Claim OwnershipThe Tefilah Podcast
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© 2026 The Tefilah Podcast
Description
My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss, and this is the hub for all of my shiurim (classes) on Tefilah (Prayer) and related topics, such as Tehilim (Psalms) and Berachos (Blessings)! The shiurim I upload here are given in a variety of formats with different lengths and intended for different audiences. The common theme which unites all of these shiurim is our focus on strengthening our relationship with Hashem through Avodah she'ba'Lev (Service of the Heart). If you have any questions feel free to email me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thanks for listening!
245 Episodes
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Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 6 minutes Synopsis: This evening (1/14/26), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we managed to "land the plane"! After reviewing the translation, questions, and observations from last time, we tossed around a few approaches, and then learned the Meiri, who held the key to a unified theory with a very practical message. And with that, we finished the portion of "Kabbalas Shabbos" perakim from the 90s. I have to think a...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour Synopsis: This evening (1/7/26), in our first Wednesday night Tehilim shiur of 2026, we commenced our analysis of the next perek in our "Kabbalas Shabbos" series, which also happens to be the last perek in the 95-99 cluster before the minhag takes us back to 29. As usual, we spent the first two thirds of shiur translating the perek and the last third raising all the questions and problems we could. Next time, we'll att...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 15 minutes Synopsis: This evening (12/24/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we learned through the Radak's commentary a second time, refining our understanding of the main idea we developed by trying to discern every phrase in every pasuk. We may not have figured out every single nuance, but I am SUPER happy with how our analysis turns out. THIS three-part series is what it looks like to successfully learn a pe...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 11 minutes Synopsis: This evening (12/17/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we began with a quick review, then made it our mission to learn through the entire commentary of the Radak. Thankfully, he states his main idea at the very beginning, so we were able to see how he develops it in his commentary on each pasuk. We went a bit overtime so that we could finish it, and although we didn't quite manage to tie it...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 6 minutes Synopsis: This evening (12/10/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we (read: I) decided that we needed a break from the "Kabbalas Shabbos" series we've been learning. Since Chanukah is right around the corner, we took up the Shir shel Yom of Chanukah, which many people also recite every day. The translation took a bit more effort, so we didn't have a ton of time to develop our theories. Still, we had a ...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour Synopsis: This evening (12/3/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we experienced a small miracle: we learned an entire perek in one sitting! It helped that this chapter clearly builds on the previous two, although that created its own challenge. This one was so similar to the last two that the similarities made our work both easier and harder. By zeroing in on the differences, the main idea emerged, and it ended ...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour Synopsis: This evening (11/26/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we completed our analysis of Tehilim 97. After reviewing what we covered last time in 97 and the ideas we developed in 96, we focused in on the central problems, all of which were in the last three pesukim. Turns out, they held the key for unlocking the entire thing. Not only did we emerge with a meaningful set of insights, but they even connected...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Tehilim 97: Hashem Malach Tageil ha'Aretz (Part 1: Translation, Questions, and Opening Moves) Length: 1 hour 6 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/12/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we began the next perek in (what we're unofficially calling) the "Kabbalat Shabbat series." I don't know about you, but whenever I've read this one in the past, it's kinda felt more or less like a repetition of the previous one. Well, NOT ANYMO...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 3 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/5/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we had something of a “do-over” of last week’s session, which didn’t record because of a hardware failure. Thankfully, this version turned out far better! We managed to explain the entire perek and address all four of our major Tehilim methodology questions. Although we won’t get to go through the perek with one of the meforshim this time...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 2 hours 6 minutes Synopsis: The halachah states: “One who davens must have kavanah during all the berachos, but if one is unable to have kavanah in all of them, one should at least have kavanah in Avos” (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 101:1). Last year, in my Machshavah Lab tefilah shiurim for women, I gave an eleven-part series aimed at elucidating each word of the berachah of Avos based on the classical meforshim (1/3/25–5/16...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 2 minutes Synopsis: This evening (10/22/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we began the next perek in our "Tehilim we say at Kabbalas Shabbos" series. This one was very ... "Tehilimmy"! As usual, we spent the bulk of the first session translating the perek with all its nuances. I couldn't help but add my commentary as to why this part of the process is so important. We then began our analysis and identified som...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 45 minutes Synopsis: This morning (10/1/25), in place of our Morning Mishlei shiur, we attempted to understand the preface to the Vidui Yom ha'Kippurim: what are we saying, and why? Drawing on the Rambam's framework for teshuvah, we developed an approach that will unlock a new level of functionality in the vidui, for those who follow through. --- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תשובה א:א; ב:ח; ג:א; ו:ג-ד; ז:ז רמב"ם...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 58 minutes Synopsis: Tonight (9/17/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we (read: I) realized that we're going to miss the next FOUR Wednesdays on account of the Moadim! Given that consideration, I decided to expedite our usual process and attempt to arrive at a main idea and practical takeaway TONIGHT instead of developing an approach with meforshim over the course of two sessions. Thankfully, I believe we succeeded! W...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 56 minutes Synopsis: Tonight (9/10/25), in our first Wednesday night Tehilim shiur of the 2025-2026 season, we began Tehilim 95, a.k.a. the first perek in Kabbalas Shabbos. I didn't choose it because of Kabbalas Shabbos (though it's always nice to learn perakim we're already somewhat familiar with), but because I noticed during Kabbalas Shabbos last week how many of the perakim deal with Malchus Hashem (God's Kingship). Since...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 1 minute Synopsis: Tonight (6/4/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we started and finished (?) an extremely short perek about an unfortunately relevant topic: How should we approach Hashem when we, the Jewish people, are held in contempt by the nations of the world in our exile? Since this perek only had four pesukim, we managed to conduct a full analysis and arrive at some beautiful and practical ideas. ...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 57 minutes Synopsis: Tonight (5/28/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we concluded our experimental learn-through of Sforno and R' Elia di Nola on our perek. We began by clarifying Sforno’s nuanced take on Torah u’Mada, then explored his view of the role Moshiach will play in educating humanity. We wrapped up with a summary of the perek’s purpose, the flow of the four Bnei Korach maskilim we've studied over the ...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 57 minutes Synopsis: Tonight (5/21/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we continued our experiment of learning through Sforno (and R' Elia di Nola) on Tehilim 45! After a recap and a re-pitch of the perek, we continued on, making past the pivot point into the next section. It was ... interesting! We definitely gained some ideas about how to engage in debate, as well as a unique model of Torah u'Mada that I've never see...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 30 minutes Synopsis: This Friday morning (5/16/25), in our tefilah-focused Machshavah Lab series for women, we finished our analysis of the first berachah! Not that anyone can truly finish it, but we completed THIS round. After a quick review, we spent the bulk of the time analyzing the penultimate clause in the berachah, and rode that momentum through the conclusion. I'll probably do one more recording to summarize ev...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 2 minutes Synopsis: This Friday morning (5/9/25), in our tefilah-focused Machshavah Lab series for women, we took up the entire clause: וְזוֹכֵר חַסְדֵי אָבוֹת, וּמֵבִיא גוֹאֵל לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם, לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה. My understanding, based largely on the Tur, is that this multi-part sentence conveys a unified idea - one I hope we managed to unpack in our analysis. All we have left in the berachah is the penultima...
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 58 minutes Synopsis: Tonight (5/7/25), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we did something experimental. Instead of learning the next perek the way we usually do, entirely from the ground up, we started with the commentary of Sforno (and that of his student, R' Elia di Nola) and focused on THEIR approach. (I explain my reasons for doing this at the beginning of the shiur.) We finished their introduction and got a few pesuk...
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