Rabbi Nachman's Secret Journey Through Sacred Music

None of your business, Osher. None of your business, Michael. It's the None of Your Business Podcast hosted by Michael and Osher. Welcome back, everybody, to another amazing I have to find a good word for Hebrew in a How do you say in Hebrew amazing? madhim madhim Yesh li podcast madhim mayom. the None of Your Business Welcome back, everybody, to another madhim episode of the None of Your Business Podcast. We are so excited to be here in Ramat Beit Shemesh. I'm here with two really good friends that I went to first grade with, second grade with, third grade with, fourth grade with until one of them decided to move to Eretz Yisrael and leave Yeshiva. He went to a different Yeshiva, I think. We're here with, of course, Rav Nachman Seltzer. So good to be here with you in the Holy Land. So good to be with you. Ah, it's amazing. Great reunion. Yes, amazing. And, of course, Naftali Zelman, Rav Neil Zelman. go. I'm actually a little nervous. What are you nervous about? I I I haven't done this properly. You're like a professional. Rav Nachman is is is world-renowned. You know, his everybody knows his names. You know, he he's a speaker. He's a writer. He's he's he even was a soloist in Miami Boys Choir. That is true. Could you remind us which song it was that you sang? Um look at two songs. Um V'nishma'im Ani Ma'amin Stop it. It's V'nishma'im. So that's the song that is Sure, but I love that song. How does the song Ani Ma'amin go? And it's V'nishma'im. How does it go? Ani Ma'amin b'emunah shleimah It's a little part. That's me. b'vi'at Mashiach That Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. And then Um I'm the side of Glino on Miami Boys Choir too. How'd that go? Yerushalayim Habenuyah York issue Cobra lawyer after all That's all it was. Wow, you took your talents to making actually a choir yourself around a decade ago, right? So 2005 first album came out. Wow. Sure that's a voice choir. That was more than a decade ago then. 2005 it came out. out yeah. I had it for 15 years. Wow. It was started a little earlier the first album came out 2005. So we had it for 15 years. We did five albums. We sang on the albums of many many singers like Shwekey, Lipa Gabbay, Daskal Bokhulvi. A cappella with Yitzy Yerkes productions. It was like for a while it was like every CD had the choir on it. They like like backing them up. We did a lot of concerts. It was it was good but you know they say in Hebrew "Hayah tov vetov shehayah." It was good. It was good that it was. Now so let's go back a little. Let's go tell us a little about yourself. Like we had like the time mentioned. Catch us up a little bit. It's been around 30 40 years. That's it. What do you want to know? You ask me questions. Like I said people call me "Baal Tzedakah." Ask me specific questions. Now you currently living in Israel and not in Bnei Brak. How did you get there? Tell us how you got there. So I left I was in the Torah V'Daas with you guys till fourth grade. Pesach my base with me the Yeshiva. I was in a few other different places until in ninth at the end of ninth grade my base was Eretz Yisrael. I was 14 my base was Eretz Yisrael. Um I was here for a while in Yeshiva first in Yeshiva Ketana. Then I went to America Yeshiva afterwards. Went back to learn in Lakewood by Rav Scheinberg. I came back. I was in the Mir for 15 years. Went to Yeshiva Bais Mordechai. I got uh by his Kolel Halacha Kolel the Jerusalem Kolel the first 10 over there. And uh yeah that's that's the learning part of it. So by that count you've been learning for about 75 years of your life already. That you know what people used to say to me parents would say how could I send my kids let's say, on trips and counters?" And I would be like, "Listen, what are you worried about? That he's going to miss his Yeshiva? What we we learn for the rest of our lives. We're always going to learn, but these are kind of experiences he's only going to have now. So, I would suggest letting him have those experiences now cuz they build people in a major way, and he will always learn and he'll he'll learn better if you let him have these experiences now. And I I I believe the kids have tremendous experience I see the kids who came out of the choir with a lot of other kids went through the choir and um they're they're consistently the best in the Yeshiva, and it really did something very very good for them. So, Baruch Hashem, I've a lot of nachas I'm seeing these boys they a lot of them are married now, getting married, and they're really top boys. I want you to know music is a huge part of my life and uh I started playing guitar 5 years ago. And uh I hang out by Reb Carlebach in Har Nof, I was just there this morning. My you know, visiting my First 3 years it was brutal. He only knew like three songs. I'll give you that. The playlist just played over and over again. That's true. I knew the same L'man Achai's, right? I mean, do you play Do you play an instrument? an instrument. But you sing. Sing, compose. Sing and compose, produce. I just didn't I never played. Right, right, right. I'd love to play with you uh one day, you know, some of Shlomo's songs. What are some of your favorite musics? Like what genres do you enjoy in terms of Jewish music? What do you like to listen to? Like Miami Boys Yeah. up until a certain point. Yeah. Do you remember the plays they used to have? in You were in one of the plays? On the road to Sholayim. Mensch You a mensch? You a mensch? Wow. That's amazing. You turned out to be pretty big mensch over there at Nachman. I got to tell you, you know, from you know, Do you know, you know, I tried out for Miami Boys Choir by the way. Yeah, he said I was too tall and my vocal cords were going to change. And I felt good about that excuse. I was in eighth grade in Torah V'Daas. No, you came late. Yeah. It is pretty cool at being in Torah V'Daas cuz they didn't allow that growing up, right? In the Yeshiva. Right. I mean, Haim Walder Choir Boys. True. But we weren't allowed to be in Miami Boys Choir. Weren't you challenged by tell the school. Uh-huh. Stalled when I tried out. Okay, so look, look, let's go back. I tried out when I was in third grade in Torah Vodaath. Wow. I tried out. And at that time Yochum Miller used to the way he tried out kids so he tried us out in the in the Bar Park Y, I remember. Uh, I love the Bar Park Y. I went there a lot. Yeah, me too. We used to play dodgeball there, I think. Yeah. Flakey, not flakey. At Scott's. And then and then ping pong upstairs afterwards. So, he tried he had a piano. It was a hot day. The fattest boys, big fan of the of the Bar Park Y. And um so each kid gets I was 8 years old, 8 9 maybe. And he and he and he hits a note on the piano. Mm, and you have to sing la ding la. You have to hit the note. I had no idea what he wanted. And I didn't understand what he wanted from me. What do you mean hit the note? I I I had no idea. He wasn't saying sing a song. I didn't I just I just I was I just had to get in. He didn't say like sing a song. I asked, "Okay, I didn't get it." So then I was very disappointed because I felt like I didn't have a chance really to show him what I could do. So, okay, what can you do, right? I tried it again when I was 12. I tried it again. This time I knew about this hitting the note thing, but he didn't ask me to do it. He said sing a song. So I sang a Somach David. And I got it. And I and then he's like, "Where were you all this time?" I'm like, "Hello, I tried out when I was 8." You know. Wow. And it didn't work out then, but it was worth the wait. ominous. S'a mach David David of the club. By the way, my favorite album of all time. S'a mach David S'a mach David S'a mach David. I think it was Most of the people our age, their favorite album is going to be one of the I had Miami Boys Choir on my trip head there playing. Every trip. That was a huge change for Jewish music then. Why? S'a mach David was like the first song that went viral. If if like it was it was a hit like The idea of going viral, right? Kids Choir with a song that just went Everyone was singing it. It was like it came out it suddenly everyone is singing Saturday just went. Remember it was the fourth album Maimonides choir came out with. Right. Wasn't the first album. Didn't till they didn't have a song that that went viral. That song went viral. Good point. And suddenly everyone is singing Saturday just went. And then when I got when I I I got that album it was a record I think or and and and and then I I said I I went back to Seforim so I was looking for every choir album that there was out there and I bought them all. For Pirchei Tzion and for Carlebach whatever I could get my hands on I that's what I and I eventually tried out for the choir. But that album had great songs Kol Ha'Olam Kulo Eish Tamid Ba'avodah and Mitzvah Zeh Lano. Yamei Chanukah Lanu Zman Simcha U'Mitzvah Eitz Chaim Hi L'Machazikim Bah That's what it said It's off the Auto Be Kohach. Some of my favorite. Rabbi Carlebach Some of my favorite. Probably my favorite song of Maimonides choir. Ki Hato Oh you know the song? Ki Hato Yeah Great song. Akadosh Baruch Hu but falsetto is a great song. I love the plays. I love the choreography. I love the idea that the people put their sweat and tears into getting people to come to their concerts. Not just coming and singing and you know making an impact on people's lives. I have to ask you we we said the word viral and I just said the word impact on people's lives. What is the first book that you wrote? I'm just going to jump right into it because you know I haven't seen you in so long but I've seen your name everywhere I turn a lecture a book you know something coming out that's heartfelt telling the proper story. I see your name written everywhere. So I'm so excited to get into this question with you because What what was that transition like? What what first book or something that happened in your life? Let's take that back a bit. How did how did you get into that? How does say someone like you who goes from Carlebach to selling moving to Israel right? Stalin now become a prolific writer, a well-known writer that that your books fly off the shelf. A very well if you're an eloquent writer, you you you write very well. It's high quality. How do you transition? How did that happen? You know, it's just the the this is this like I have to say I think it's it's just like a natural thing. Of course, I love reading, reads a lot, and is naturally good at writing. I was always good at writing. Well, I won creative writing at Curvadas every year. I was good at it. I was like a I remember Mr. Deichman. I remember Mr. Deichman. I thought you were weak. I thought you bought Mr. Finke's favorite Sunkist can of soda, and that's why you won. You're telling me you had a talent back then, too? It's amazing. I I could tell I was very disappointed with one of my teachers because she didn't stop what I felt as a second grader was godless in a in an in a composition. She gave us the composition, which was if I was a leaf. So, I wrote, if I was a leaf, I would join the Miami Leaf Choir. Which I felt was godless as a second grader. She didn't get it. Maybe she didn't I don't know why she didn't get it. Maybe she wasn't musical. Right. I was disappointed at her as a second grader for not stopping how how great that was. She didn't get it. Explain it to her now if she's listening. All right. Why is that great? Yeah, explain the depth of Well, it's creative. It's great because you're you're you're imagining leaves having a choir. It's great because you're little kid. I was 7 years old and coming up with this type of metaphor. She didn't appreciate your imagination. As a 7-year-old. Yeah, it it was it was Look, that's that's a good line she made. I think I what I'm appreciating about you is how you take something complex, and you make it simple, and you let that simplicity with your imagination go wild. And I think that's what I've been getting out of, you know, researching you. I don't read, by the way, unfortunately. And I and you know, I know not happy about it. I wish I was able to. Maybe you can give me one of your books that you would recommend I should start reading on. Um but I I If you you have a lot of pictures, that's the one he wants. Thank you. Curious George, you know, preferred. Um but I you know, what would be a book that you would recommend me to read? Yeah. Why? Because it's it's it's a book that's very interesting. That's the one Rabbi Wallerstein, right? It It It's non-stop action. It reads like a novel, but it's real. It It's It's larger than life. It There's so many elements. It's just classic literature. And you would It It has all the elements inside it that you would want to read in a book, and it's real. So, you feel like you're really gaining, and it just inspires you. There's so many good elements in it. How long did it take you to write that book, for example? It took a while because you said you saw Rabbi Wallerstein is a busy was a very busy man. And so, you know, just getting the information. But if someone wasn't busy, like a normal a typical book, how long does it take? So, for a person like So, 90 seconds with Elie Beer, Elie Beer was very keen to get the book out. So, he like mapped off 2 and 1/2 weeks of his schedule. That's how I did it every day for a few hours when I wasn't teaching and wasn't learning. And I basically got all the information in 2 and 1/2 weeks. And then, it took me 3 months to write the book. That's amazing. How many books have you written till now? So, I published 50 books. Wow. And I've written up probably about 60 books, but not all of them are are out or some are in the process, and some won't come out cuz families don't want to publish them. And some I I chose not to put out whatever different things. Come on. But that's 60 of them. Give me an example something that you didn't put out or you're not putting out, like So, there was a novel I wrote. And it was called The Challenge. And it was about a couple that couldn't have children. And I was The book was finished. And then, I was by my rebbe's house, Rebbetzin Kaplan, shlita, and his wife. She passed away. Rebbetzin Kaplan, she was there that She worked for Targum Press. So, at that time, I was in Targum Press. So, she says to me, "Nu, when are you bringing the new book?" I was like, "Yeah, that's right. I'm coming in soon, Nu." Rebbe says, "What is What's the book about?" I told him it's about a couple can't have children and this and that. He says, "Don't put it out." I'm like, "What do you mean, don't put it out?" He's like, "No, you can't put it out. It's too painful. You can't do it." So she So his wife's like, "What do you mean? Everyone puts out books like this. People put out books about people can't have children." He says, "Let me ask you a question, sister. You have an aunt who can't have who doesn't have children. Would you It's Rebbetzin Would you bring it to Rebbetzin Kanievsky's first wife? Would you bring it to Uta to your aunt? Would you bring her this book?" And she said, "No." She says, "So why would you say put out a book? You wouldn't bring it to your aunt. Why would you say put out a book if it's going to hurt people?" So I'm like, "Okay, fine." So that was the beginning of that was chapter one. I'm like, "Okay, fine. I can't put out a Rebbe saying I can't put out." What's the point of having a Rebbe if I can't listen to him, right? Okay. So then this goes on and on. I'm like, I called a ton I called this one I called that one I called different organizations. And I'm like, you know, "What do you say?" And so I tell you can put it out. Everyone said it's fine. Don't worry. Put it out. So I I said to my Rebbe, "This one said that one said but you know everyone says it's fine." He goes, "Yes, but I care about you." He says, "Don't put it out." I'm like, "Rebbe, I put out I I spent He's like, "Don't put it out. What do you need it for? What do you need to have someone have a tightness on you? What do you need it for?" But okay. So then eventually I get like a year later I was like, "Come on." He says, "Okay, this is what we're going to do. I have tell me them with two can't have children. We'll give it to them. Let them read it. What Let's see what they say." So we give it to a couple of them. And she goes like she says, "Please don't put this book out." She says, "If this book was in my the living room on a Shabbos, I wouldn't be able to walk into that room. Don't put it out. It's too raw. It's too real. Don't put it out." So I said, "Okay, I won't put it out." I didn't put it out. That's it. Wow. Wow. What kind of learning experience did that give you like through that process? The main point is you got to stay with Rebbe. That's Right. Right. As the We say in Black Hat, too. If If don't have a Rebbe, anything could happen. What is that guy? What's your connection with Black Attitude? No connection, but remember when it came out I love Black Attitude. Mitch Levine and Josh Striker, yeah, of course. The force Of course, and Greenspan. the other the Penn. They put on the tzitzit every now and then. The nice big house, white picket fence. Traditional Jews, nothing too intense. How do you like Of course. Black Attitude, do you remember that? I got in the festival of Katchina the water running hot, so showering I'm not. Okay. So, anyways, that was the nakuda. My rebbe said no. Yeah, and that's it. And it's and it's there. It's sitting on computer. It's so it's sitting on your computer. You have like 10 of those types of books. No, so I not not like this. No, but I'm saying that you haven't published or different Mainly family memoirs of families who wrote books which are a lot of them are great books and for whatever reason they either didn't get around to it or chose not to Yeah. Neil, you were asking about the journey. Let's continue down that path. I like that you're going How did you get into that? What was your first book? The Edge. Which is a movie also today. It was Baruch Perlowitz. Wow. You didn't know that. I didn't Yeah, I I It's probably it's pro it's one of the most successful Jewish from Jewish movies. That's it. That was that that launched Perlowitz's career. That movie launched his career. I believed in a lot. I I felt he had what it takes to become like a real a real like for our world and maybe further. Sure. He's doing big things. He does He does real real big budget productions today. So, I invested in it. I bought him a drone that we could use then with the first Jewish movie that used a drone. Wow. Underwater camera. And we really like did It was a very cool It was a very cool project. Took us time. The second hour that was based on that only came eight years later. The The I was The story started where Danny Sheeven called up Baruch Perlowitz told me a story that was real and I and I liked the story a lot. I said, "I'm going to write a novel based on that story." And I just jumped into it. And that was the first book you wrote. Or the first book But but you went to a a press like uh take me to the business side of things. I'm just curious how that works. So, basically, when I was a bocher, you know about Ari Friedman from Torah V'Daas? I don't. Okay, so Ari Friedman was a friend of mine that told me to go to Yeshiva and he he was related to Rabbi Moshe Danby. He was the head of Targum Press. Rabbi Moshe Danby V'Daas. Wait, I I went for Shabbos to Danby family in Arnault and Friday night we were talking and I and I told him about what I spoke about a lot of the books that Targum Press published over the years that I was familiar with them. Rabbi Danby said, "If you ever write a book, come to me." So I wrote my first book. I went to Targum Press. And then uh Buxom they published it and uh that was it. So if someone wants to publish a book, you got to find the press first, right? The company that will actually publish it for you. Yeah. And they take the risk in terms of printing and they go through the on publishers. Most publishers today may ask you to invest. Invest in the book if they if they don't know you or you don't have the reputation yet. Scroll. It's it's based on merit. It's really like Art Scroll is more if it's a good book. You know, that's why everyone knows. If it's not it's an Art Scroll book, it's not a