Podcast appearances and mentions of seneca letters

Length: 23 minutes 35 secondsSynopsis: In this episode we examine the practice of making a vow to Hashem at a time of distress - one of the major themes in Tehilim 116, which we recite in Hallel. We compare and contrast this to Seneca's views on gratitude (which align with Judaism) and his attitude towards vows (which does not). We focus on the real-world example of R' Sinai Adler, who made such a vow to Hashem at the gates of the crematoria of the Mauthausen, which he devoted his life to fulfilling after being saved. Related Content:- 4/5/23: Pesach During the Holocaust- Tzav: Korban Todah - Thanking Hashem with a Chametz and Matzah Party-  shiurim on Tehilim 116 (Part 1 and Part 2)Sources:- Seneca, Letters #73 and 31- Radak, Tehilim 116:12-19- Devarim 8:10-18 - Rabbi Sinai Adler, Your Rod and Your Staff: A Young Man's Chronicle of Survival, p.89,117-----The Torah content from now through the end of Pesach has been sponsored by my friend and colleague, Rabbi Dr. Elie Feder, author of Gematria Refigured: A New Look At How The Torah Conveys Ideas Through Numbers. Stay up-to-date by joining the Gematria Refigured+ WhatsApp group, and subscribe to the Gematria Refigured+ Podcast.-----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.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.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.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comSupport the show

Synopsis: If there's one thing I've learned so far from Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's On Grief and Grieving, it's that we all process grief differently, and there's no wrong way to grieve. As of the recording of this episode, Popo is still with us, but all indications point to the fact that she won't be with us for much longer. This has been on my mind, and when I woke up this morning, I knew I had to make this episode to process my impending grief. Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content:- 1/11/23: Reflections on My 39th Birthday, New Years 2023, and 2nd Semester- 8/16/21: Tallis as a Vehicle of Gratitude and a Reminder of DeathSources:- Avos 5:21 with Rabbeinu Yonah, Rashi, Abravanel, Rashbatz- Seneca, Letters #23,26,101; On the Shortness of Life; Consolation of Marcia 10:4- Jacques Louis David, The Death of Socrates - Elizabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler, On Grief and Grieving p. 39- David Foster Wallace, This is Water-----The Torah content for the remainder of this week has been sponsored by my Patrons. If you gain from my Torah content and would like to help support it on a regular basis, please consider signing up for my Patreon at patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss - or, better yet, you can set up a recurring donation through Chase (so that Patreon doesn't take a cut). Even a small contribution goes a long way, and small recurring contributions go an even longer way! I'd also like to remind listeners of how to access my content. I have my five podcasts (The Stoic Jew, Mishlei, Machshavah Lab, Rambam, and Tefilah), my YouTube channel, my substack (which has replaced my blog), and my WhatsApp group (where I post ALL my content and shiur announcements). The links to all these resources can be found in the show notes at the bottom of my podcast episodes and my YouTube videos. Thank you for listening, watching, reading, and participating!-----If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissBlog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comWhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharelSupport the show

It's question time! I solicited questions and you responded too well. So well, in fact, that I took the whole episode answering them. We cover Stoicism, how to deal with idiots, international desserts, podcasts, and my favorite overseas memory. For more reading: Marcus Aurelius “Meditations” - https://tinyurl.com/mr3ca29e Seneca “Letters from a Stoic” - https://tinyurl.com/4pa2fzf2 Epictetus “Discourses” - https://tinyurl.com/5ydk9h4m The Daily Stoic: https://dailystoic.com/ Join The Whiskey Brothers Discord: https://discord.gg/HdsE77jd4T

