Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Shtark Tank

What's harder, being the tzaddik of an entire generation, or being a good father?

A short idea on this week's parsha

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A Rabbi in rehab after being wounded on October 7th shared a Dvar Torah with me on why the angel quit fighting Yaakov Avinu. I also shared some personal news that means a lighter schedule for the show.

Let's get ready for sukkot, with three Divrei Torah from Bnei Torah in the workforce.

We cover daled minim, sitting in the sukka, shemini atzeret and more!

Our guests: Rav Zecharia Rosenthal, Betzalel Cohn, Ephraim Goldstein

Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter, where I share unfiltered thoughts on Torah, Work, Family and more. ShtarkTank.org

For more of Betzalel's Corporate Divrei Torah, click here

Key Topics

• The connection between Sukkah and mezuzah as a reminder of impermanence
• The concept of Diras Keva and its relation to mezuzah and Sukkah
• The idea of transition times in life, such as after Yom Kippur and Shemini Yatzeret
• The role of humility and acknowledgment of limitations in fulfilling mitzvot
• The importance of mindfulness and intentionality in everyday transitions
• The impact of Torah and mitzvot on personal and communal security
• The analogy of the Etrog and the concept of Hadar in mitzvah performance
• The significance of Shemini Yatzeret as a day to pause and reflect
• The parallels between military transition rituals and spiritual transition in life

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:53 Rabbi Zechariah Rosenthal - Temporary or Permanent?

12:58 Betzalel Cohen - Beautiful or Messy?

25:01 Ephraim Goldstein - One More Day

Yosef Guedalia escaped his burning jeep, and ran straight at the terrorists position.

For the third year running, we mark the Aseret Yemei Teshuva with Yizkor 10.7, honoring the heroes of October 7th.

This years episode is about Yosef Guedalia Hy"d, who fell defending Kfar Azza. We are joined by David Guedalia, Yosef's father.

We spoke about:

- Yosef's packed Friday routine, the quiet happiness, the instinct to care for other.

- The heroic battle in Kfar Azza: the RPG that hit Yosef's jeep, the rescues under fire, and the charge through the gate that broke the terrorists' momentum and stopped the kidnappings.

- Torah perspectives on grief, loss, and fatherhood. We examine the Akeida, the famous story of the 4 who entered the Pardes, and a drasha that went very wrong.

To support the Mechina in Kfar Azza click here

For videos about Yosef click here

Chapters

00:00 — Intro

06:09 — Yosef’s Life: Joy, Discipline, and Service

34:23 — October 7: The Battle at Kfar Aza

59:28 — Grief, Trauma, and Finding Meaning

78:47 — Peoplehood, Connection, and Carrying Yosef’s Legacy Forward

For Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we wanted to do something special. Eight voices from around the world, eight perspectives on the Yamim Noraim. Here's the lineup:

1. Ezra Meyer — car salesman and global chazzan, on how he prepares to lead tefilla on the Yamim Noraim
2. Dr. Herman Weiss — OBGYN and baal tokeah, on his path to becoming a baal tokeah and one of his most memorable mistakes
3. Rabbi Yossi Katz — Rav in Linden, NJ and partner in a recruiting firm, on Akeidat Yitzchak and how Avraham Avinu reframes how we approach being Bnei Torah in the workforce
4. Rav Tzvi Sinensky — director of the Lamm Legacy, sharing a Rosh Hashana drasha Rav Lamm gave his kehilla on integrating business success with religious success
5. Rav David Aron — co-Rosh Yeshiva of Orayta and founder of Isralight, on the proper attitude toward Yom HaDin
6. Rav Mitch Berger — computer programmer and author on Rav Shimon Shkop's hashkafa in his hakdama to Shaarei Yosher
7. Yitzi Lowe — combat soldier in the IDF, on Yodei Terua
8. Bonus: Yaakov Wolff on Headlines — audio from an interview on the Headlines podcast, hosted by Rav Ari Wasserman, on the phrase "Shivti B'veis Hashem"

A lot of work went into this one. Special thanks to Shlomo Price for extra editing help.

If you haven't already, subscribe, and if you're so inclined, leave a 5-star review.

It helps the show reach more people.

Resources Mentioned:

• Bshir Yaron, website for Chazzanim
• The Revelation of Man, Drasha by Rav Norman Lamm
• 'Widen Your Tent' by Rav Micha Berger

Chapter list:

• 0:00 — Intro
• 2:26 — Ezra Meyer: Preparing to Lead the High Holiday Prayers
• 21:49 — Dr. Herman Weiss: The Responsibility of Blowing the Shofar
• 35:21 — Rabbi Yossi Katz: Avraham Avinu and Finding Meaning in the Journey
• 45:00 — Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky: Rabbi Norman Lamm on Potential and Purpose
• 58:01 — Rabbi David Aaron: Rethinking Judgment on Rosh Hashanah
• 1:09:57 — Rav Micha Berger: Rav Shimon Shkop’s Vision of Responsibility
• 1:29:15 — Yitzy Loew: The Shofar’s Call to Enlist
• 1:45:29 — Headlines Appearance: Building a Torah-Centered Life in the Workforce

Jeremy Rovinsky is a full time United States immigration judge, an associate justice for multiple Native American courts of appeals, a law professor at Crest Point University, and Dean of Teachers for the Tikvah Foundation's Millstone Scholars Program. He's also a baal teshuva who took his judicial oath on the Chovos HaLevavos.

Jeremy spends his days behind the bench. This week he brings that lens to the Yamim Noraim: what din really means, why teshuva is recalibration and not erasure, and what it's like to approach Hakadosh Baruch Hu as the ultimate judge when you know exactly what it feels like to sit in the chair.

In this episode:

• Going from philosophy major to talmid of Rav Gershenfeld at Machon Shlomo
• Why his Rebbe told him to stay in law, not switch to kiruv
• The Zohar's read on Lech Lecha: bring your past with you, don't leave it behind
• Why the Sanhedrin required judges to have children (and what that teaches about rachmanus)
• Justice as love, not just din, and why that changed how he saw his own docket
• What Jeremy says to the God of Israel these days, now that he's not the prosecutor anymore

Subscribe, leave a five star review, and check out the newsletter at shtarktank.org for more unfiltered thoughts on Torah, family, and life.

Emotional support at the end of life. Thorny halachic questions about scientific medical breakthoughs. AI and the end of work.

These are all part of the Rabbi Jason Weiner's daily routine.

Rabbi Weiner is the senior rabbi and executive director of spiritual care at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. In this episode we cover:

• What a healthcare chaplain actually does, and how Rabbi Weiner fell into the role with almost no training
• The hardest moments of sitting with grieving families, including an uplifting story that took nearly 20 years to find its ending
• How Torah sources think about medical breakthroughs like CRISPR and GLP-1 drugs
• His essay on AI and the end of work: if a machine takes your job, does it take your identity too?

To read the full Tradition Online essay about AI and the end of work, click here

Find more from Rabbi Weiner at rabbiweiner.com, on YUTorah, on LinkedIn, or on Instagram at @rabbi_JW.

Sign up for our newsletter to recieve unfiltered takes on work, Torah, family and more. Go to ShtarkTank.org and subscribe today.

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Rav Hershel Schachter addresses one of the most persistent tensions in the frum professional world: does the ben Torah at work matter as much as the one in the beis medrash?

Recorded live in partnership with the OU Israel Business Professionals Network, this episode includes the full shiur plus a Q&A.

What's covered:

• Why Klal Yisrael needs doctors, lawyers, engineers, and businessmen just as much as it needs roshei yeshiva, and why the "learning is more important" mindset is a distortion, not a Torah value
• The little-known letter from Rav Elya Meir Bloch on why the religious world can't afford to run from Zionism, Tanach, or Ivrit
• A Q&A covering how much work is enough, whether a rabbi should be wealthy, balancing communal obligations against raising your own children, and a practical seder for using limited learning time (starting with Kitzur Shulchan Aruch)
• Why Rav Schachter has spent 30 years teaching high schoolers at NCSY Kollel, and what he sees in that generation

One year ago, Alec Kremins got fired. Same week he found out his wife was pregnant with their first child. He had a choice: go find another stable job, or bet on himself.

He went all in.

Alec built his career at Ramp (now valued near $40B) before making Aliyah and eventually going out on his own. In this episode we get into why he tells most people not to start a company, even though it was the right call for him.

We cover:

• The day he got let go, and the decision that followed
• Why he thinks life is about meaning, not comfort, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe story about the "contract" nobody signed promising an easy life
• The Histadlus/Bitachon dance and why it gets a lot harder when you're working for yourself
• Whether your work should be part of your identity, or just what funds it
• A surprising parallel between starting a company and childbirth (his words, not ours)
• Why he actively discourages most people from starting their own thing
• Building a personal brand without losing your Shabbos, your learning, or your sanity to the algorithm
• Where AI actually fits in content creation, and where it doesn't touch the core at all

Alec Kremins is the founder of RallyUp. You can find him on LinkedIn.

Har HaBayit. Torah Im Derech Eretz. Searching for Meaning.

It's the summer mailbag episode! Yaakov opens up the inbox and brings on Rav Ari Koretzky (director of Meor Maryland, host of the Iyun podcast) to work through listener feedback together.

In this episode:

• Why Shtark Tank does pre-chag episodes, and whether they're on brand or just a scheduling excuse
• Is there such a thing as a distinct "baalabatish hashkafa" for guys balancing Torah and a career
• A listener's story of how the podcast changed how he networks and built real friendships through cold outreach to guests
• Rav Ari's day job in kiruv, and why baalei teshuva may find an unexpected home in Shtark Tank's world
• Pushback on the Har HaBayis episode, including the halachic and hashkafic case against ascending, and whether the debate got a fair hearing
• How to handle controversial topics without becoming a clickbait machine, and the cost of staying in your lane
• Why the Rav Rafi Dembovsky episode on Torah Im Derech Eretz struck such a nerve
• The "grass is greener" pull toward nonprofit work, and why it's not the meaning shortcut people think it is
• What 130+ episodes have taught Yaakov about mindset, and what's actually holding Shtark Tank back from growing bigger

What happens after the fire of yeshiva goes out?

This week I'm sharing an episode from Torat JLIC, a podcast I love, one that takes the complexity of modern life seriously instead of talking around it.

The guest for this episode is Rav Uri Lorkis, who just wrapped a few years as JLIC rabbi in Michigan and now works as a startup coach. We dig into the real transition every yeshiva guy faces: how do you carry that intensity into the next stage of life, when the schedule, the chavrusas, and the structure are gone?

Beyond the practical adjustments is a deeper crisis: Is it possible to live up to our values? Or will the daily grind dictate our agenda?

Rav Uri brings some sharp, honest insight.

Make sure to check out the Torat JLIC feed for more great content!

How do you mourn a Beis Hamikdash you never knew, in a generation that's watched Klal Yisrael return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild a country? Rav Moshe Taragin returns to Shtark Tank to help us hold two truths at once: we are living through open miracles, and we are still so far from the finish line.

Rav Taragin unpacks why every question in Jewish life now splits into "before October 7th" and "after," why Tisha B'Av doesn't require manufactured grief but honest yearning, and how looking at Chazal's account of the Churban Bayis Sheni (zealotry, internal division, over-reliance on foreign powers) maps uncomfortably well onto Israeli society today.

He also addresses the tension around visiting Har Habayit as a means to an end versus an end in itself, and offers a clear-eyed, non-preachy take on Aliyah, achdut, and what it means to stay grounded when the news cycle wants you anxious and reactive.

In this episode:

• Why October 7th changed the answer to nearly every question in Jewish life
• The difference between authentic mourning (aveilus balev) and performing grief on cue
• The machlokes over changing Nusach HaTefillah to reflect our current reality
• What the internal strife of the Second Beis Hamikdash teaches us about achdut today
• The danger of turning Har Habayit visits into a photo op or political statement
• Why Aliyah advocacy can tip into preachiness, and how to hold the ideal without judging the complexity of other people's lives
• Practical advice for gaining perspective when you're drowning in headlines

Rav Taragin's new sefer, Reclaiming Redemption, HaGeula Volume 2: Faith, Identity, Peoplehood, and the Storms of War, is out now.

Check out

https://www.mtaraginbooks.com/

You can also join Rav Taragin's Whatsapp Chizzuk Chat:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/HAER24G31VpJZW5zEXROYH for daily chizuk

To recieve a free copy of Light in the Darkness, about Shemirat HaEinayim in today's world, email dan.jacobson.psyd@gmail.comSummer turns up the heat on shmiras einayim, and this episode isn't going to fix that. It's an honest conversation about the struggle, with returning guest Dr. Dan Jacobson offering real perspective instead of a quick fix.

We get into:

• Why the trigger itself was never the real issue, and what actually determines what happens next
• How mindfulness (yes, the same tools behind DBT and ACT) offers a different way to hold a hard moment, without pretending it isn't hard
• Why chasing a clean scorecard of "success" or "failure" in this area does more harm than good
• A sharp Taz on hespedim that reframes the whole question: who you are is what you value, not your track record
• Whether tznius really is "the battle of our generation," and what it means to sit with that honestly
• Practical thoughts on family vacations and beach trips, without easy answers

Dan mentions Palouse Mindfulness, a free 8-part course by a student of Jon Kabat-Zinn, for anyone who wants to go deeper on their own.

If this conversation was honest in a way you needed, leave a 5-star review. It helps more people find it.

The three weeks are here.

The time when we refocus on the fact that our lives are incomplete.

There is a gaping hole in our ruchniyus, located at the holiest spot in the world. Har HaBayit.

Some of us just think about the problem.

Others are actually doing something about it.

Rav Yehuda Levy is the latter.

He has spent countless hours learning the sugya, written articles, taught classes, and spoken to gedolei yisrael.

He also goes up regularly, was involved in starting Yeshivas Har HaBayis, and has played an active role in expanding tefillah rights at our holiest site.

All of this, in addition to his professional life as a video production manager and a United Hatzalah volunteer.

In this episode, we discuss:

• A quick overview of the sugya (it's simpler than you think)
• How an iPhone 11 with portrait mode led to easing restrictions for Jews on Har HaBayis
• Why the gedolim were opposed
• The pushback Rav Yehuda received (called an apikores and more)
• The right way to bring the geulah (surprising psak halacha)

The goal of this episode is not to change your mind. But this is a sugya that deserves to be taken seriously.

To learn more from Rav Yehuda Levi, check out beishashem.org

New beginnings are hard.

Shtark Tank went live at Yeshiva University Israel in Beit Vagan, recording in front of a room full of YU summer interns spending their summer working in Israel. The theme: new beginnings and transitions, and what it actually takes to navigate them.

Part 1 is a panel conversation with threeShtark Tank All-Stars, who have each made their own version of the leap from the beit midrash to the workforce.

Rabbi Reuven Berman is a rebbe, business owner, and CEO of Kobe IP. Zevi Reinitz is a founder, marketing executive, and author of 14 Sefarim. Moshe Rapps is a client advisor at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, an EMT, a podcaster, and a baseball coach.

Together they get into the unwritten rules of workplace communication that no one teaches you, how to stay true to your values without wearing them like armor, why relationships are the only career asset that compounds forever, and what it really means to reinvent yourself when the world is moving faster than your LinkedIn profile.

