muse out loud about some thoughts I had on and about Thanksgiving in light of my Thanksgiving meal and my reflections on my 21st geriversary (i.e. anniversary of converting to Judaism).
This week's Torah content has been sponsored in memory of Rabbi Dr Leon & Frances Gersten.
Synopsis: This Thanksgiving (i.e. tomorrow) I'll be meeting up with my dad's family. Some I haven't seen in a few years; others, in a decade; others in two decades; still others, I've never met. I thought I wasn't nervous about this reunion, but the fact that I woke up this morning at 3:30am and couldn't stop thinking about it would suggest otherwise. I figured: What better way to process my mild anxiety than by recording an episode of The Stoic Jew Podcast about it? If this episode comes across as more meandering than usual, that's only because I was working it out on the spot, and I wanted to do it in one take. Hopefully this will help others deal with similar cases of mild anxiety, whether about Thanksgiving or about caring what others think in general!
Sources: - Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Paquda, Chovos ha’Levavos 5:5 - Aurelius, Meditations 7:62 and 12:4 - Seneca: Letter #7 - Plato, Crito - Montaigne, Of Solitude - Schopenhauer, The Wisdom of Life - Seneca, Natural Questions IV A, Pref. 14,18 - Mivchar ha'Peninim: Shaar ha'Tznius ---------- This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously. May Hashem grant a refuah shleimah to Tehila Bat Ora Sara. ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html Amazon Wishlist:
Synopsis: In my Rambam Bekius Chavurah we’ve been learning Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 3, in which the Rambam prescribes guidelines for attaining the Crown of Torah. I recently came across a letter from Seneca in which he tells his pupil, Lucilius, what he’ll need to do in order to succeed in the life of philosophy. I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between these two exhortations, and I decided to make an episode about them.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Shirley, and since she didn't specify a dedicatory message, then I'm going to dedicate this to the entire Sinclair family - Shirley, David, and Ken.
Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - Rambam Bekius Podcast Season 6 Episodes 23+ (11/4/21)
Synopsis: This morning we attempt to understand Marcus Aurelius’s nonchalant statement about how easy it is to instantly attain inner peace, which is reminiscent of Moshe Rabbeinu’s nonchalant statement about how easy it is to fear Hashem. The question that prompted this episode is the question in the title: is it really THAT easy?
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Shirley, and since she didn't specify a dedicatory message, then I'm going to dedicate this to the entire Sinclair family - Shirley, David, and Ken.
Synopsis: In this episode we explore the parallels between the halachic and Stoic approaches to kibud u’mora av v’eim (honoring and revering one’s parents), in light of an observation made by Moshe Halbertal in his biography of the Rambam.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Shirley, and since she didn't specify a dedicatory message, then I'm going to dedicate this to the entire Sinclair family - Shirley, David, and Ken.
Synopsis: The first instance of a neder (vow) in the Torah in Parashas Vayeitzei, when Yaakov Avinu makes a neder upon waking up from his dream about the ladder. Rav Hirsch provides a beautiful exposition on the folly of making nedarim. Ironically, his comments contain far more Stoicism than the actual writings of the Stoics on this topic!
This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously. May Hashem send a refuah shleimah to Margalit Esther bat Ettel and Noam Binyamin Refael ben Dina Nili.
Synopsis: Do you find yourself making the same bad decisions again and again because you’re duped by your own emotions? Epictetus repeatedly warns us to not be “taken by impressions” – that is to say, fooled into making mistakes based on inaccurate perceptions of reality. In this excerpt from the Discourses, Epictetus teaches us a powerful technique – one which is endorsed and explained by Shlomo ha’Melech in Mishlei.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously. May Hashem send a refuah shleimah to Margalit Esther bat Ettel and Noam Binyamin Refael ben Dina Nili.
Length: 25 minutes even Synopsis: You might have heard of Bruce Lee's "Be Water, My Friend" analogy, and if you're a listener of this podcast, you might have also heard of Marcus Aurelius's fire analogy, but have you heard of Seneca's BEE analogy? I know I hadn't! In this episode we review all three analogies, discussing how they integrate with Torah (thanks to Rav Kook) and how they can be applied to life.
