The Stoic Jew
My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss. I am, first and foremost, an Orthodox Jew. I am also a student of the Stoic masters: Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. This podcast is dedicated to exploring the relationship between Judaism and Stoicism - where they overlap, where they differ, and how they complement each other. I also use this podcast to think out loud about how to apply the principles of Judaism and Stoicism to my own life, with all its ups and downs.
The Stoic Jew
Blaming My Insomnia on Satan (Aurelius - Meditations 5:20)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Length: 23 minutes
Synopsis: The impetus for this morning’s (unplanned) episode was yet another night of insomnia, in what has amounted to nearly a full week of insomnia. I decided to make this episode to help me process my thoughts as I tossed and turned in bed between 4 and 5am after being awakened at 2:15am by a guy blaring music in his car outside of my apartment for over an hour. But what started off as an episode of me venting my frustration ended up becoming a means of feeling empathy and compassion, and acceptance of – no! love for – God’s will. If you haven’t listened to an episode of TSJ, I would recommend this one as being a good example of what I’m trying to do here.
Related Episodes about Insomnia:
- A Cure for Insomnia … I Hope
- Applying Epictetus to My Insomnia
- Post-Insomnia Stoic Jew Self-Talk
- When Life Gives You Insomnia, Bake a Cake and Rejoice in Yisurin
- Purim, Providence, and 600 Days of Gratitude
Sources:
- Talmud Bavli, Bava Basra 16a
- Rambam, Moreh ha’Nevuchim 3:8-12
- Aurelius, Meditations 5:20
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The Torah content for the rest of Adar has been sponsored by my friend and chavrusa Zack, with the following dedicatory message: When asked, "Who is a leader you greatly admire?" my grandfather z”l immediately comes to mind. Each person who entered his presence was brought closer to a better version of themselves. This was due to his staunch belief in people and his uncompromising values. Knowledge is similar — it is indiscriminate and uncompromising in its power to help us become our best selves. Thank you Rabbi Schneeweiss for spreading knowledge, and may the memory of my grandfather, Naftali ben Tzvi, be a blessing.
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If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
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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.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.
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"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
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"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
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