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

• 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 Rav Taragins book 'Dark Clouds Above, Faith Below' about the events of October 7th and the ensuing war.

As we prepare for Yom Kippur, we speak with Joseph Gitler about his son-in-law, David Schwartz HY”D—a ben Torah, law student, and IDF reservist in Handasah Kravit (combat engineering) who fell in Khan Younis on January 8, 2024 alongside his chavrusa Yakir Hexter HY”D.

Joseph shares how David wove together strong learning with real-world duty, his years in Gush Etzion, his time at Reichman University law school, his gift for connecting across communities, and what it means to mourn while still choosing life and responsibility. We also hear about ongoing projects in David’s memory and the weekly Divrei Torah initiative that now reaches thousands.

Links

• ⁠To join the David Schwartz Divrei Torah chat⁠
• ⁠To watch the video from the Azkara⁠

Highlights

• Ben Torah in the world: David’s learning (Kli Yakar chavrusas, steady seder) and his drive to serve—both in the IDF and potentially in public service.

• Bridging worlds: Deep ties across communities (yeshiva, Chassidus, secular campus). Seeking dialogue without blurring values.

• Reichman law school: Culture shock, principled debate during the judicial protests, and the value of hearing people who think differently.

• Army service: Training, multiple rotations in Gaza with Tzanhanim commandos; pride in the unit’s work despite the dangers.

• January 8, 2024: The incident in Khan Younis; community and family response; what shiva looked like for parents of the almanah.

• National resilience: “The whole country has PTSD.” Practical takeaways: watch your friends and kids; speak up when you see someone struggling; get help involved.

• Living memory: A sefer of David’s Torah (written in yeshiva), a growing weekly parsha sheet in Hebrew and English, shul/Beit Midrash renovations, and a loans fund for farmers and soldiers—projects that carry his light forward.

  
  

  
  

During Elul last year, we had one of our most powerful episodes. We spoke with Rav Moshe Taragin about Teshuva, spiritual growth and the Yamim Noraim experience.

Whether or not you listened the first time around, its worthwhile to revisit as we prepare for the Yamim Noraim.

How do we define success as Bnei Torah in the workforce?

I asked Rav Dovid Lichtenstein, who is a talmid chochom and real estate executive. We spoke about defining success in learning, at work, and in our relationship with technology.

Rav Dovid's ideas are firmly grounded in Torah sources, but are also extremely practical.

Moshe Chaim started out as a successful Kollel yungerman. But soon after he transitioned to the workforce, he found himself in a therapists office, as his professional struggles had already started to spill over in to his marriage, emotional health, and other areas.

This true story (with names changed) is the case study that Rabbi Dr. Yosef Sokol uses to introduce his book 'Becoming Godly'. The book combines Machshava from the Ramchal and others, along with psycholgy, to give a framework for religous growth.

We spoke about having a healthy relationship with the past, as a neccesssary condition for building a better future. We also spoke about finding meaning at work, the role of labels, and some practical tips ahead of the Yamim Noraim.

Please help us grow the show by leaving a 5-star review and hitting the subscribe button. Thanks!

Guest Bio

Rabbi Dr. Yosef Sokol (credentials) is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor at Touro University, and VA research scientist specializing in suicide prevention and recovery. He developed Continuous Identity Cognitive Therapy (CI-CT), an innovative approach that supports healing and recovery from suicide attempts and ideation. He has numerous peer reviewed publications and leads major research grants from the VA and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Sokol earned his PhD from Hofstra University, received semichah from Yeshivas Bais Yosef Novardok, and is the author of Becoming Godly: Integrating Torah and Psychology to Guide Us in Emulating Hashem. He is dedicated to bringing recovery-oriented, identity-focused approaches to healing individuals struggling with suicide.

It’s Elul, a time to prepare for the Yamim Noraim with the theme of Defining Success.
When we take stock of our lives with a cheshbon hanefesh, we’re really asking: Where am I now—and where should I be?

That’s the core question of this series: how to define success as a Ben Torah in the workplace. Many of our rabbeim push us toward ambitious goals in learning, but how do we balance those ideals with the blessed responsibilities of work, family, and community?

This week’s guest is Rav Simi Lerner. Rav Simi is an educator in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, a passionate Hirschian thinker, and—on the side—an electrician in Beit Shemesh. We discuss how Rav Hirsch’s idea of Torah im Derech Eretz and other foundational principles can help us shape a grounded, realistic, and meaningful definition of success.

🎧 Before you listen: please take 10 seconds to help us grow by leaving a 5-star review and hitting subscribe. Thank you!

References

• Judaism from Within podcast
• Rav Hirsch on Viduy

It’s Elul, and we’re focusing on Defining Success as Bnei Torah in the workplace. What does real success look like? Is it possible to set goals that are both ambitious and compassionate?

This week, we sit down with Rav Shimon Isaacson, Rosh Yeshiva of Mevaseret. Before entering the world of Torah and chinuch, Rav Isaacson worked in Big Law in New York City. Many assume he left that life to escape its spiritual emptiness — but the truth is much more surprising.

Summary

In this episode, I sat down with Rav Shimon Isaacson, Rosh Yeshiva of Mevaseret, to trace his remarkable journey from Big Law associate to respected mechanech and community leader in Israel. Rav Isaacson shares how his wife’s passion for Aliyah shaped their family’s path, how he balanced intense Torah learning with a demanding legal career, and how an unusual arrangement of “lawyer in the summer, learner in the year” gave him the springboard into full-time chinuch.

The conversation dives into big life questions: What makes for a successful decision-making process? How can a Ben Torah thrive in the workforce? What does passion in Avodas Hashem look like? Rav Isaacson also reflects on 30 years of Aliyah, the role of rebbeim as life guides, the value of combining Torah greatness with real-world experience, and how yeshiva can prepare talmidim for decades of growth ahead.

This is the third and final week of our Summer Listening Series, where I share some of the podcasts I enjoy on my commute. Next week, we’ll be back with a brand new episode—stay tuned.

This week’s pick is from Shu"t First, Ask Questions Later, hosted by Rabbi Moshe Kurtz. This podcast truly takes advantage of the medium—bringing together voices from across the Jewish world to learn Torah in conversation.

The featured episode is especially relevant to Shtark Tank listeners, as Rabbi Kurtz is joined by Mr. Gedalia Wielgus, a lawyer and talmid chacham, for a thought-provoking discussion about a wild case of Yibum.

Check out Shtarktank.org for exclusive written articles!

While we’re on our bein hazmanim break and gearing up for some exciting episodes in Elul, I wanted to share a podcast I’ve been enjoying on my commute.

This week’s recommendation is a thought-provoking episode of the Iyun Podcast, hosted by Rabbi Ari Koretsky — in my opinion, one of the best podcast hosts out there. Each episode takes a deep, nuanced look at issues like the Charedi draft and other pressing topics.

In this episode, Does the Torah Protect?, Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Lifshitz offers a fresh and engaging perspective. The conversation ties closely to themes we explore on Shtark Tank, especially the relationship between the Beis Midrash and the outside world.

Give it a listen — I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Sign up for our newsletter at ShtarkTank.org

Over this Bein Hazmanim, I will be sharing some of the the podcasts which I have been listening to lately. This is from the Shtark Tank archives, one of our very early episodes, with Marc Lesnick.

In 2004, Rav Ari Katz moved with his family to Gush Katif, to serve as Rosh Yeshiva of a local high school. Just over a year later, soldiers knocked on his door and told him to leave.

In this 9 Days special episode, Rav Katz shares:

• What drew him to Gush Katif despite knowing the threats

• The beauty, unity, and spiritual strength of the community

• His firsthand account of the expulsion—including “the longest day of his life”

• How he and his community coped with the trauma, picked themselves up, and started again

• Why he believes October 7th began in the summer of 2005

Modern Day Churban?

As we approach Tisha B’Av, the day we mourn our exiles and national losses, this story feels especially relevant. Because Gush Katif was not ancient history—its a kind of modern Churban, including the destruction of entire communities, shuls and schools.

And yet, its a very complicated story. The 'disengagement' was the product of a Jewish government, and a Jewish army comprised of Jewish soldiers. The residents were not sent in to actual exile, they moved in to other parts of a flourishing and successful State of Israel. Rav Katz doesn't shy away from these complexities.

