Chanukah / Mikeitz Round-Up 5785/2024
Since I'm off the grid at my solo winter cabin retreat this week, I won't be producing any new content, but I've scheduled this round-up of articles to post while I'm away. Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!
This week's Torah content is sponsored by Feiga W., with the following dedication: "With deep gratitude to my parents, who taught me to seek out opportunities for growth—and to Rabbi Schneeweiss, whose shiurim are exactly that."
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Chanukah / Mikeitz Round-Up 5785/2024
Since I'm off the grid at my solo winter cabin retreat this week, I won't be producing any new content this week. Who knows? I might even take a break until 2025. We’ll see what happens when I emerge from the cabin!
In lieu of a new article, I’ll share what I have from previous years. Turns out I don’t have a ton of articles on Chanukah or Mikeitz, since I only recently started writing articles during the school year.
As we approach the end of 2024, I’d like to thank all my readers, listeners, and students. It means the world to me that you appreciate my Torah and support what I’m doing. I also want to give a special shout-out to those who literally make it possible for me to afford to produce so much Torah content:
Thank you to my supporters on Patreon for being the bedrock of my financial support. I know most Patreon creators offer special perks, which I’ve been really bad at doing. I consider you to be the “lishmah” supporters, who contribute to the Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content fund without expecting anything in return.
Thank you to all those who have sponsored my content or made donations through Venmo (@Matt-Schneeweiss), Chase/Zelle (mattschneeweiss at gmail), and PayPal (mattschneeweiss at gmail).
Thank you to all those who make “recurring payment” contributions through the aforementioned channels. Your dollars go even further than my Patrons’, since Patreon doesn’t get a cut!
Thank you to my paid subscribers on Substack for enabling me to earn a “writing salary,” which encourages me to experiment with articles I wouldn’t ordinarily write.
Thank you to those of you who have gifted me books from my Amazon wish list. Whenever there’s a book I want but don’t absolutely need, I add it to the list and then tend to forget about it. It’s really cool to receive these random gifts in the mail, and there’s something even more direct about this form of support, since the books I consume are digested and metabolized into the content I produce.
When I say “every dollar counts,” I mean it! Were it not for your support, I literally would not be able to afford the time to write, nor would I have the freedom to give shiurim for free and make the recordings available to the public. Even those of you who pay $3 a month enable me to pay for my podcast platforms, my Zoom account, and other expenses that are needed just to keep the content coming. And, perhaps more importantly, these contributions remind me that people value what I teach.
And to those of you who benefit from my Torah but can’t afford to support it monetarily, thank you for all the feedback and encouragement you give me, and for sharing my Torah with others who will enjoy it.
Now, without further ado, here are a few articles from past years.
Chanukah 5784: Maimonian Doughnuts and My Current Understanding of Minhag
Date: 12/14/23
Length of FREE article: 1 page
Length of FREE recording: 6 minutes 20 seconds
Length of FULL article: 2 pages
Length of FULL recording: 8 minutes 23 seconds
Synopsis: I thought sufganiot were not a real minhag until a surprising source made me reconsider. I explain my former reasoning in the free part of this article and my current understanding behind the paywall.
If you are not a paid subscriber, click here to listen to the audio of the free version of this article and click here for a printer-friendly copy of the free version of this article. Paid subscribers can click on the link to the article above (i.e. the title) and gain access to the full version.
Asking for Miracles on Chanukah: Updated for 2023, in Light of the War with Hamas
Date: 12/23/23
Length of article: 7 pages
Length of audio: 20 minutes 36 seconds
Synopsis: Most versions of Al ha'Nissim include a request for Hashem to do miracles for us. This article examines why Ashkenazim don't say it, and why all of us can and should say it - especially at this time.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article. For the shiur version of this article, click here for the video and here for the audio.
Mikeitz: Self-Deprivation in Solidarity With Others Who Are Suffering
Date: 12/15/23
Length of the article: 2 pages
Length of the audio: 7 minutes 53 seconds
Synopsis: Chazal learn from Yosef that it is prohibited to have marital relations during a famine. What is the nature of this prohibition? How should this be applied during the current Israel-Hamas war?
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for the audio.
Chanukah 5783: The “Beloved” Mitzvah of Ner Chanukah
Date: 12/25/22
Length of article: 1 page
Length of audio: 4 minutes 23 seconds
Synopsis: What makes Ner Chanukah a "beloved mitzvah"? My current answer to that question draws upon teachings from Rambam, the Rav, and the beautiful definition of "shechinah" given by R' Dovid Tzvi Hoffmann.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article, and click here for the audio.
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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. 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.
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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/
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Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel