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Shtark Tank

Yaakov Wolff

If you are a Ben Torah in the workforce, this is the podcast for you!
Make sure to check out ShtarkTank.org for more meaningful content.
You can access bonus content and community events through our quiet Whatsapp Group https://chat.whatsapp.com/B5jEcBP5umZAHWk2ILBWTS

Feel free to reach out with feedback, or just to say hi: yaakovwolff@gmail.com

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  • 26 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 50 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • Monday · 1 hr 48 min

    Yizkor 10.7 Yosef Guedalia ft. David Guedalia

    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

  • September 7 · 1 hr 54 min

    Yamim Noraim Mega-Episode

    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: Ezra Meyer — car salesman and global chazzan, on how he prepares to lead tefilla on the Yamim Noraim Dr. Herman Weiss — OBGYN and baal tokeah, on his path to becoming a baal tokeah and one of his most memorable mistakes 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 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 Rav David Aron — co-Rosh Yeshiva of Orayta and founder of Isralight, on the proper attitude toward Yom HaDin Rav Mitch Berger — computer programmer and author on Rav Shimon Shkop's hashkafa in his hakdama to Shaarei Yosher Yitzi Lowe — combat soldier in the IDF, on Yodei Terua 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

  • August 31 · 41 min

    How a Judge Experiences Yom HaDin ft. Jeremy Rovinsky

    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.

  • August 24 · 43 min

    "The Doctors Told Us to Say Goodbye" ft. Rabbi Jason Weiner

    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.

  • August 17 · 40 min

    Rav Hershel Schachter: Finding Meaning as a Ben Torah in the Workforce (Shiur plus Q&A)

    Subscribe to our newsletter at Shtarktank.org 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

  • August 10 · 33 min

    Should You Start Your Own Company? ft. Alec Kremins (Founder, Baal Teshuva, Content Expert)

    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.

  • August 3 · 1 hr

    Yaakov Wolff Answers Your Questions with Rav Ari Koretzky

    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

  • July 27 · 31 min

    Living Up To Our Values ft. Rav Uri Lorkis (Torat JLIC Crossover)

    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!

  • July 20 · 43 min

    Tisha B'Av Prep ft. Rav Moshe Taragin: Mourning in Times of Geulah, Achdut and Har Habayit

    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

  • July 13 · 34 min

    Holiness in the Heat ft. Dr. Dan Jacobson

    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.

  • July 6 · 42 min

    Should You Be Going to Har HaBayit? ft. Rav Yehuda Levi

    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

  • June 29 · 55 min

    Live @ YU Israel | Reu Berman, Zevi Reinitz, Moshe Rapps and Shaun Regenbaum

    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.

  • June 22 · 24 min

    Bonus: Live Career Coaching — Kollel to Career with Yaakov and Teddy Berman

    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

  • June 15 · 41 min

    Both Quit Tech Jobs? Shlomo Ashkanazy & Ami Yunger on Leaving Stable Careers to Serve the Jewish People

    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.

  • June 8 · 36 min

    Ami Tobin on Losing His Mother, Finishing His Sefer in Miluim, and the Chinuch Career He Almost Chose

    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

  • June 1 · 34 min

    Torah Only? Torah Im Derech Eretz? ft. Rav Rafi Dembovsky

    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?

  • May 25 · 27 min

    Ashi Taragin (Rabbi, Dr.) Didn't Become a Rosh Yeshiva

    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

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  • May 18 · 44 min

    Pulling Teeth, Publishing Torah (and a Shavuos Conversation on Megillas Rus) ft. Dr. Reuven Mohl

    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

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  • May 11 · 17 min

    Are You Past Your Peak?

    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.

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  • May 4 · 40 min

    Why This CMO Learns Tanach Every Morning at 4:30am ft. Moshe Isaacson

    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 Sign up for our newsletter @ ShtarkTank.org

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