Pain and Hope

We spoke about pain and trauma, but we also spoke about resilience. After the final Mincha minyan, David Chatuel addressed the community. A year earlier, his preganant wife and all four of his children were murdered by terrorists. He got up and said "When tragedy strikes, you can crawl under your blanket—or you can get up and live."

Guest Bio

Rav Ari Katz is the Director of Sderot Hesder Yeshiva

For More

Make sure to sign up for exclusive written content at ShtarkTank.org

For more on the Gush Katif Heritage Center click here

For more on Sderot Hesder Yeshiva click here

Yaakov Ehrenkranz grew up in Memphis, learned in KBY and the Mir, got smicha from YU—and today helps dozens of families navigate the financial realities of life in Israel. In this wide-ranging conversation, we cover his personal journey from the American South to Ramot Beit Shemesh, and his professional journey from options trading to financial advising.

Check out ShtarkTank.org and subscribe for exclucive written content! This week will feature one listeners Aliyah journey.

We talk about:

• Why real estate is the #1 financial challenge facing Olim

• What Americans get wrong about “affording Aliyah”

• How Israeli society creates more meaning—and more happiness

• The role of values in long-term financial planning

• Balancing money and shalom bayis

And much more—including lessons from Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine zt"l, the economics professor and Talmid Chacham who shaped his thinking early on.

Rav Boruch Clinton spent two decades as a high school Rebbe before pivoting to a second career in IT. Along the way, he wrote prolifically about Torah, technology, and the challenges of working life — including a practical guide for Bnei Torah entering the workforce.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Rav Hirsch remains his intellectual and spiritual anchor

• How writing became his tool for learning, clarity, and impact

• What Torah actually says about choosing a career

• The dangers of romanticizing our generation’s nisayonos

• Why being a mentch is a core Torah value — especially at work

Plus: the forgotten career that now pays $92K/year as an apprentice, the Hirschian take on Kabbalah, and how to push back respectfully when Torah values are at stake.

“If you’re a Ben Torah in the Beis Medrash, you should be a Ben Torah in the boardroom. No barriers. No masks.” – Rav Boruch Clinton

Resources

• Rav Boruch Clinton’s Substack: Bechol Drachecha

• “A Career Guide for Bnei Torah” by Rav Clinton (available via Amazon)

“Life is like a train. You might get derailed, but you know where the train needs to go. You get back on the track.”

Rav Reuven Berman didn’t plan to leave chinuch. He made Aliyah with a dream job teaching Torah in Yerushalayim—but it quickly became clear that the math didn’t work. With five kids and growing responsibilities, he transitioned into the business world while trying to hold on to his identity as a ben Torah.

In this honest and moving conversation, we cover:
✅ Being grouned in business while also connecting to yeshiva
✅ What he learned from a personal tragedy
✅ Why teaching—even part-time—can protect your neshama
✅ The power of a strong minyan
✅ How to stop dreaming of the “perfect community” and live in the one you’ve got
✅ And why every year in yeshiva still counts—even if you go to work later

Reuven shares what helped him stay grounded through transitions, success, and grief—and why he still dreams of being back in the beit midrash full time.

—

Check out ShtarkTank.org for exclusice written content!

What happens when a full-time chiropractor with a busy practice, a big heart, and zero spare time decides to launch a global tzedakah revolution—one dollar at a time?

This week on Shtark Tank, we sit down with Dr. Jonathan Donath, founder of Daily Giving, a platform that’s quietly transformed the world of tzedakah. What started as a flash of inspiration in a shul lobby has turned into a global force for chesed, distributing over $24 million to 100+ vetted nonprofits (including ADI Negev) and empowering over 21,000 daily givers around the world.

But the road wasn’t smooth. In this raw and inspiring conversation, Dr. Donath shares:

• 🧠 His powerful “epiphany moment” that sparked Daily Giving

• 💵 The emotional struggle of transitioning from volunteer founder to salaried CEO

• 🧘 How self-compassion and meditation saved him from burnout

• 📉 The surprising downside of professional success—and why he gave up Tuesdays

• 📚 The books, seforim, and mentors that changed how he thinks about purpose

This week on Shtark Tank, we welcome Rabbi Shalom Rosner—Rav of Kehillat Nofei HaShemesh, Rosh Beit Midrash at Machon Lev, beloved Daf Yomi maggid shiur, and my uncle—for a deeply personal conversation about his father, Dr. Fred Rosner z”l.