In Part 2, Shaun Regenbaum joins the conversation. Shaun is a PhD candidate at Hebrew University in bioengineering, founder and CEO of PropheX, and one of the more fascinating people you'll hear on this show. He built a Talmud lab in the middle of Georgia Tech, started his first company as an undergrad out of pure necessity, and has been quietly building one of the most interesting Torah and AI projects around at Talmud.dev.

Shaun talks about what entrepreneurship actually feels like from the inside, why he doesn't recommend it for everyone, how he navigated being the only shomer Shabbat Jew at a major research university, and where he sees Torah and technology heading.

Recorded live. Real audience. Real questions.

Teddy Berman grew up in the Syrian community in Flatbush, went to college, worked in finance — and then got the itch. Almost ten years of learning later, he's back in the driver's seat, building a family in Yerushalayim and trying to figure out what comes next.

In this bonus episode, Teddy reaches out with the questions a lot of guys have but don't always get to ask directly: How do I balance parnasa with a serious morning seder? Is the dream of American hours realistic? Does it matter if I'm a working person or a mashpia by the bima? And how do I even figure out what I'm cut out for?

We get into all of it — including the recruiter who laughed in my face, why Rav Yonasan Sacks's career advice puzzled me as a bochur in KBY, and why knowing yourself is the most underrated job search tool there is.

Also: what Aliyah really means for your community, your nusach, and your kids — and why "choosing a box" might be the wrong frame entirely.

If you're somewhere between the beis medrash and the boardroom, this one's for you.

Topics covered:

• Hishtadlus, bitachon, and the Ramban on going to war
• Ahavat melacha — what Chazal actually say about loving your work
• Soft skills vs. marketable skills: the honest breakdown
• Using AI for career self-reflection (Teddy's been doing it)
• Building community in Eretz Yisrael as an Anglo oleh
• Dati Leumi vs. Haredi — more nuance than you think

What happens when you have a good job, mentors you trust, and a clear path forward — and you walk away anyway?

Shlomo Ashkanazy (Co-Director, WashU JLIC) and Ami Yunger (COO, Mizrachi Canada) both built careers in the Israeli tech world before pressing pause to go on shlichut in North America. Neither choice was obvious. Neither was painless. And neither of them regrets it — mostly.

In this conversation, they unpack the real calculus behind leaving stability for something harder to define. From their shared roots at Yeshivat HaKotel and OurCrowd, to navigating anti-Semitism on a college campus and in Toronto's streets, to Shlomo's gut-wrenching decision on Simchat Torah 2023 about whether to board a plane back to Israel — this episode doesn't stay on the surface.

What we talk about:

• Why both of them credit OurCrowd — and its mission-driven culture — as the bridge between tech and shlichut
• The nonlinear career path: real talk about professional anxiety, histadlus, and bitachon
• Ami on being COO of a Jewish nonprofit and why "COO" isn't just a fancy title for a shaliach
• Shlomo on starting WashU JLIC from scratch — and what happened when 50 students showed up to his empty house on October 9th, 2023
• The anti-Semitism reality in Canada: bullets through shul windows, hiding event locations until 10 minutes before showtime, and how you maintain Zionist pride when it's being weaponized against you

• Shlomo's still-unresolved guilt about not getting on a plane after October 7th
• The 40-year test: how do you make a decision when the downside isn't catastrophic, but the stakes feel enormous?

Guests:Shlomo Ashkanazy is Co-Director of JLIC at Washington University in St. Louis, which he and his wife founded as the inaugural couple. Ami Yunger is COO of Mizrachi Canada, where he supports the organization's growth across programming, operations, and community.

Ami Tobin was faced with a descision: He had a week full of 8 hour shifts, guarding an outpost in miluim.

How was he going to use that time?

Watch the NBA Finals? Or something more meaningful?

He pulled out his notes. And by the end of that week, his sefer — Amech Dodi — was fully edited. Both Hebrew and English.

That story is a window into who Ami Tobin is. A Beit Shemesh kid who grew up watching his mother trade a PhD in psychology for a life of teaching Torah. A Givati soldier. A HiBob customer success manager. A husband of a wife who finished medical school during wartime.

And a young man who lost his mother, Dodi Tobin z"l, to cancer — and turned years of Friday-afternoon Divrei Torah into a published sefer in her memory.

In this episode, we talk about what nearly 300 days of Milluim actually costs you professionally, how Torah identity survives the grind of the tech world, and what it looked like to watch his mother face illness with a level of emunah that only grew stronger as things got harder.

Her message: Torah isn't just practice. It's the lens everything else passes through.

Topics covered:

• Growing up in Beit Shemesh with parents who were growing alongside him
• Yeshiva Ma'alot, Givati, and finding a Torah identity worth keeping
• Stumbling into tech via HiBob — right place, right time
• ~300 days of Milluim and what it does to a career (and a person)
• His wife finishing medical school during wartime — the real superstar
• Dodi Tobin z"l: her pivot from psychology to Torah, her emunah under pressure, and the Shabbat-vs-client-call story
• Writing Amech Dodi — Divrei Torah collected since yeshiva, edited on guard duty, published l'ilui nishmatah
• The women's Beit Midrash being built in Beit Shemesh in her memory

Links:

• Amech Dodi on Amazon: link
• Beit Midrash building fund: link

What does Hashem actually want from us, a life of total immersion in Torah, or engagement with the world?This is one of the oldest machlokos in Jewish thought.

And Rav Rafi Dembovsky was torn.

He struggled with the issues, and wrote a book with his findings.

You can order it here.

Episode Description

Rafi was raised in Edgware. Educated at Hasmonean. Spent years all-in at Torah-only yeshivos and kollel. Then came time to choose a school for his son — and the tension he'd quietly carried for years exploded into a full-blown existential question.

So he went back to the sources. And wrote a sefer.

We trace Rafi's personal journey alongside the intellectual one — from teenage brachos in Bnei Brak to law school at Hebrew University. We get into the sefer itself, the haskama drama, and the Rabbanim who quietly loved it but wouldn't sign their names.

In this episode:

• Torah-only as a mindset, not just a lifestyle choice
• The Rashbi/Rabi Yishmael machlokes — and what it really means for how you live
• Why the Rambam wasn't who you think he was
• The four-point email telling him not to publish — and what he did next
• Leaving kollel for law school: pshat or cop-out?

Ashi Taragin had every reason to stay in yeshiva. He grew up breathing Torah. His father is Rabbi Reuven Taragin. His mother is Rebbetzin Shani Taragin. He made a Siyum HaShas at his Bar Mitzvah.Yet he didnt choose a career in Chinuch.

Today he's an ER doctor at Sharei Tzedek, a lawyer, a mohel, and a sofer. He's also the unofficial rav of the emergency room, fielding end-of-life shailos in real time. And he still teaches Torah — but entirely on his own terms.

In this episode, Ashi breaks down his version of the Rambam model: why financial independence from Torah makes your Torah better, what it means to be a baal habayis as a zechut rather than a compromise, and why he thinks sitting and learning all day isn't what Hashem put you here to do.

Make sure to check out our newsletter and subscribe: ShtarkTank.org

What does it take to build a serious Torah legacy while running a thriving dental practice in Manhattan? Reuven Mohl has spent the last decade doing exactly that — and the results are five published books, a growing body of scholarship, and a model for what it looks like to take your Torah life seriously without stepping away from the working world.

In this episode, Reuven walks us through his upbringing in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, where his father Rabbi Oscar Mohl — a philosophy professor, Holocaust survivor, and talmid of the Baba Vredi — set the tone for a home where Torah and ideas were always on the table. From Yeshiva Flatbush to Yeshiva HaKotel to YU, Reuven shares how his years of learning shaped both his character and his career path into dentistry.

We talk about the discipline behind building a successful practice, how he carved out time for serious learning between patients, and what led him to compile commentaries on the Haggadah, Megillas Rus, and Tehillim using the writings of Rabbi Eliezer Berkovitz and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

And in honor of Shavuos, we learn together. Reuven shares a beautiful lesson from Megillas Rus on the difference between din and lifnim mishurat hadin — and what Boaz's generosity in the field teaches us about how to show up at work, at home, and in life.

Topics covered:

• Growing up with a philosophy professor father and a Holocaust survivor in the home
• The work-life balance reality of a dental career
• How to pursue serious Torah scholarship while running a business
• Building commentaries using the Rav and Rabbi Berkovitz
• Megillas Rus and the obligation to do more than the minimum
• The story of calling before Shabbos

A Shabbaton in Bnei Brak. Two rabbis. A machlokes I have been wrestling with ever since.

One rav told a room full of 18-year-olds that they were living the climax of their lives. Another rav pushed back.

Both left a mark.

In this solo episode, I share the audio version of my most-responded-to piece of writing to date — a post that starts the process of distilling over 120 episodes of Shtark Tank into one central question: what does it mean to serve Hashem during the working chapter of life?

Subscribe to our newsletter at ⁠ShtarkTank.org⁠

We cover the surprising lesson buried in the Matan Torah story, the unique mitzvos that come alive when you enter the workforce (Shabbos, Kiddush Hashem, Yishuv Olam, Talmud Torah), and why this stage of life isn't a regression from the Beit Midrash, it's its own chapter, loaded with opportunity.

Plus: a beautiful piece of listener feedback from Ruben Melman, a recent Yeshiva graduate about to start his first job, and my own honest reflection on what it felt like to pack up the sefarim boxes.

Moshe Isaacson is a marketing executive and go-to-market leader in the SaaS world — and one of the most passionate Tanach learners you'll ever meet. In this episode, Moshe makes the case for why Tanach is the most underrated limud in the Torah world, how his love for it was ignited on hikes through Eretz Yisrael, and why he wakes up at 4:30am to prepare the three weekly shiurim he gives to his community.

Topics covered:

• Growing up in Pittsburgh — a broad, out-of-town community that exposed Moshe to every type of Yiddishkeit
• How a yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael turned Tanach from stories into living heritage
• Why Tanach gets second billing in the yeshiva world — and why Moshe thinks that's an avla
• The Maskilim and Zionists claimed Tanach as their own. Moshe's response: that's exactly why we need to take it back
• How Moshe got into marketing entirely by accident, starting at IDT and building from there
• The overlap between psychology, marketing, and Torah — and why pattern recognition is the common thread
• Balancing a demanding career with three weekly shiurim, a daily chavrusa, and serious limud preparation
• The 4:30am wake-up, the one-hour train commute, and how Moshe engineers his day around learning
• A practical challenge: 929 perakim, one a day, finished in under three years
• Sefer Shmuel as his favorite — four years learning and teaching it
• Where to find his podcast, Tanach in Depth, and his AI-generated Torah content

To follow Moshe's Torah: https://open.spotify.com/show/3G2IJ0opltMtTlrsTioQVg?si=SAg8yci3QTeK99v8qWRWcQ

https://x.com/isaacson

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Jon Medved has spent decades building Israel into a global technology powerhouse, helping fund hundreds of companies, bringing billions of dollars into the Israeli economy, and playing pivotal role in what eventually became the Startup Nation brand.

Then he flatlined in a hospital for eight minutes.

In this episode, Jon sits down with Yaakov Wolff to talk about growing up far from Judaism on the beaches of California, the unlikely path that brought him to Israel, and why he believes the Avot were the original entrepreneurs. He makes a bold case that building companies, solving the world's problems through technology, and living as a proud Torah Jew are inseparable.

He also opens up about his ALS diagnosis, what it felt like to be brought back after flatlining, and why, at this stage of his life, he's more driven than ever.

In this conversation:

• From Berkeley to Jerusalem — Jonathan's winding path to Aliyah and observance
• The PowerPoint that seeded Startup Nation
• Why the Avot were all entrepreneurs
• Technology, Torah, and where the two meet
• Living with ALS and refusing to stop

"I'm not done. There's still what I have to accomplish."

For exclusive written content, subsribe to our newsletter at ShtarkTank.org

This Yom HaZikaron, we sit with two fathers who lost their sons in the early months of the war.

Eitan Morell shares the story of his son Maoz — a kid with ADHD and learning difficulties who walked into a yeshiva that didn't want him, refused to leave, and became the kind of soldier his unit looked up to. Eitan reflects on what it means to suddenly see your child's whole life in reverse — and how grief reveals a person you thought you already knew.

Rob Airley shares the story of his son Binyamin — named best soldier in his platoon, loved by commanders and chaverim alike. The kind of guy who, moments before being killed, volunteered to run into a building because his unit needed him. Rob talks about learning to grieve without falling apart — and what it looks like to keep laughing and dancing in the house when Binyamin is no longer at the table.

We end off with exerpts from 3 other episodes, about the beauty of living in Israel. Shtark Tank episodes with Eli Freedman and Yaakov Ehrenkranz, and Yaakov's appearance on the DHR podcast hosted by Zak Lenik.

Make sure to sign up for newsletter at ShtarkTank.org

To support Beit Binyamin click here

To watch the movie about Maoz Morell click here

Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro

00:04:20 Eitan Morell remembers his son Maoz

00:39:34 Rob Airley remembers his son Binyamin

01:11:25 Shtark Tank with Eli Freedman

0:1:23:17 Shtark Tank with Yaakov Ehrenkranz

01:33:24 Yaakov on DHR Podcast

Two years ago, we sat with Rav Asher Weiss and asked him some of the most fundamental questions a Ben Torah in the workforce can ask. I've returned to this shiur more than almost anything else we've put out — it's that dense with wisdom and direction.

Since then, the show has grown a lot, and I wanted to make sure newer listeners got a chance to hear it. And if you've already heard it? I think you'll get something new from it the second time around.

Make sure to sign up for our newsletter at ShtarkTank.org

Get ready for Pesach with a mega collection of divrei torah, from Bnei Torah in the workforce.

You will hear from Rav Yakov Danishefsky, Rav Jonathan Livi,Rav Max Berger, Zak Lenik, Mark Tobin Dr. Mordy Goldenberg and Yoel Van Messel.

At the end, you will hear some ideas of mine which I shared on The Greatest Parasha podcast, hosted by Raymond Ashkenazie and Emma Dayan

A big thank you to Shlomo Price for his help with extra editing.

Wishing you and your families a Chag Kasher Vsameach

Guest Bios and Links

Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky, LCSW CSAT, is a Chicago-basedtherapist and author of the widely read Attached, the newly released AttachedHaggadah, and the forthcoming sefer The Delight of Shabbos. He leads AvodasHaLev, a Chicago organization devoted to meaningful learning and communityprogramming, and hosts The Attached Life Podcast. He is known for bringingdepth, passion, and warmth to everything he teaches.

To order the Haggadah:

To order in US:

https://a.co/d/03dgzXKD

https://alehzayis.com/product/the-attached-haggadah/

https://feldheim.com/the-attached-haggadah

To order in E"Y:

https://siparti.co/attachedH/

Jonathan Livi is founder and Principal of RJL CapitalAdvisors, which places JV equity for middle market commercial real estate transactions across the United States. He is also the Hazzan and assistant rabbi at Shaare Rachamim Synagogue in Great Neck, NY, in which capacity heteaches Tanakh daily. His shiurim are available on Spotify and Apple Podcast via his various podcasts. He is married to Kayla, and father to 3 kids.

https://open.spotify.com/show/45srXeZZgZKHAomOmpIkmh?si=hf6h-z2dToezYb95H0dMxQ

https://open.spotify.com/show/48iHU4mP1cvgZOGFrC5Jys?si=JinlUNvmSeimGKQl9LWiMQ

Max Berger was an aspiring rabbi turned aspiring philosopherturned VC. He spent the last two years at Next Gear Ventures, a Tel Aviv basedearly stage VC fund, before moving back to New York this year.

ZakLenik  is a real estate advisor in Israel who works mainly with Anglos looking to buy a home andbuild a life here. His own aliyah journey didn’t start in the most typical way, but through years of learning—and later teaching—Torah, he developed a strongsense of purpose that ultimately brought him back to Israel for good. Now, he helps others navigate that same journey, combining real estate guidance with a deeper understanding of what it means to truly build a life here

https://www.instagram.com/zak_in_israel?igsh=YTU0MWRlbW5iMGMx&utm_source=qr

00:00 Intro

00:52 Rav Yaakov Danishefsky: Writing Your Own Story

18:08 Rav Jonathan Livi: The Revolution of Freedom

34:40 Rav Max Berger: Matzah and Authenticity

52:26 Zak Lenik: Freedom or Slavery?

01:11:12 Mark Tobin: The Holiday of Emunah

01:19:07 Dr. Mordy Goldenberg: Late Night Vision

01:25:51 Yoel Van Messel: Understanding Our Goals

01:38:40 Yaakov Wolff on Greatest Parashah Podcast

02:01:26 Outro

What happens when Torah, growth, and mental health start pulling against each other instead of working together?

In this episode of Shtark Tank, Yaakov Wolff speaks with Dr. Dan Jacobson — psychologist, musmach, co-author of Flipping Out, and author of Light in the Darkness — about stress, anxiety, yeshiva pressure, and the long-term impact they can have on our Avodat Hashem.

To recieve a free copy of Light in the Darkness, about kedusha in today's world, email dan.jacobson.psyd@gmail.com

They discuss the difference between healthy pressure and unhealthy stress, why anxiety seems to be rising in today’s world, and how formative yeshiva experiences can shape a person’s relationship with learning for years afterward. They also talk about balancing Torah, work, and family life, navigating Pesach pressure in a healthier way, and approaching struggles in kedusha with more honesty and less shame.

This is a thoughtful and practical conversation about serving Hashem with more clarity, more balance, and more simcha.

What We Discussed

• Dr. Jacobson’s path into psychology and his interest in the intersection of Torah and mental health
• The difference between stress and anxiety
• Why some pressure is necessary, but too much can become destructive
• How yeshiva culture can sometimes create unhealthy stress around learning and growth
• The long-term effect of yeshiva experiences on a person’s relationship with Torah
• What to do if learning has become tied up with guilt or pressure
• Balancing competing values like learning, marriage, parenting, and responsibility
• How to reduce stress around Pesach prep and focus more on meaning
• OCD, halachic uncertainty, and the importance of clear guidance
• Why so many men struggle silently in areas of kedusha
• What Dr. Jacobson hoped to add with his booklet Light in the Darkness

Key Takeaways

• Stress and anxiety are not exactly the same thing. Stress is often tied to present pressure, while anxiety is more future-oriented.
• Some pressure is part of growth. The goal is not zero stress, but healthy stress in the right dose.
• Yeshiva can be deeply formative, for good and for bad. If Torah became associated with guilt or pressure, that needs to be rethought.
• A working person should try to build a relationship with learning that includes pleasure, connection, and simcha — not just obligation.
• Many struggles become worse when there is too much doubt, especially for people with OCD tendencies.
• Pesach can become overwhelming when people lose sight of what is halacha and what is chumra, habit, or family expectation.
• In struggles around kedusha, shame and secrecy often make things worse. Honest, psychologically grounded guidance helps.

Notable Lines / Ideas

• “If the prime emotion that someone has with regard to their learning is a negative emotion, that has to be checked.”
• “You want there to be simcha and pleasure and joy and connection with your learning.”
• “We build our strength and resilience by encountering and learning how to handle some difficulty.”
• “The holiday of freedom can feel enslaving if we lose sight of meaning.”
  

Chapters
00:00 Intro

05:20 Stress and Anxiety, in Yeshiva and beyond
28:12 Balancing learning, marriage, parenting, and other real responsibilities
32:15 Pesach pressure: cleaning, OCD, chumros, and staying sane
38:52 Light in the Darkness: what Dr. Jacobson wanted to add to the kedusha conversation
45:48 Rapid fire

About the Guest
Dr. Dan Jacobson is a psychologist and musmach who has spent years thinking and writing about the intersection of mental health, yeshiva life, and Avodat Hashem. He is the co-author of Flipping Out and the author of Light in the Darkness, a booklet addressing struggles in kedusha with psychological depth and Torah sensitivity.

Dov Adler is an audit partner who has in intereresting relationship with auditing.

In this episode, Dov Adler shares a refreshingly honest take on work, fulfillment, and responsibility. We talk about growing up in a rabbi’s home, choosing accounting over rabbanus, wearing a kippah in corporate America, and building a career that is meaningful not because every task is enjoyable, but because of the life and impact built around it.

We also discuss Torah learning during busy seasons, public speaking, fundraising, parenting, and the challenge of raising children with patience, example, and conviction. This is a wide-ranging conversation about ambition, service, and what it means to build a serious Torah life in the workforce without thinking in narrow boxes.

Key Highlights:

• Smashing Paradigms: Why you don't need to "love" your core job to find professional fulfillment.

• The Power of Bribes: The viral story of how Dov used a car lease to spark his son’s love for Gemara.

• Kiddush Hashem at PwC: Navigating the corporate ladder while maintaining a visible Jewish identity.

• Fundraising as a Mission: How Dov balances multi-million dollar campaigns for schools and shuls with his 9-to-5.

• Consistent Learning: Tips for maintaining two sedarim a day, even during peak "busy season."

Listen to Dov's shiurim on YUTorah

How do Bnei Torah apply skills from the workforce to serve non-profit organizations?

In this episode, Yaakov Wolff speaks with Allen Pfeiffer and Hillel Scheinfeld two successful professionals who bring their strengths into the world of tzedakah and nonprofits.

They discuss why donors should think more seriously about where their money goes, why nonprofits need more transparency and accountability, and why giving should not be passive. The conversation also explores how working Bnei Torah can contribute not only with checks, but with perspective, standards, and real involvement.

This is a conversation about treating tzedakah with the seriousness it deserves.

In this episode:

• Why tzedakah is not just “giving money away”

• Why business skills matter in the nonprofit world

• How donors should think about impact and accountability

• Why trust and transparency matter so much

• What smaller donors can do besides give money

• How to support causes in a more thoughtful way

This is a special Purim bonus episode—a raw and honest conversation meant to warn and wake people up.In this episode, our guest shares his personal story—how gambling started young, how “just for fun” escalated over years, and how legalization + apps turned it into something 24/7, always within reach.If you need help, contact Amudim now.Crisis hotline can be reached at 646-517-0222, or from israel 02-374-0175Our guest describes:

• The first win that hooked him—and the years spent chasing that same high
• How gambling isn’t only about money, but about time, secrecy, and control
• What happens when betting becomes available in the palm of your hand, anytime, anywhere
• The “VIP” treatment that makes you feel special… while pulling you deeper
• The moment he realized this was hurting the people he loved most—and why he finally came clean
• Rehab, Gamblers Anonymous, rebuilding trust, and living one day at a time

This conversation is intense, but it’s also hopeful. He doesn’t share this story for drama. He shares it to help someone listening avoid the same trap, or to help someone already struggling realize: you’re not alone, and help is real.Purim Sameach—and please, a safe one.