Another quick book review, is this one for you?If so: BUY THE BOOK NOWI mentioned my incredible resource for you at the end: https://tejtalks.learnworlds.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Synopsis: This is the second installment of a two-part reflection on my upcoming Winter Break 2022. In today's episode, we revisit the excerpts from Seneca and Marcus Aurelius which I reflected on after Winter Break 2021, and reexamine them in light of the tools I've gained since then. Next, we discuss my discovery of avodah zarah thinking in my application of premeditation malorum. Finally, I reflect on another pitfall that workaholics such as myself are prone to falling into. And with that, I begin my Winter Break 2022! Related Rabbi Schneeweiss Content: - Seneca Letter #2 - On Doing Nothing: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4- “The Sacred Pause” in Light of Stoicism and JudaismSources:- Seneca, Letters #2 and #83- Blaise Pascal, citation unknown - Aurelius, Meditations 4:3- Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance- Mishlei 27:1This 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'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/rabbischneeweissBlog: 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.comGuide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.htmlAmazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_shareSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss)

"It is philosophy that has the duty of protecting us...without it no one can lead a life free of fear or worry." For several years of his turbulent life, Seneca was the guiding hand of the Roman Empire. His inspired reasoning derived mainly from the Stoic principles, which had originally been developed some centuries earlier in Athens. This selection of Seneca's letters shows him upholding the austere ethical ideals of Stoicism—the wisdom of the self-possessed person immune to overmastering emotions and life's setbacks—while valuing friendship and the courage of ordinary men, and criticizing the harsh treatment of slaves and the cruelties in the gladiatorial arena. The humanity and wit revealed in Seneca's interpretation of Stoicism is a moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

William B. Irvine is a professor of philosophy at Wright State University. He’s also a fantastic (and prolific) writer. And… Unlike many of his academic, professor-of-philosophy peers, he is a practicing Stoic philosopher. In the words of Donald Robertson (another Stoic author and practitioner; see The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), he is both a librarian AND a warrior of the mind. We featured another one of Professor Irvine’s great books on Stoicism called A Guide to the Good Life. I enjoyed that one quite a bit but I REALLY (!) enjoyed this one. Like, jumbo loved it. In fact, I’m going to put this one right at the top of our growing collection of books on Stoicism—along with the must-read classics by Aurelius (Meditations), Seneca (Letters from a Stoic, On the Shortness of Life), and Epictetus (Discourses, Enchiridion) plus the modern classics like Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way and The Daily Stoic. If you’re looking for “A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient,” I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I HIGHLY recommend it.

William B. Irvine is a professor of philosophy at Wright State University. He’s also a fantastic (and prolific) writer. And… Unlike many of his academic, professor-of-philosophy peers, he is a practicing Stoic philosopher. In the words of Donald Robertson (another Stoic author and practitioner; see The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), he is both a librarian AND a warrior of the mind. We featured another one of Professor Irvine’s great books on Stoicism called A Guide to the Good Life. I enjoyed that one quite a bit but I REALLY (!) enjoyed this one. Like, jumbo loved it. In fact, I’m going to put this one right at the top of our growing collection of books on Stoicism—along with the must-read classics by Aurelius (Meditations), Seneca (Letters from a Stoic, On the Shortness of Life), and Epictetus (Discourses, Enchiridion) plus the modern classics like Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way and The Daily Stoic. If you’re looking for “A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient,” I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Ferris, a Stoicism enthusiast, shares his personal journey and knowledge about the ancient Greek philosophy. Here you can learn the foundations of Stoicism and how you can better manage your emotions with journaling and meditation tips from the contemplation techniques of the Stoics. Ferris also recommends six books for further reading, three main Stoic text includes: ‘Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius ‘Epictetus: The Discourses & Enchiridion' ‘Seneca: Letters from a Stoic and three modern Stoic books such as: ‘How to Think Like a Roman Emperor' by Donald Robertson ‘The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy' by Donald Robertson ‘How to Be a Stoic' by Massimo Pigliucci If you would like to hear more content on how to take care of your well-being, please follow on Spotify and subscribe to Apple Podcasts and also kindly share this positive message with your loved ones!