vanity press. And other publishers will do books that they don't necessarily believe in because they they do you know, they'll do a few pay for it. They'll they'll put it out. Art Scroll doesn't do that. Wow. It's there it's really based on the merit of the book. And you don't have social media, right? You don't you don't have WhatsApp. I don't think you even have texts because I texted you the other day and you didn't But I still have I do have a LinkedIn page. You have a LinkedIn page? And your communication is through email. How do you know how your books are doing? Do you get reports? I I get numbers. You get numbers, but you don't get to see what people are saying out there in the social media world like You know, I I know it's going well. You get to see what's happening. You know what time it is. So I don't know if you realize, you know, he glossed over it quickly, but besides being a writer you had mentioned that you you learned. You're a rebbe, right? Right? So your schedule is not just you know, basically just writing books all day. You have a full daily schedule. I I I go to I go to a belly I Buxom that is close to be one of the meastim of belly's the fastest is famous here. And so that's brings the close to my How's that? That's a seems like a great experience. I'm guessing you're going to write a book about him one day. Maybe. It's a possibility. It's a possibility. I I Neil, I like that idea by the way. Someone should write a book about him. I'm already thinking that it's in progress. Ooh, it's not. It's not. about it many times. We'll see what happens. Yeah, I'm I'm I'm I'm sorry. I I have to cut off for a second and ask this question because we're holding the right at You want to write a book about someone, right? Rabbi Steinhart for example. What do you need to write that book? What how do you I would I would have to sit down with him and just I mean I know first of all I know pretty much all the stories by now. I spent a lot of time with him to show like he shall be some show he sat next to me in my bench in my position he moved that straw he sat next to me in my in my soul so um so I know him very well. Right. And I know a lot of his stories. I know a lot of of his uh So that makes the process easy. I would have to sit with him and really go through his whole life. And then interview a lot of the people that their lives were changed because of the sheer like you'll see client and like Marcus Canazi and Uncle Phil and then and Fischel from Baltimore and then maybe Uncle Sitron and and a lot of people whose lives were were were changed and the and the guys who helped like Avi Kaminsky and all fixed and just there's so many people and the main stories I would have to get those stories also cuz that's part of the story. So part of your writing a book is doing that research and interviewing a lot of those people. It would be a big project. It wouldn't just be like sitting with one person because there's so many people that were impacted by MDY and it would be a huge project. So we'll see what happens. We'll see. You're saying it wouldn't be 8 minutes. It It would be like It would be like 90. 98 a lot 90 days, you know. But it's it's a big project. So we'll see what happens with that. Um I like I like that idea. It's we It's It's been under discussion. We'll see. Interesting. So you're now living in Arty Scroll for now. What is it? 40 Uh 40 to 46 so it's about 40 years, close to 40 years. 35 years. Right? Right? What How is that experience been like? Great. That's the sole best. I give a muscle. Living in America is like living in black and white. Living in Israel is like living in color. That's the difference. You know what I mean. It's not about work here. People do work sometimes. But it's not about it's not the focus of their lives. Plenty of people feel good about themselves in Israel. Don't work at all. It is not about money here. It's not how you're measured. It's just a different experience. I want you to know that we just experienced this ourselves. We went We were told about the best falafel in Israel. You know how many times have people told you the best one? Yours. Yeah, of course. You have yours, he has his. Which one is yours? Which one is yours? What did they tell you? Around the corner from your apartment, that Ethiopian, that Taimani guy. The Taimani falafel on Ben Yehuda. I know that's some That's another person. That's Hachi's favorite. On the corner of the view. Corner of the view. There's another favorite at the corner. Where is it? There's this Taimani guy. He has another favorite. It's a great It's a great story. Just happened to us. Another favorite that's in the Bukharian shuk. A guy who has been around for I think his father started it. Been around before the country. You know what the secret of his oil of his thing is? What is it? changes the oil. That's the secret. I believe that. The Department of Health doesn't have entrance to that store. And we're in that falafel store and we're five American people from Monsey, you know, some from Queens, some from Lakewood, right? And we're all coming and we're hungry. And it's 2:00 in the afternoon and we call some of our friends in America and we're saying, "What's the name of that store that you said has the best falafel in Jerusalem?" The guy says, "Oh, you got to go to the the the shuk over there, the Bukharian shuk, in that area." And he points us in the direction. And we're excited and we, you know, we we start walking there. We go into the falafel store and the guy just made a beautiful falafel and he's about to hand it to someone and we say shalom. We want five falafels, please. He goes, "I'm finished." We're like, "What do you mean you're finished? It's 2:30. What do you mean you're finished?" He goes, "Zeh who slitha and I'm not selling any more falafel." We say, one guy pulls out a $100 and he says, "$100." He goes, "You could have a million dollars, I'm not making falafel. Every morning I come with a specific amount. When I finish this amount, I go home and I learn and I be with my family." Every day this guy tells us he makes the same exact amount of falafel that he needs to have parnossa. To have enough of a living for him and his family. And there is no way to for him to make more falafel. So, my friend turns to the guy that just bought a falafel for 20 shekel. And he gave him $100 for that falafel. And the owner was so like overwhelmed with this. He didn't know what to do with himself. First, we were overwhelmed with his response. And now he's going crazy saying, "You're going to pay $100 for that falafel?" Like, and the guy didn't know what to do. The guy was buying it cuz he needs the money. He's like, "Wow, that's a lot of money." Ends up the guy felt so good about the idea that we were willing