We’re coming up on the 40th yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, and this episode is a guided tour through Rav Moshe’s Torah on the questions every Ben Torah eventually faces:

How do I build a life where Torah stays central… while I’m working, providing, and living in the real world?

Our guest, Rabbi Moshe Kurtz (rabbi, podcaster, and serious Rav Moshe researcher), just released a new sefer: Me'oros Moshe — a curated collection of Rav Moshe’s divrei Torah on Pirkei Avos, pulling from Igros Moshe, derashos, chidushim, and key writings from talmidim and family.

You will hear: how Rav Moshe frames kollel, parnassah, college, career choices, and what it means to live with “aseh Torascha keva” even outside the beis medrash.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

1) Kollel isn’t “all or nothing”

2) “College” is not automatically the derech ha-parnassah

3) The big idea: “Aseh Torascha keva” is about orientation, not just hours

4) Career choices: Rav Moshe’s lens on medicine and “zero-sum” tradeoffs

5) Rav Moshe’s greatness wasn’t only brilliance — it was care-driven psak

To order Meoros Moshe, click here

Bio: Rabbi Moshe Kurtz

Rabbi Moshe Kurtz serves as the Rabbi of Congregation Sons of Israel in Allentown, PA. He is the author of Meoros Moshe (Aleh Zayis, 2025), a Pirkei Avos anthology of scholarship and stories about HaGaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l. Rabbi Kurtz previously hosted Shu"T First Ask, Questions Later, published Challenging Assumptions (Mosaica Press, 2023), and writes about contemporary halachic issues in forums such as the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society (RJJ Journal), OUTorah, The Lehrhaus, Torah Musings and Jewish Action. 

Rabbi Kurtz proudly serves as a member of the Allentown Police Department’s chaplain unit as well as the Allentown School District Superintendent’s Interfaith Council. He also contributes to The Morning Call and was featured on Business Matters, a production of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce (WFMZ Studios). Rabbi Kurtz hosts the As I Walk Through the Valley podcast, and is currently writing a book based on his Unpacking the Iggerot column at Tradition. He can be reached at rabbi@sonsofisrael.net. 

What if the most “frum” thing you can do at work… is simply doing your job well?

In this episode, I’m joined by Rav Dovid Gottlieb for a sharp, practical conversation built around a powerful piece from Rav Shlomo Wolbe (Alei Shur)—with guidance that every working Ben Torah needs.

(The short chapter can be found in Alei Shur vol. I pp. 269-271)

Soon after, we take these ideas into one of the hottest and most real-life arenas right now: religious soldiers in the IDF, and the tension of doing what’s right while still missing the beis medrash, the minyan, and the Yom Tov experience. The takeaway applies to soldiers and professionals: avoid guilt, stay honest about what you’re missing, and keep striving.

In this episode:

• The Midrash about Chanuch the cobbler: how “every stitch” can be holy when your goal is to help people

• Rav Wolbe’s big idea: there’s no such thing as truly “secular” work when you bring the right kavana

• The “Do Your Job” principle: why learning/davening at the wrong time can become a mitzvah haba’ah b’aveirah

• The soldier/workforce parallel: no guilt when you’re doing what Hashem needs from you now—while still feeling the loss of what you’re missing

• Balancing the three jobs: family, parnassah, and Torah (and why there’s no one-size-fits-all formula)

• A powerful closing charge from Rav Wolbe: Hashem hasn’t given up on you—keep striving to grow in Torah

• “Latent awareness”: how Torah stays with you even when you’re fully focused on your mission

To support Religous IDF soliers click here and support Tzalash.

If you want to help us grow Shtark Tank, make sure to hit subscribe and leave a 5 star review, thanks!

In this episode, I sit down with Yossi (Joseph) Landes—President and co-founder of Nerdio (a unicorn), and a 23-year veteran of Microsoft.

But this conversation isn’t mainly about startups.

It’s about growing in Gemara when you don’t see yourself as “the best learner,” and building a life where Torah stays at the center—through airports, moves abroad, pressure, and big responsibility.

We talk about:

• “I might be the worst learner in the whole yeshiva.” And how that humility became fuel—not a stop sign.

• Daf Yomi as identity: train rides, flights, gates, and “downtime” that turns into real learning time.

• Awe for talmidei chachamim: the pictures on his desk, and what they remind him of when work gets loud.

• Lessons from Satya Nadella + lessons from yeshiva—especially the mindset of being a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all.

• What it takes to stay frum while living around the world—plus huge hakaras hatov to Chabad for making that possible.

• “Truth is found in the field”: how empathy, listening, and outside-in thinking shaped his leadership style.

• The long game: building a unicorn company, and still saying, “When I’m done, I want to learn full time.”

If you appreciate Shtark Tank, please make sure to subscribe and leave a 5-star review!

Super Bowl week is here, and as Bnei Torah, we can't avoid asking a hard question: what is sports doing to our time, our headspace, and our Avodas Hashem?

In this episode of Shtark Tank, I sit down with Rav Moshe Benovitz (Director of NCSY Kollel) for a real, nuanced conversation about loving sports without losing yourself in it—including the famous story of a Super Bowl night in Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavne where he made a deep decision to skip the game.

We talk about:

• When sports is healthy… and when it starts to take over

• “Must-see TV,” compulsion, and where to draw the line

• Sports as a “religious” experience (arenas as temples)

• What Torah educators and marketers can learn from the NFL’s pull

• Community, purpose, and building a mission-driven life

• A fun detour into Bill Simmons and why sports can create real connection

For Parashat Beshalach / Shabbat Shirah, we’re pulling a fan-favorite from the archives: a wide-ranging conversation with Jewish music legend Abie Rotenberg — songwriter of classics like Acheinu, Mama Rochel, and Na’ar Hayiti.

But this episode isn’t only about music.

A.B. shares how building a serious career in business gave him something rare in the music world: freedom. Freedom to write at his own pace, choose what to release, and never treat music like a paycheck.

We also get into:

• His path from chinuch to the family import business (and what that transition really felt like)

• Why he sees songwriting as a real form of chinuch — and how melodies can open up the words of tefillah and pesukim

• The story and intent behind Marvelous Middos Machine, and the very real dilemmas of teaching values through songs

• Reflections on Acheinu returning to the world in a painful new way

• His Torah writing (sfarim on Eliyahu Hanavi and Rabbi Akiva) — plus a surprising third book: a baseball novel built for kiruv

• Baseball, balance, and the line between a healthy outlet and a distraction

Subscribe if you’re enjoying the show — it helps more than you think.

Is it possible to grow in Torah and business at the same time?

Last week, I sat down with Moe Mernick, Ben Lang, and Michael Bloch to talk it through — live, in front of an energetic crowd of 50+ growth-oriented leaders, at the offices of DLA Piper Israel in Tel Aviv.

The “excuse” for the gathering was Moe’s new book, Conversations with Jewish Business Leaders — and the conversation went way beyond the book.

We discussed:

• What success really means (and why it can’t be one-size-fits-all)

• Why success isn’t about money — and how to build a life that actually feels aligned

• Meaning at work, mid-career “what am I doing with my life?” moments, and the idea of learn / earn / return

• How side projects can turn into real impact

• Staying strong in the lows: imposter syndrome, mentors, community, and keeping perspective

• Spiritual growth in the busy years: fixed learning times, realistic goals, balancing “heart” and “mind,” and accountability

Order Conversations with Jewish Business Leaders here.

Big thank you to the event hosts and sponsors: DLA Piper Israel and Yeshiva University Israel.

In this Shovavim special, I sat down with marriage coach Aaron Zakowski for a direct and practical conversation about what it really means to be a Jewish husband and father in today’s world.