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” — SenecaI do an exercise called “fear-setting” at least once a quarter, often once a month. It is the most powerful exercise I do. Fear-setting has produced my biggest business and personal successes, as well as repeatedly helped me to avoid catastrophic mistakes.ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:My TED talk, which is what you are listening to, gives you an overview, and the text at tim.blog/ted provides more detail, step-by-step instructions, and real-world examples.You can watch the TED talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_ferriss_why_you_should_define_your_fears_instead_of_your_goalsThe three exercise slides from the TED presentation: https://tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ted_ferriss_fear_setting_sample_slides.pdfThis talk was also shared on the podcast TED Talks Daily, where TED shares new ideas every weekday. You might also enjoy my conversation with Chris Anderson on The TED Interview podcast, in which we discuss philosophy, psychedelics, and much more. SUGGESTED READING:Tao of Seneca: Letters from a Stoic Master — Free PDFs of three volumes of Stoic writing and modern profiles.Some Practical Thoughts on SuicideThe Tao of Seneca — On Groundless Fears***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests.For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Let our aim be a way of life not diametrically opposed to, but better than that of the mob. Otherwise, we shall repel and alienate the very people whose reform we desire; we shall make them, moreover, reluctant to imitate us in anything for fear they have to imitate us in everything ~ Seneca (Letters from a Stoic) How many times do you see a particular style of activism that is totally different to how we live in the “real world”? Are these actions presenting veganism as a way that is better than those of those who aren’t vegan? Or is it presenting veganism in a way that is diametrically opposed to normal life? Being the best person that you can be, presenting the best example as possible is how you promote veganism in a way that people will want to be.

How many great things have never happened because of fear? How many times did you give up on a dream because of fear? This weeks episode, we’re going to talk about fear, what it is, what it does, and how to move past it. This last week, I had the good fortune to be in the studio at the filming of Creative Live’s podcast week. It was one of the most inspiring and amazing growth experiences I’ve been at in years. The energy that present and the generosity of time and knowledge from so many creatives has truly rekindled my own creative juices. But even as I think about all the creative projects that I’d like to complete in the next few months, I kept feeling this fear rise up in my chest. It was a literal feeling that I could feel. A kind of crushing anxiety. >“There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” >— Seneca (Letters from a Stoic - Letter XIII: On Groundless Fears) My life has been full of a lot of fear. For the most part I grew up in Salt Lake where your whole life is judged about how well you hold the Mormon church’s standards. I grew up with an abusive father who himself was plagued by his own fears about his own sexuality. I grew up steeped in fear. I wanted to be a musician and an actor, but I didn’t follow through because was so afraid I would fail. I would ask myself, “What if I never make it into a single movie or write a single song?”, “What if I am a poor actor or musician my whole life?” It was just too much for me to consider so I got a degree in business and became a programmer. In my spare time, I would skirt around the edges of my art, talking about the things I wanted to do. I would buy music gear that would get used for a short time, then sit unused on the shelf for months or years. When I did pick things up and work on them, I could never even finish a song because I was so afraid that nothing I wrote would be very good. I have dozens of half-written songs that I was too afraid to finish. One of the days at Creative Live included an interview with between Chase Jarvis and Lewis Howes. If you’re not familiar with either of them, Chase is a photographer at the top of his game and the founder of Creative Live, and Lewis Howes has a very successful podcast called The School of Greatness. So much of the interview was truly inspiring, but there was a moment where Lewis said, “the three biggest fears in life are: The fear of success, the fear of failure, and the fear of judgment.” When they talked about this, I felt that same nervous anxious feeling because I could recognize exactly what each of those felt like. I remember those fears that plagued me every time I thought about being an artist. If I succeeded, could I handle it or would I implode? If I failed, could I handle it? Could I be a poor artist? What if I wasn’t very good? What would people think of me? What would I think of myself? > “Remember, however, before all else, to strip things of all that disturbs and confuses, and to see what each is at bottom; you will then comprehend that they contain nothing fearful except the actual fear.” >— Seneca (Letters from a Stoic - Letter XXIV: On Despising Death) When I get to the bottom on what scared me, I really found that there was nothing there. If I was successful, I had a good head on my shoulders and trusted that I could make good decisions. If I never became a successful actor, I would survive, even if it meant that I lived a more frugal life. But I think it was the judgments of others that was scared me the most. What would they think if I failed? What if they didn’t like my music or my acting? And it’s taken me decades to realize that what others think about my art doesn’t matter. >“Many of the anxieties that harass you are superfluous: being but creatures of your own fancy, you can rid yourself of them and expand into an ampler region, letting your thought sweep over the entire universe, contemplating the illimitable tracts of eternity, marking the swiftness of change in each created thing, and contrasting the brief span between birth and dissolution with the endless aeons that precede the one and the infinity that follows the other.” >— Marcus Aurelius (Meditations - Book IX) What Marcus is telling us here is the anxieties and fears that try to crush us are not only not necessary, but they are simply creations of our own minds. And when we get rid of those, we can free up the resources of our minds to think about the most amazing things, and create the most awesome vision of the universe and our own lives! I think this fear failure is what’s at the root of so much of our suffering, so I think that it’s a really big part of why we’re often unhappy. So how do we deal with this fear of failure? First, you need to let go of the outcome and focus on the process. When we are so worried about something not turning out how we want it to, we start to question why we’re doing what we’re doing. We start second-guessing the choices we make. We may even decide to give up on the whole venture because we can’t control how it will turn out. If we can let go of trying to create a specific outcome, and be okay with whatever the outcome is (there’s that whole stoic thing about controlling what you can and letting go of the rest), then we can start to let go of the worrying, and put that energy towards creating. Second, when you start to feel that fear, you acknowledge it. You recognize that it’s just your brain trying to protect you and the more that you run from it, the scarier it seems. For me, I found if I say it out loud, usually to someone I trust, it’s like shining a flashlight on a shadow. It loses its power. Third, you can play the worst case scenario game. What happens if I write a song no one likes? What’s the worst that can happen? No one listens to my song. Does it physically hurt me or am I going to die from it? No. The next time you hit that anxiety, and the fear starts to creep up in your chest, don’t run from it, make peace with it. I’ve heard from creative people all the time, that feeling of fear usually means you’re heading in the right direction.

“There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” — Seneca (Letters from a Stoic - Letter XIII: On Groundless Fears) How many great things have never happened because of fear? How many times did you give up on a dream because of fear? This weeks episode, we’re going to talk about fear, what it is, what it does, and how to move past it.

Glass Goblets, American Homes and Gardens, 1905. Using the Enchiridion as a jumping off point, Erik and Potatowire talk about what’s really under our control and how to use that knowledge to live a more balanced and constructive life. Epictetus - Enchiridion Stoicism Arrian of Nicomedia James Stockdale Hanoi Hilton James Stockdale - Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot James Stockdale - Courage Under Fire Seneca - Letters to Lucilius Marcus Aurelius - Meditations Ryan Holiday - The Obstacle Is The Way Ryan Holiday - Ego is the Enemy Next episode’s book for discussion: Alan Watts - The Wisdom of Insecurity

Our annual list of the top 10 books we read this last year--fiction and non-fiction.Listen now: (download)Russ' top non-fiction:Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder (A Book Review)To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological SolutionismThe Innovators (Book Review Episode)Dataclysm (Episode: The Intersection of Product Design and Big Data with Natasha Irizarry)The Idea FactoryBett's top non-fiction:The Phoenix ProjectScrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the TimeThe Glass CageTo Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological SolutionismSeneca: Letters from a StoicRuss' top fictionThe Martian: A NovelDaemonCat's Cradle: A NovelWhite NoiseThe CircleBett's top fictionThe Martian: A NovelThe CircleHyperionAndroid's DreamDaemon