to give money to a guy just right. He ended up making us more falafel and we all sat down and had falafel. We had the best time. I have to tell you, the best falafel. I'm kidding. You know how it is. You know how it is, but I agree with you. The idea of seeing color Look, Meal and I were in Israel together, uh you know, when we were teenagers. We experienced the color. And when we're here, we experience the color, too. And it's a beautiful thing. And, you know, you you sort of like took that color and you it it radiates. It's you see it shining, right? Like, I look at you and I see almost like the colors of a rainbow coming out of you. And I see that holiness and that beauty. Like, and I have to tell you something that, you know, yes, you know, we had our fun in second, third, fourth grade, but you know, coming to see someone so many years later and seeing the growth and feeling that energy, knowing that you have eliminated social media completely from your life, even though you're in a world that helps in a way with social media, but it's not it doesn't, you know, make or break who you are. You're very adamant about your values, and I think that's something also that I think that the colors that are shining in Israel is that you see that people have values and they put their values Look, if we're honest, we all we we all know that we don't really need social media. It's really more of a distraction than a help, honestly. This is it's really a distraction that distracts people from life. I believe in quality of life over, you know, the benefits of the social media. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. That's simple. What would you tell someone that's thinking about they're married, they have kids, or they don't even have children yet, they're thinking about it, they want to come here, but they constantly hear how hard it is, it's difficult, it's not easy. whatever whatever it is, whether it's parnassa, But that's not true today. There's so many rich people in Eretz Yisrael. So many. There's so much money here. You're saying the challenge is not there. It's not what it was. Def- definitely Look, when when I was little, you had to go to America and buy things they didn't have it. But don't you have it? You're saying I don't have to bring in tuna fish anymore? You might have to bring in Entenmann's donuts. Think about it. Think about it. You People didn't used to live in nice houses. People live in nice houses. There are nice houses. Ramat Bet Shemesh many nice homes, right? You should lie. Any nice homes. Nope. You You can live in a beautiful house, and you can learn Torah, and you can have a parnassa, and you can work in America or work today anywhere in the world. Didn't COVID I think COVID taught us that you don't have to be somewhere. You could be anywhere, and and do I learned a lot of things in COVID. I learned that I could leave my old neighborhood that I lived in 21 years and move somewhere else because it's not about your neighbors, they're your friends, it's about your family. Is there's anything that happened I mean, I like your question because, you know, it's something that I get a lot about, you know, moving to Israel, making aliyah. My daughter asks me all the time. I think starting off a career is difficult. Starting off when you're young is different than moving when your kids are older. And nobody says it's a good idea to move when your kids are older. Right. That's not good. Yeah. Move when your kids are young. Or don't or move later. Don't move when they're you know, once they're 8 years old, that you know, that's a cut. Well, that's the I think they answered your question what you were asking me. So, you're But if you want to start and it's solved, why not? Go for it. Again, the nakuda is like this. If you want to live here and you want it to work, you need already to be machnia yourself to to be part of the system. Don't come here with your American ideas and be like, I don't agree with the school You want to get kids to be happy, then that means you need You need to support the system. They need to send them to regular Israeli schools and be like, yes, I buy into this. And then they'll buy into it cuz you buy into it. So, you have to If you read If you want that, so you need to actually buy into it. saying I shouldn't wait until like Evergreen or Pomegranate open up in Israel. But you don't need that anyway. That is true. You have a place called Heding in Ramat It's spelled You know how many stores we have here in Mea Shearim? Kiddush. And and and Krauses. What do you do about the challenge with the army? Which for which nakuda? In terms of your children that have to serve in the army. They don't need to serve if they go to a Yeshiva. They don't. It happens though. Well, they should get busted up. Is that a challenge today? Is that Is that something that's learning in a Yeshiva, then then it's not a challenge. It's a challenge if you're not a Yeshiva, maybe. But if you're not a Yeshiva, then you're not a Yeshiva. I'm talking about somebody in a Yeshiva will not have a hard time not being in the army. Right. If you're not a Yeshiva, like You should go to the army. I'm not getting into that. I'm saying if you're not a Yeshiva, you're not a Yeshiva. That's a different situation. I'm not getting into that. Yeah. Yeah. That makes That definitely makes sense. You know, you ever go into your shul? You travel back and forth? Or you teach in your shul? Yeah. What do you What kind of age group do you teach? Teach uh in in A bunch of seminaries. Oh, wow. Yeah. Very nice. Say they're there at least twice a week. You may You may have spoken in Tiferet, which is my daughter's seminary. Oh, you teach in Tiferet? Yeah, every Thursday. Oh. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So, she She must have uh Now? No, she was there. She's now married and she's now married and uh lives in uh Jerusalem. Uh 2 years ago. Yeah. Yeah. It's amazing. That's a very impactful time when people are in seminary and in yeshiva, right? I'm saying people who are you know, being sort of like I've heard from my friends. I have some friends in America that are frustrated by it, actually, with by the idea that their kids come back home and they don't want to come back home. And they say, "I want to live in Israel. I want to stay in Israel." There are parents that say, "No. You got to come first back to New York. You got to first go through college, and then you can think about it." Look, I'm not into college in the first place. So, you're talking to the wrong person. I believe going to college is for it unless you're going for a specific career, like you're a lawyer or a doctor, that I I I believe it's really a waste of time. And especially what we see on college campuses