We talk about:

• Why emotional safety matters as much as financial stability

• The mistake many men make when they try to “fix” instead of listen

• How long work hours affect marriage—and what actually helps

• Why your value as a Jewish man does not come from your paycheck

• What most chassan classes don’t prepare you for

• How marriage changes at different stages of life

• Stress, self-esteem, and why men need support too

• Creating closeness at home without needing more time in the day

Resources

Aaron on Instagram

Beyond The Chassan Class (Webinar)

Shalom Bayis Daily (Whatsapp Group)

You can reach Aaron at Aaron.zakowski@gmail.com

What does real success look like when you’re trying to stay grounded as a Ben Torah?

In this episode of Shtark Tank, I sat down with Laizer Kornwasser — CEO of DrFirst, professor at Yeshiva University, and Chairman of NCSY — for a wide-ranging conversation about ambition, pressure, leadership, and the Torah ideas that shape how we show up at work and in life.

Laizer shares stories from investment banking and the C-suite, including how he learned to earn his “seat at the table” through facts, results, and humility. We talk about drawing clear lines when work clashes with Shabbos, why most people aren’t cut out for investment banking, and how to define success in a way that protects your priorities.

Then we shift into a deep dive on the Altar of Slabodka: Gadlus HaAdam, EQ vs IQ, gratitude, and the power of seeing each person as an individual with real potential.

And yes — we get into the now-famous practice: why Laizer handwrites 1,000 New Year’s cards and sends personal thank-you messages one-by-one, and what it teaches about hakaras hatov, relationships, and leadership.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why investment banking is “not cut out for most people”

• What “success” really means when you’re trying to grow in Yiddishkeit

• The importance of knowing your line in the sand (and not crossing it)

• A real story: a CEO tried to push Shabbos boundaries — and Laizer’s response

• “Facts, not emotion”: how to communicate with different personalities

• The Altar of Slabodka’s approach to building people, not just teaching Torah

• EQ as a Jewish leadership skill, not just a business buzzword

• Why Laizer sends personal thank-yous instead of mass messages

• Chesed that actually changes you (not just “check-writing”)

If you got value from this episode, please take 10 seconds to subscribe and leave a 5-star rating — it helps more people find the show.

This week on Shtark Tank, we’re opening the mailbag to dive into the conversations, questions, and insights sparked by our recent episodes. We explore what it really means to be an eved Hashem , a professional , and a family man in a fast-paced world.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The "Millstone" of Marriage: Does our Avodas Hashem fundamentally change once we have families? We look at the Gemara in Kiddushin about learning before vs. after marriage.

  
  

• Work as a "Calling": Is the idea of self-fulfillment at work a modern invention? We trace the sources from the Chovas HaLevavos to modern corporate culture.

  
  

• Savoring the Steak: Why we should treat a line of Gemara like a juicy steak and how to handle the stress of "not learning enough" in a vast sea of Torah.

  
  

• Torah as an Antidote: A deep dive into the Netziv on why the Torah critiques Yosef’s beauty and how geshmak learning is the ultimate protection against the yetzer hara.

  
  

• The AI Future: If AI takes over our jobs, will we actually have the focus to "study God" all day?

• The Aliyah Struggle: Facing the "rational" vs. "emotional" challenges of making the move to Israel.

Support the Show:If you enjoyed this episode, please hit Subscribe and leave a 5-star review—it helps us reach more listeners like you!

Gratitude is usually talked about after things work out.

This episode is about learning it while you’re still in it.

In honor of Chanukah, 'days of praise and thanks', Dan Cohen shares what it was like to go from a full, busy professional life to an unexpected spinal surgery and 90 days in a rehab ward — right in the middle of a national crisis.

Not a dramatic story.
Not a miracle tale.

A real look at what gratitude means when:

• your plans fall apart

• your body isn’t cooperating

• your work and identity are put on pause

Dan reflects on letting go of expectations, staying present when the future is unclear, and learning that gratitude isn’t about being happy — it’s about recognizing that this moment is where you’re meant to be.

A Chanukah episode about small light, honest praise, and finding steadiness in ordinary challenges that many professionals quietly carry.

We also talk about how writing Divrei Torah was an anchor for Dan during during his hardest times.

More From Dan

Check out Dan's firm, FCP Communications here

To read Dan's Divrei Torah

To learn more about Geerz, click here

It’s Chanukah — the season of miracles.

But what about the “miracles” we’re watching unfold in our own lifetime… through technology?

In this special Chanukah episode, I’m joined by Mois Navon, also known as the “Mobileye Rabbi.” Mois has spent decades in high-tech and decades learning and teaching Torah — and in this conversation he helps us think clearly about innovation, awe, ethics, and where all of this may be heading.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why Mois is called the “Mobileye Rabbi” (and how it started with lunch table conversations)

• What Judaism actually says about innovation and building new technology

• A powerful Torah framing: technology as a mandate to improve the world

• The other side: limits, guardrails, and ethics (and why it matters more than ever)

• Noach as the first engineer — and why the plow changed human history

• Is new tech really a “miracle,” or just human creativity inside nature?

• The dangers of modern tools (social media, AI, and more) — and the case for self-control

• Are we living in unprecedented times?

• The “Geulah” question: what do Torah sources suggest about a future of automation and abundance?

  Practical advice for building the right “muscles” for the world our kids may grow up in

• Mois Navon’s website (500+ shiurim + source sheets): link here

• Mois’s article on Judaism, technology, and ethics: link here

If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe and leave a rating — it helps more people find Shtark Tank.

About Mois Navon

Mois Navon is one of the founding engineers of Mobileye, where he designed the EyeQ family of SoC (System On a Chip) – the chip powering the autonomous vehicle revolution.  Mois is also an ordained rabbi who has published numerous articles on Jewish law and lore.  Working at the intersection of Torah U’Madda, he received his PhD from the department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan University wherein his dissertation applies Jewish philosophy to address the ethical questions arising in the field of artificial intelligence.  In this vein, he teaches a course on “Ethics in Artificial Intelligence” at Ben Gurion University.  He is also a National Advisor to the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology on Artificial Intelligence Policy and Regulation in Israel. 

What do you do when your day job feels empty — but you still need to show up, provide, and stay honest?

In this episode of Shtark Tank, I sit down with my cousin and friend Yoni Schwartz — Head of Data Science at Exponential and Head Producer of Living L’chaim. Yoni shares how he went from a corporate role that felt like “a complete lack of purpose” to leading 10 shows that have inspired and helped countless people. He is also the host of Spirit of the Song podcast, make sure to check it out!

We talk about meaning, ambition, family, and the real-life tradeoffs of building something big on top of a demanding day job.

In this conversation we cover:

• What it feels like when work is steady… but meaningless

• How Yoni first joined Living L’chaim and how the role grew over time

• The ethics of balancing a primary job with major side projects

• Startup life vs. corporate life — and what actually changed for him

• How he manages two intense roles without a rigid system

• The idea of intentionality as a survival tool for busy people

• Setting boundaries after COVID blurred everything

• Early morning learning as a realistic anchor for fathers with young kids

• The impact Living L’chaim aims for — inspiration, mental health, and financial clarity

• Cultivating a relationship with your Rebbi

Key takeaway:
You don’t need a perfect system to juggle a lot — but you do need honesty, priorities, and intentional choices you can live with.

If this episode resonated, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a 5-star rating. It helps more Bnei Torah in the workforce find these conversations.

Guest: Yoni Schwartz
Host: Yaakov Wolff

Aliyah isn’t just a flight and a moving truck.
It’s a total reset of how you think about parnassah, gashmiyus, bitachon, and what “quality of life” actually means.

In this episode, I sit down with Eli Freedman, founder of Cork & Cellar Wine Club, to talk about what it really takes to move to Israel and stay – spiritually, emotionally, and financially.

