Re’eh: Rav Kook’s Anti-Vegetarian Views
This article is my first foray into Rav Kook's stance on vegetarianism, but what motivated me to write it is his revolutionary view of chukim as seeds planted for a future we aren't ready for.
The Rabbi Schneeweiss Substack
(Mostly) short-form articles offering original insights from (mostly) classical commentators, with an emphasis on Torah philosophy, Torah methodology, and Torah living.
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WITATM Round-up: July 2026
For those who don't follow me on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Substack and/or those who are interested in my What I'm Thinking About This Morning posts but missed out on some or all of them.
Eikev: All You Need is Fear
According to R. Chanina, Moshe tells us that Hashem asks only fear of us, and only fear is in our hands. But the pesukim list far more. The Torah Temimah and the Rambam provide opposite solutions.
Vaeschanan: Rashba on What “Shema Yisrael” Demands of Us
There's a lot to think about in the Shema, but how many of us pause to consider what the word "Shema" is instructing us to do? Thankfully, the Rashba provides a comprehensive answer.
Devarim: When Judges Are Threatened with Violence
What would you do if you were a judge and a litigant threatened to kill you? The Torah commands judges not to be afraid. This article explores the halacha and its underlying philosophy.
Masei: The Release of Unintentional Killers
Why are the unintentional killers exiled to the cities of refuge released when the Kohen Gadol dies? Here are two answers, from the Bechor Shor and Rambam.
WITATM Round-up: June 2026
For those who don't follow me on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Substack and/or those who are interested in my What I'm Thinking About This Morning posts but missed out on some or all of them.
Haftaras Pinchas: How Eliyahu ha’Navi Lost His Job
Even a navi acting purely for the sake of Hashem can be undone by his own anger. Eliyahu ha'Navi found this out the hard way. Most of us are more like him than we'd care to admit.
Ralbag’s Response to Pope Leo XIV’s Warning About Artificial Intelligence
What do the tragic earthquakes in Venezuela and Pope Leo XIV's AI encyclical have in common? Ralbag on the Tower of Babel.
Chukas: Three Radical Takes on the Sin of Moshe and Aharon
There are over a dozen theories about which sin barred Moshe and Aharon from leading the people into the Land. Here are three relatively unknown approaches from three relatively unknown commentaries.