today, they're not a place for anyone to be. Maybe Touro College, yes, if you go to the college, at least go to a frum college. Right. But if you're going to a goyishe college, to an Ivy League college, it's the opposite of an education. It's a terrible place to be. Antisemitism and the heads of colleges can't even say that it's wrong to can't even stand up for the the most obvious No, it's just terrible. Now it's poison Ivy League. I know it's a joke. Oh my gosh. By the way, Neil has amazing puns. And sometimes they're in his head and then sometimes they come out, and when they come out, they're they're good. So, yeah, college is like, you know, yeah. What do you What do you What do you do? You send your kid to college for what? For 4 years to get What do they get out of it? 1 week in business, actually, will teach them more than 4 years in business school. Right. Yeah, it's it's it's a good point. It is a good point. It's true. I There There is one thing that I will say that college does give, I think, in my opinion, is that it gives you a creates, especially, you You like you said, if you go to one of these Jewish uh colleges, it gives you the ability to create a network within the business world, which, you know, sometimes helps people, but I There are people, you know, it could be look What else bothers you? Rebbe, bother me. I'm just telling you it's a It's not like I have a pet peeve. No, no, no. I'm just saying I just don't think it I think it's a complete con. Yeah. I think it's a con that the Americans somehow managed to brainwash people that you have to send your kids to college. It's a con. The people that see them don't, they make way more money than people who go to college. So, you make a panosa, you make business. I make a business. You make way more money. Right. Right. They're doing something right. That's for sure. It's called being smart, thinking out of the box, and understanding business. That's way it it You know, it's just the way it's Our life teaches us. Learning Gemara enhances that your brain and your thinking, your thought process. That doesn't necessarily require you to go to college for you to expand your your your understanding and knowledge. College stifles you. It stifles you. Are there any of the rules in writing? For what I understand, I looked this up. It said, "If it is not to go to a to a course in writing because they will stifle the unique voice. They will give you the rules, but it's much better to have a unique voice that comes from inside you, which you're doing on your own without somebody telling you how to think or how to talk or how to I'm curious, by the way, did anyone ever want to write a book about you? Stop. No, seriously, I'm curious. Did anyone ever ask you? I My standard answer to when people say, "What are they going to write a book about you?" I say, "I'm not interested. I just not interested." Okay, but let's say someone was to write a book about you. Who would Who would it be? Who would they write a book about? Who would you be honored you want author to be? Why would somebody write a book Because they I write books about people. It's not me. I I just write books about people. So, you you have a pretty, you know, busy schedule, right? You have a lot going on. You You get the books, you have the teaching. Is there another venture? Is there something that you're thinking you're itching to do that you're thinking about? something right now. Ooh. What's I can't it's it's please I think I don't tell me you're opening up a seltzer company. Can I tell you something funny? The Reb Nachman seltzer company. There we go. We're on some I want I want a piece of this action over here. I'm just telling you right now. You know what I'm saying? Do you? Yeah. So I didn't know what I'm what I'm going with. He might need an investment first. My grandfather was a seltzer man. Stop it. Old fashioned seltzer blue bottles? Yes. That was my My mother's father. And then his daughter went and married someone named Seltzer. And he liked that. Would you look at that? Would you look at that? Wow, Grandpa Danny. Wow, sir. Neil, I like your question and by the way, I'm loving you as a partner in the None of Your Business podcast. And I'm going to make a quick plug because you never let me speak this much before. Something I've learned over the past 5 years of eliminating social media from my life is to learn to listen to people. To be honest, it's something that I've been working on. So can I get something off my chest? No, I'm just kidding. Please do. I have to just make a quick mention because without the good people and good partners and the good family over at PrimeSource, none of this can be possible. So thank you again, PrimeSource, for helping sponsor the None of Your Business podcast. Neil, having you as a co-host, as a guest, together with my guest Reb Nachman is making me so happy here right now. Especially Ushi's going to watch this and he's going to be like, "Oh my god, Neil is pretty good at this. I want him to get nervous." So that's a that's a good thing. But I like your question where you're going with it. So what is the new project, Neil? Great question. Just look up. It's really in its in its opening stages. Basically, I did it the project is um a universal type of children's uh it's it's universal for children, not just for Jewish children. It's something that uh a lot of books that it media, but it's like a whole I'm creating a whole new set of characters and it's basically um ascetically the seder. So, cuz there's a whole world out there of people who do not trust the media, cannot find books for their children, have a very hard time letting their children kids watch anything because they're they'll even if they're not Jewish, they don't want their kids exposed to to woke ideology. So, basically I'm in the process of creating an and you know, something very, very beautiful, which is story It's a great It's great stories, but it's all again, it's not Jewish. But that's the idea behind it. It's which has potential to be actually very, very big and we'll see where it goes. But uh Yeah, actually pretty interesting. It's I could see how something like that is is interesting to not only the frum population, but obviously broader than that that I fully understand that a lot of confusing confusing, you know, the children is is not a healthy There's a lot of people who are very or try to build alternatives to Disney to have Ben Shapiro's doing it and there's a lot of people that doing it and yeah, so it's a very interesting thing and what I was saying I have to tell you, when my kids were younger, I used the website called Common Sense Media. Yeah. .com and before I let them watch a movie or read a book, I used to go there. It's terrible how it would describe