Eli shares how he:

• Went from Boston → Wall Street → Montreal → Beit Shemesh

• Had zero interest in Aliyah… until COVID, a grandchild in Israel, and a breaking point in Canada

• Sold his house and business with no Plan B so he couldn’t run back

• Went through the “Eretz Yisrael car wash” – a painful but powerful reset of his gashmiyus and bitachon

• Rebuilt his career from scratch, launching Cork & Cellar, a boutique Israeli wine club for U.S. customers

• Found a real rav and kehillah after years of feeling disconnected

• Built a serious morning learning seder and finished Shas multiple times while running a business

We also talk about:

• Why you must come with a realistic parnassah plan – and still expect it to break

• The mindset shift from “keeping up with the Joneses” to “being happy with less but living with more”

• How living in Eretz Yisrael forces you to actually use your emunah and bitachon, not just talk about them

• The balance between enjoying good wine and not turning gashmiyus into your ikar

About our guest:
Eli Freedman is the founder of Cork & Cellar Wine Club, connecting small Israeli wineries with wine lovers in the U.S., and helping boutique winemakers who would never make it to American shelves. He lives in Beit Shemesh with his family.

Check out https://www.corkandcellar.net/club

If this episode gave you chizuk or clarity about Aliyah and mindset,
please follow Shtark Tank, leave a rating, and share it with a friend who’s thinking about moving to Israel.

Is work a curse, a burden… or a gift from Hashem?

In this solo episode, we go into the Netziv on Parshas Bereishis and pull out five big career ideas for Bnei Torah in the workforce.

1. Is Work a Curse?
2. Did God Plan on Creating Bahlabatim?
3. How do I handle Relationships with Secular Collagues?
4. Is it Possible to be Spiritual at Work?
5. Can I Live a Life of Luxury?

If this kind of Torah-first career talk speaks to you, share the episode, leave a comment on Spotify or Apple, or join the Shtark Tank WhatsApp chevra and keep the conversation going.

100th episode. World-class Torah educator. All your burning questions.

To mark our 100th episode, Rav Aryeh Lebowitz joins Shtark Tank for a wide-ranging Q&A on what it really means to be a Ben Torah in the workforce.

We talk about:

• “You’re never going to be Rav Schachter… and that’s okay” – setting healthy goals in learning

• Gadol biographies, ambition, and why you’re not supposed to be the Chafetz Chaim

• How to grow in learning when you’re working full time and raising a family

• Stress and guilt: when “I’m not learning enough” is healthy – and when it’s toxic

• Who should go into chinuch and rabbanus… and who should not

• Aliyah, parnassah, and the real math of teaching in Eretz Yisrael

• Minyan, mincha at work, and missing davening for family

• Phones, attention spans, and why Rav Aryeh deleted Twitter

It’s a packed, honest conversation with one of the most listened-to Torah teachers in the world – and a fitting way to celebrate 100 episodes of Shtark Tank.

If this episode helped you, the best “100th episode gift” you can give is simple: follow the show, leave a 5-star rating, and share it with one friend who’s trying to balance Torah, work, and family.

As we mark the yahrzeit of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, we’re remembering him through the eyes of two working Bnei Torah who knew him personally — not as a public icon, but as a mentor, a mensch, and a man of deep humility.

Joe Hyams spent his late teens on Rabbi Sacks security team. driving him to events across London and making sure he was safe. From the front seat, he saw the balance between majesty and modesty. “He carried himself with a regal sense of presence — yet he’d be the one holding the door open for you.” Joe describes the long, quiet drives before speeches, the relaxed warmth afterward, and how those moments shaped his own path in Torah, family, and career.

David Frei, a London lawyer and communal leader, became one of Rabbi Sacks’ trusted editors. He saw the scholar behind the sermons — “a brilliant writer and a brilliant orator,” who read a new book every night and took feedback with humility. David recalls those tense early-2000s years and how Rabbi Sacks emerged stronger, turning personal trials into a wider moral voice for faith and reason.

Together, their memories reveal a side of Rabbi Sacks rarely seen — deeply human, endlessly curious, and quietly transformative.

Select Quotes:

“He could speak to you without speaking. His smile was sharp love — piercing, serious, and full of warmth all at once.”

“He showed that Torah, integrity, and professional success aren’t separate worlds — they can and should live together.”

Last week’s episode hit a nerve.
Some listeners loved it. Others were really bothered by it.

So for the first time ever, we’re doing a feedback episode — bringing back Rav Yehuda Halpert to go deeper on the toughest questions you raised.
Is the culture of Big Law really compatible with Torah values?
What does it take to survive — or grow — spiritually in that world?
And how do we weigh ambition, family, and avodas Hashem when the hours never end?

In this follow-up:

• Years 1–3: the “conveyor belt” and why control is limited

• When to pivot — and how to choose a practice that protects Shabbos

• The billable-hour trap and what it does to your mind

• Can you ever “limit your hours” and still advance?

• Real talk on money, promotions, and gam zu l’tovah

• Shabbos at the firm: teamwork, gratitude, and derech eretz

• Marbitz Torah without a title — from shiurim to writing

• Harsh listener feedback: “For what are these costs worth paying?”

• Hashkafic tension: excellence vs. moderation

• Marriage, parenting, and faith when energy and time are scarce

If you appreciate these kinds of raw, honest conversations, follow Shtark Tank and leave a 5-star review — it helps others find the show and keeps these dialogues going.

You don’t have to love your job—but you can’t hate it.
Rabbi Yehuda Halpert (shul rabbi, Big Law attorney, author) joins Shtark Tank to talk straight about Torah life inside a 90-hour week, setting real standards, and why reassessing is different than slipping.

What You'll Hear

• How a Ben Torah can thrive in Big Law without losing the plot

• “Slipping vs. reassessing” — setting honest standards after yeshiva

• The Mincha hack that anchors your day (and your network)

• Peer pressure at the office: values, money, and role models

• Balancing a Shabbos-only pulpit with a full-time firm role

• Lessons from COVID that helped after Oct 7

• Career calling vs. community calling: picking your tafkid

  
  

Guest Bio

Rabbi Yehuda Halpert — shul rabbi in Teaneck, Big Law lawyer, and author of Speaking to an Empty Shul: Timeless Lessons from Unprecedented Times.

Quick Takeaways

• Build a system that works with your schedule

• Guard your company — work with good people

• Use Mincha as a daily reset and natural networking moment

• Review your standards every 6–12 months; adjust with intent

• • You can be excellent at your craft and strong in your values

  
  

  Did you enjoy this episode?

• Follow Shtark Tank on Spotify and rate the show (it really helps).

• Share this episode with a friend

• Join the Shtark Tank WhatsApp group for episode drops and Q&A (link in show notes).

With tremendous historical events unfolding, I couldn’t record a regular episode.
This moment demanded more than another interview, it called for guidance and clarity.

What does this new chapter in our history mean?
What is our role right now?
How do we balance the whirlwind of emotions — gratitude, pain, pride, and confusion — that we’re all feeling?

I was grateful that Rav Moshe Taragin agreed to join me once again to help unpack these questions.
There’s truly no one who combines such deep Torah knowledge with historical awareness and a living connection to Am Yisrael.

Together, we explore how to:

• Hold joy and grief at the same time

• Express real hakaras hatov — to Hashem, to soldiers, to each other

• See the hand of Hashem in political and military reality

• Understand what this nes demands of us

A special, timely conversation for anyone trying to make sense of this historic moment.

Click here to order Rabbi Taragin’s books including: Reclaiming Redemption: Demystifying the Maze of Jewish History and To be holy, but human- Reflections upon my Rebbe, Harav Yehuda Amital