Sources: - Bruce Lee - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4:1 - Stephen Brown, Dealing with Reality: A Lesson from Bruce Lee - Seneca, Letter #84: On Gathering Ideas - Avos 4:1 - Mishlei 1:20-21 - Rav Kook, as cited (from a source I wasn't able to find) by R' Eliezer Melamed - shout out to my student, Allan W., for getting me thinking about bees this week ----- The Stoic Jew Podcast content from the beginning of May until Shavuos has been made possible by Dan Horowitz, who has graciously taken up my experimental request for an "accountability sponsorship" in hopes that this will result in more Stoic Jew content. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_
Synopsis: Do you hate yourself? Do you love death? You might instinctively think the answer is, “Of course not!” but Marcus Aurelius, Shlomo ha’Melech, and Dr. Theodore I. Rubin beg to differ. Today’s episode is about a single line from the first chapter of Meditations Book 5 and focuses on an idea I alluded to at the end of the previous episode, which I felt warranted its own separate treatment.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously. May Hashem send a refuah shleimah to Margalit Esther bat Ettel and Noam Binyamin Refael ben Dina Nili.
Synopsis: I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions that my favorite chapter in Aurelius’s meditations is 2:1, in which the Stoic Emperor talks about how he’d begin his day. But there’s a very important step which comes before this: getting out of bed. In today’s episode we compare Aurelius’s advice on how to get out of bed when it’s cold outside to Shlomo ha’Melech’s similar advice in Mishlei (as explained by the Meiri) and Yehuda ben Teima’s advice in Pirkei Avos (as explained by the Tur).
This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously for the continued recovery of Rabbi Moskowitz. May Hashem grant Ha'Rav Meir ben Esther Malka a refuah shleimah.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 5:1 - Mishlei 6:11 with Meiri’s commentary (can’t directly link, but it’s available here) - Tur Orach Chaim Siman 1 ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ---------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss:
Synopsis: Rufus taught “The human being is born with an inclination toward virtue.” Would Judaism agree? In today’s episode we take a look at the Sforno’s revolutionary interpretation of a familiar statement from Chazal (which was already preempted by the Rambam), which sheds a new light on how Hashem helps us in the battle against the yetzer ha’ra on a daily basis.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously for the continued recovery of Rabbi Moskowitz. May Hashem grant Ha'Rav Meir ben Esther Malka a refuah shleimah.
Synopsis: In this episode – the last chapter in Book 4 of Meditations – I attempted to record WITHOUT extensive preparation in an effort to follow through on the intentions I stated in my recent episode about my struggles with perfectionism. Ironically, the theme of Aurelius’s chapter was consonant with this goal. Let’s hope I succeeded in following his injunction!
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by R.R. in appreciation for all the growth and insight that she has gained from these shiurim. To that I say, "Thank YOU, R.R., for helping make that possible!"
Synopsis: For better or for worse I decided to record today’s episode when my mind was feeling a bit scattered … and it shows. We begin by reading Aurelius’s “unphilosophic” thoughts about how to put death in perspective, which we compare to the Torah’s stance as spelled out by the Rambam. We then read Epictetus’s counterpoint to the Rambam which leaves us in a quandary, and we compound that quandary with an excerpt from Barbara Ehrenreich’s thoughts on diminishing returns in the efforts to prolong life at the expense of living. Where do we end up? With exactly what is advertised in the title: scattered thoughts.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by R.R. in appreciation for all the growth and insight that she has gained from these shiurim. To that I say, "Thank YOU, R.R., for helping make that possible!"
Synopsis: In today’s episode Marcus Aurelius shares the secret of how to be immune to misfortune. His approach includes a number of fundamental ideas in Judaism and Stoicism that we’ve discussed in previous episodes (see the show notes for a partial list), but he ties them together in a compelling way which parallels David ha’Melech’s approach in Tehilim.
Today's Torah content has been sponsored by someone who makes regular contributions, not only to the Torah content fund, but also to my shiurim.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 4:48; 4:8; 2:1; 5:20 ------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ------- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss "The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": https://te
Synopsis: In today’s episode we compare similar statements made by Marcus Aurelius in the Meditations Akavya ben Mahallalel in Pirkei Avos, as explained by the Rambam and the Meiri, but first we attempt to answer the question, “To what extent does Stoicism prepare a person for facing death?”
Today's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously. May Hashem send a refuah shelaimah to Devorah Yentel bat Sarah Chana Gittel.