Check out the newly released Shalom Rav Birkon (bentcher) here.

Born in Berlin in 1935 and rescued via Kindertransport, Dr. Rosner began life with no formal Jewish education. But he went on to become not only a world-renowned physician and medical ethicist, but a serious talmid chacham, translator, and teacher of Torah and halachic medicine.

In this episode, we explore:

• The incredible story of Dr. Rosner’s late start in Torah learning—and how one summer of Mishnah changed everything

• His unwavering consistency and sense of mission, both in the hospital and the beit midrash

• The evolution of Jewish medical ethics, and how Dr. Rosner worked alongside gedolim like Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l

• Balancing public influence with personal humility

• The quiet legacy of a man who never wasted a moment, right up to the final day

Along the way, we also discuss family, Shabbos zmiros, Rambam, professional responsibility, and what it really looks like to synthesize Torah and derech eretz—without compromising either.

Check out ShtarkTank.org for more!

We recorded a regular Shtark Tank conversation with Tuvia Eisenman—about sales, chessed, and life in Israel.

Then the war broke out.

Tuvia was called back to reserve duty, and he joins us now from his IDF base with an emergency update. He walks us through the past few days, shares what it’s like on the ground in the Jordan Valley, and offers powerful reflections on what soldiers and their families are facing right now.

After the update, we return to the original conversation, recorded just days earlier. Tuvia shares how a yeshivish kid from Passaic ended up serving in the IDF, building a sales career in Israel, and using those skills to raise millions for nonprofits around the world. We talk about the art of listening—how it drives both sales and parenting—and how he balances intense frontline experiences with raising a family and living a life of purpose.

We also dive into the world of nonprofit marketing and fundraising. Tuvia offers a frank take on why most campaigns fall flat, how organizations can do better, and why peer-to-peer giving—though messy and personal—is actually one of the frum community’s greatest strengths.

Simon Baum is a seasoned lawyer, a Daf Yomi maggid shiur (twice daily!), and a thoughtful voice on what it means to live an integrated Torah life while fully immersed in the workforce. But his real story begins not with success, but with a breakdown.

In this moving and practical conversation, Simon opens up about:

• Hitting rock bottom after closing a billion-dollar deal

• Reframing his relationship with Hashem from stress to serenity

• Giving a Daf Yomi shiur as a path to deeper learning and community

• The relationship between professional success and spiritual growth

Simon shares his high-powered legal career, his weekly flights between London and Israel, and the moment of inner collapse that made him question everything—even at the peak of outward success.

Real growth came not from switching jobs—but from changing his view of what it means to live with Hashem. Guilt-based Yiddishkeit gave way to an honest, intimate relationship with the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Simon moved to a Tel Aviv law firm, enabling a less frantic schedule and new consistency in his learning. His twice-daily Daf Yomi shiur has grown into a tight-knit chevra with shared values and simchas.

Work isn’t just a B’dieved. Simon explains how his law career actually deepened his Torah—offering insights, challenges, and identity shifts he couldn't have experienced elsewhere.

Simon explores how to grow spiritually without falling into toxic introspection, and how healthier self-worth leads to healthier avodah, relationships, and responses to stress.

• Olam HaYedidus by Rav Shlomo Wolbe

• Bikshu M’sham and K’savim by Rav Soloveitchik

• Crossing the Unknown Sea by David Whyte

Money Quote: “Real relationships have closeness and distance. You don’t do Avodas Hashem just to tick boxes—you do it because it’s real, and you want to live it.”

Chapters

00:00 Intro and Early Life

04:17 The Turning Point: Realizing the Need for Change

10:02 Transforming Life: Practical Changes and New Perspectives

17:00 Integrating Faith and Daily Life: A New Approach

21:59 The Pilgrimage of Identity in Work

23:50 Crisis and Self-Discovery

27:19 Managing Stress and Relationships

31:17 Navigating Self-Reflection and Growth

35:39 Seeking Professional Help vs. Self-Help

41:50 Future Aspirations

44:00 Lightning Round