Other - Claire Wineland ------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ------- If you've gained from what you've learned, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: In today’s episode I reflect on my 100th day of gratitude journaling! I focus on two of the many benefits I’ve gained from this practice: (1) a little something I call “premeditatio gratias,” and (2) a developmental tool for “amor fati,” inspired by an interpretation of a phrase in Modim by the Ri Bar Yakar and Rashi.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, whom I consider to be both a friend and a role model.
Synopsis: In today’s (self-indulgent) episode I discuss how my own struggles with perfectionism have once again generated problems with my content-production, as far as this podcast is concerned. I made this episode because I needed to express these thoughts and feelings in a public format, but I hope that my choice to do so proves to beneficial to others who struggle with similar problems.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, whom I consider to be both a friend and a role model.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 10:16 - Saadia Gaon, Introduction to Mishlei ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- Stoic texts: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Letters from a Stoic Master (Seneca) The Discourses of Epictetus The Enchiridion (Handbook) of Epictetus ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: Today’s focus is on a one-liner from Marcus Aurelius: “Stop talking about what the good man is like, and just be one.” We use this as a springboard to reflect on our 200th episode, and whether we have fallen into this trap through this podcast, or whether the Torah’s values offer a different perspective on the Stoic Emperor’s self-rebuke.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, whom I consider to be both a friend and a role model.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 10:16 - Epictetus, Discourses 2:9 - Rambam: Hilchos Krias Shema 1:2 - Rambam: Hilchos Yesodei ha’Torah 2:2 ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Length: 19 minutes even (Steven) Synopsis: This episode was inspired by four occurrences that recently befell me, each of which involved what we'll dub "a minor monetary fluctuation." The rest of the episode is devoted to unpacking the insights from these occurrences, using Epictetus as our guide, Jerry Seinfeld as our role model, and Rambam as the teacher who connects it back to Torah.
Sources: - Epictetus, Enchiridion (The Handbook) 4 - Rambam: Commentary on the Mishnah, Berachos 9:5 ----- The Stoic Jew Podcast content from the beginning of May until Shavuos has been made possible by Dan Horowitz, who has graciously taken up my experimental request for an "accountability sponsorship" in hopes that this will result in more Stoic Jew content. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_
Synopsis: Believe it or not, Seneca has a theory about the Mabul. He believes that God has destroyed the world with the flood in the past, but – unlike us – he believes that God will do it again. I figured that this was an appropriate topic for Erev Shabbos Parashas Noach.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
Synopsis: Today's episode is about Marcus Aurelius's memento mori thought experiment: If God told you that you are going to die either today OR tomorrow, would the difference of a day make a difference? And would Judaism offer a different response than Stoicism?
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 4:47 - Seneca, Consolation to Marcia 2:13 - Koheles 6:6 - Berachos 5b with Maharsha Chidushei Aggados ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: In today’s episode we attempt to wrest meaning from Marcus Aurelius’s list of “Top Heraclitus Hits.” Our meditations on his meditation lead us to Koheles, Rambam, and Mufasa. Did we succeed in gaining something of value from Aurelius’s cryptic chapter? You tell me!
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor, in memory of her grandmother, Golda Henya bat Devora a"h.
Synopsis: In today’s bonus episode we review the similarities and differences between Seneca’s version of sukkah and the Torah’s, as explained by the Rambam and Rashbam. We conclude with a question (or cluster of questions) about simchah (joy/rejoicing) as a theme of Sukkos and as an avodah (divine service) in its own right. Chag sameach!
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in gratitude to the YBT community for being so welcoming to the new guys, and to the "old" guys.
Sources: - Seneca Letter #18 - Rambam – Moreh ha’Nevuchim 3:43 - Rashbam on Vayikra 23:43 - Rambam: Mishneh Torah, Sefer Zmanim, Hilchos Shofar v’Sukkah, v’Lulav 8:15 - Ibn Ezra on Devarim 28:47 ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: “Memento Mori” (remembering death) is a major theme in Stoicism and in Judaism – especially when it comes to doing teshuvah. We begin this episode by reflecting on statements by Chazal, the Rambam, and Marcus Aurelius about the sense of urgency created by the awareness of our mortality. But what can we do to incorporate this awareness into our experience of Yom ha’Kippurim? I believe that if we understand how Chazal framed the mitzvah of Vidui Yom ha’Kippurim, then we can convert it into a valuable “memento mori” tool which we can use to enhance our teshuvah on Yom ha’Kippurim.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in gratitude to the YBT community for being so welcoming to the new guys, and to the "old" guys.
Sources: - Avos 2:10 - Rambam: Teshuvah 7:1-2;3:4; 2:7 - Bachya ibn Paquda: Admonition - Aurelius Meditations 2:7,11;4:17,37 ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: In this episode I share an insight I had on Rosh ha’Shanah into the famous statement “teshuvah, tefilah, and tzedakah remove the evil decree” – or should I say, “the evil OF the decree.” I share a real-world example of this which transpired on the second day of Rosh ha’Shanah this year.
This week's Torah content has been sponsored by an anonymous donor in gratitude to the YBT community for being so welcoming to the new guys, and to the "old" guys.
Sources: - Unesaneh Tokef - Eichah 3:38-40 - Aurelius, Meditations 5:20 (medallion available for purchase at The Daily Stoic store) - Talmud Bavli Berachos 5a ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: Since today is Erev Rosh ha’Shanah, I thought it would be useful to explore the difference between the concept of Yom ha’Din (Judgment Day) in Stoicism and in Judaism. We compare and contrast Aurelius’s comments about time and the universe with the picture of Yom ha’Din synthesized from the writings of Rav Hirsch, Meiri, Malbim, and the Abravanel. Although this episode is longer than most, I wanted to be sure to provide a complete framework for approaching the Yom ha’Din this year.
Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditations 4:40,45 - Yechezkel 29:3 - Rav S.R. Hirsch, Horeb 354 - Meiri on Avos 4:2 - Malbim on Iyov 35:8 - Abravanel on Vayikra 23:24 ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: In today’s episode (#192) we examine the distinction between the beneficial Stoic technique of “Premeditatio Malorum” (the Rehearsing of Harms) and the unhealthy activity of “catastrophizing.” We begin with the definition of the latter from the American Psychological Association; next, we see how both types of mental activity are acknowledged by Shlomo ha’Melech in Mishlei; lastly, we apply these insights to a real-world scenario, involving the crazy weather from Hurricane Ida that battered the East Coast last night.
Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
Synopsis: Today’s episode continues on the theme of change with a focus a technique for escaping the patterns of personal drama which are the cause of so much of our anxiety.
Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
Synopsis: Today’s episode focuses on the familiar themes of change and impermanence. We reflect on a meditation from Anthony de Mello and discuss how it can be used to bring out the impact of these themes from their anchor-points in Jewish and Stoic sources.
Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
Length: 17 minutes 48 seconds Synopsis: Yesterday I walked into a swarm of bees. In this episode, I reflect on that experience and follow my musings to the writings of Epictetus, to the bee reference in Tehilim 118, to musings about Israel's present war, and to yesterday's commemoration of the Holocaust.
Sources: - Epictetus, Enchiridion (The Handbook) 1:5; Discourses 2:18 - Malbim on Tehilim 118:10-12 - Bamidbar 10:9 ----- The Stoic Jew Podcast content from the beginning of May until Shavuos has been made possible by Dan Horowitz, who has graciously taken up my experimental request for an "accountability sponsorship" in hopes that this will result in more Stoic Jew content. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_
Synopsis: Today’s episode is about another one-sentence chapter. We examine Aurelius’s words through the eyes of the Rambam in the Moreh ha’Nevuchim, the Sforno on Koheles, Epictetus in the Enchiridion, and Bruce Tift on Buddhism.
Today's Torah content is sponsored by an anonymous donor, out of gratitude for all of the awesome opportunities for learning over Zoom that are available at YBT.
Synopsis: Today’s episode is about the one-sentence chapter. I hate to use the phrase “short but sweet” to describe anything that has to do with corpses, but it is an apt characterization of this sentence.
Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditation 4:41 - Saadia Gaon, Introduction to Sefer Mishlei ---------- Stoic texts: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Letters from a Stoic Master (Seneca) The Discourses of Epictetus The Enchiridion (Handbook) of Epictetus ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.
Synopsis: In today’s episode we compare and contrast the metaphor used by Marcus Aurelius to characterize the universe with the metaphor used by the Torah.
Today's Torah content has been brought to you by the generosity of my Patrons on Patreon.
Sources: - Aurelius, Meditation 4:40 (with Farquharson’s commentary) and 2:1 - Albert Einstein ---------- Stoic texts: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Letters from a Stoic Master (Seneca) The Discourses of Epictetus The Enchiridion (Handbook) of Epictetus ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. ---------- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.