every thing that's not rated G that goes on in the show or the movie. And then after a while, you notice that there is nothing that's entertaining and that's educating and that's growth oriented that's rated G. It It just doesn't exist. That's That's what That's what would That's amazing. Do you have a name for it yet? I I don't want to See, I'm not No, because we can strategize here. So, That's what it is because because I have a name for it. Yeah. I have name, characters, pitch deck um books. I have a lot. Beautiful. of it. We're we're we're in well into it. Um but uh I'm not going to be I'm not going to be My name is not going to be on it because I'm it's not for the firm world. Got it. So, it's not going to be something which I'm publicly in Oh, this could be a pseudonym. Yeah, for the first time. Like it? You like that? What would be a name for him that you would pick? Nick Bubly. I'm liking this. You You can't He can't let go of the whole seltzer thing. funny. I told you there's a There's a lot of Bubly. There's a lot of things going on. I was in Dog eat Dog as a counselor in Dog eat Dog and Daddy Stein. There's a rabbi today used to call me Spritz. What's up, Spritz? Hey, Spritz. That's a good Spritz. Daddy Stein was a good friend of mine, by the way, and I also was in Dog eat Dog. So, we may have bumped heads in in or, you 99, 2000, 2000 No, no, before him, before. Yeah, yeah. But uh that that Those were good experiences. Alex Gold. That's right. Yeah, that's right. So, I I'm sure you get pitched stories all the time. And especially your uh your I think your last book that came out, what was it? Um The Girl from Yerushalayim. After that cover. So, I I just have to mention I did not read it because like I mentioned earlier, but I get such great stories that people tell me because I always ask people to tell me the stories that they read. And uh very impactful stuff. And amazing. The feedback it was amazing and it's very difficult, you know, when we're going in Jerusalem now and we're going around and we're seeing things that are happening. It's very difficult to describe to people what we're seeing and what we're feeling. And um you know, I know that you did a great job. doing that. Yes, I can I can only imagine that you've had stories come to you, like some wild stories that you haven't put down pen to paper yet. Yes. You know, over the last We were here actually, both of us. We were here during October 7th. We were here that day. And uh over the last year we've come back many times. And each time we come back, we say, you know, you know, maybe uh maybe we're you know, we're we're not Maybe we're just taking away from uh you know, from what they're doing, their focus. And we realize every time we hear and we see a we see a family member. We see just an average Israeli. They're so happy to see us. They they get his act from from us coming here and and and showing our appreciation, our support, showing that we're not afraid. Um and it actually gives us his act. Um you know, just last night soldiers are hugging us after they're coming back from Lebanon after spending a month and and seeing atrocities, right? And they're hugging us and they're saying, "Thank you." And meanwhile, we're walking away crying. Um you know, after after they're, you know, still thankful for us being there. Is there a story that you uh that you heard or that you haven't you haven't written about or maybe that you never would only just cuz it's it's raw, it's real, it's painful. Something that that that's but is really ultimately inspirational, something that inspired us to October 7th It could be anything. It could be anything at all that There was a story years ago that I heard which I never which I wrote that I never published cuz it was it was way too it was way too hard. It was terrible. Do you mind sharing that? Not so cuz I don't want I really it is a very crazy story. But basically the idea of the story was there was this kid that she was brought she was born into a normal family and from the time she was little like her parents treated her terribly as opposed to all the other rest of the kids. They didn't make her sit in the basement and they and then when she got older they they married her off to an alcoholic and then she got and then he left her and then he gave her a get and her kids left her and then like it was like a terrible terrible story of a person who just had the worst life in the world. And she couldn't she didn't know why. Like she wasn't a bad person, right? So why like why did her parents treat her this way? Why did her husband leave her? Why did her kids say, "We don't want anything to do with you and go back to our family and not and she didn't know why. And eventually she she went to a a מקובל what was actually pretty famous and she asked him she told him the story. She's like you know, what's going on over here? And he said and he and he did know what to say this cover to to fight to try to understand. And he came back to her. He's like, "Listen." He says, "Whatever 100 years ago, there was a family that lived in a certain place, and they had a beautiful family, a firm family, and they had this kid who who just one day went off and married a goy." And she was very happy with her husband, and she had kids, beautiful family, and did it and kids were baptized in the church, and she never did Torah, and she died happy. She died happy, you know? She didn't know the Torah. The parents took a query over her. So, he said, "When she came to Shamayim, they didn't know what to do with her. So, what do we do with this person? She lived a whole life as a She never did the shul. What do we do with her? They said, 'We're going to send her back, but the whole life will be the opposite of what happened to her last time. Like this time, she had a husband who loved her. Now, her husband's going to leave her. I don't know what's going on. Her kids loved her. This time, her children are going to leave her and want nothing to do with her. She had parents who loved her. The parents are not going to want nothing to do with her and treat her terribly. This is going to be the middah choices. This is how what she needs in order to to do to to have a rectification." So, she said to her to her she like said, "What what am I supposed to do? You know? That's it? And for all eternity now?" Stuck, he said, "No." He said, "I'm going to give you He said, when a person lives with a the mitzvah they have to He said, 'Really? P'eil k'volo. A 1,800 consecutive fasts, basically. But, that's too much today. So, every Wednesday you'll fast. Every Wednesday you'll fast." She said, "Six weeks later, she had a phone call in her house. Her kids called her up, and they wanted to see her again." And then, she was starting to go out for Shabbos to their houses, and and and everything started changing. So, I was like I wrote this story. I never published it cuz I wrote it with all the details. It was It's the most the craziest story. And it's a great story, but people when people some people it triggers them because they say, "Oh, they look at things in their life. They're like, oh, is he telling me I was basically a Russia last tomorrow?" Like, "No, it's not telling you that. This was a crazy case. This was really a person did everything wrong. The worst things you could do." No, most people aren't like that. Most people have specific things they need to fix, not everything. You know, I wouldn't say, but it is something to think about. Like it's not like it's we do what we want and then we come to shalom and say, "Oh, it's not a big deal. It's a big deal." Like in shalom they actually know what we did is a printed out and and we have to answer for what we did and we do as we have to keep that in mind. So, I used to share it. Some places they do share it. Some places they don't share it depending on on the reactions they get from the from different students that do it. That's a crazy story that we published. I figured it out. In your previous life you were a proofreader. And now in your new life you cannot read a book. I told you some things need to stay in your head. Um I have to tell you that um hearing these types of stories and hearing a lot of your stories that you've had that you've written and that I've heard in the past that to me there's been a common theme. It's the understanding that everything happens for a reason. And just seeing that go through your life, I always tell people it's a blessing when you see something that happened to you that may have been perceived as not so good, but then you notice a few years later perhaps like, "Oh, it was the best thing that ever happened to me." You know, you had that that happened in your life like you know things that yes. Right? You've had that that you've So, the more you read about it and the more you see that it's happening to people around you, I think the more real that concept becomes. And the idea of having a Kabbalah also may not sit well with people. I'm not into Kabbalah by the way. Right, it's interesting. Right. But yet you're believing in the story Well, it makes sense. Because it makes sense. Exactly. it was it was a it was a pretty it was a pretty mean like as the and go mainstream Kabbalah. Right, right. I don't In general, I I discourage people from going to Kabbalah. Kabbalah, I say it's usually a scam scam artists, usually. Wow. Yeah. Like what Rabbi Akiva Lita says, don't go to Kabbalah. Rabbi Akiva Lita says, do not go to Kabbalah. So, if Rabbi Akiva Lita says don't go, you don't go because he's a he's a It's not about if you know how to read Kabbalah cuz then you know how to manipulate people. It's about knowing how to learn Gemara. That's really the focus here. So, people who learn Kabbalah a lot of times it's they use that to scam people. They know how to read people. They don't manipulate people and they can figure out, "Oh, you're going on a journey." And they know how to make you feel and somebody just got to go fight with you and they know how to play you so that you give them money. Stay away from them. Wow. It's true. Wow. So, you've had an impressive life journey looking back now. You have you envisioned We're just 100% is we're we're not it's not we're we're we're not just starting, but we're in the middle. But but looking back looking back you had you ever envisioned that you'd be where you are today doing what you have what you're doing the impact that you're making? I don't know if I envisioned this. I don't know, but you know, I just I just kept on thinking one book at a time, one book at a time. But as I said, here we are, you know. I have to go. Yeah. I have to go. Well, I have to tell you listen, I did not think in a million years every once in a while I'd say be like, you know, nothing to do with you I would do this you with it, you know, like I didn't think I'd be doing this. I didn't I mean I come to this all the time. I don't think I ever bumped into you once. Yeah, you know. So, this is a You're welcome. Yeah, thank you. No, I really appreciate it. But this was awesome. This was This was a lot a lot of fun. And I am I'm you know what? I can't say by trade I'm not an individual that speaks publicly. I I don't like to speak publicly. But I I found this enjoyable cuz I found this was a very free flowing and I I I felt like that you were you know we were all being real and raw and and and speaking from the heart and this was actually uh fun. But people sometimes they tell me I want to send you a list of questions before I interview. I said, "Don't. I don't like Just let's do it. Let's just Yeah. do it." And when it happens, when I first interviewed a country guy, I said, "I first album." So, I spoke to him before I got on Kasey Musgraves' show and then he's like I said, I said, "Will you not ask me questions?" He's like "Don't worry, Nachman. I'm not going to ask you about the peace process." So, I said, "Please I was waiting for it. You know, the way you got me on the question about music. Give give me some good questions. Uh Was that the first uh interview that you done? My first interview actually back was Kasey Musgraves and her first office. The first album came out and and I said to Kasey Musgraves years ago, I said, "I have a theory. People don't even make CDs cuz they want to make CDs. They make CDs cuz they want to be on your show. That's the way to get on your show. So, after they get so they can make a CD to get on Kasey Musgraves' show." That does make sense. That does make sense. You know, you were saying about books that you plan on writing, projects that you're working on. Were there any disappointments that you had? Yes. Before we go into closing, and how much time are we in so far already? Um so, we have a couple of minutes left. But I I I just you know the idea of the None of Your Business podcast and the reason why we started it really was for Usid and I to decompress on a weekly basis and bring in a thought leader and help us grow in our world. So, I always like to talk about challenges and I talk about growth and you know, talk about you know, uh topics to debate. You know, I tried hooking you in before to see if there's anything that bothers you or that frustrates you, but it doesn't seem like that's a world that you live in because you know Uh listen, we all have things that you know, that that get us going. Yeah. That's the story. Yeah. If I'm so outspoken, I got to say things that that get me that Look, I get very passionate about things. Yeah. I do. You asked me about disappointments. Yeah. Yeah, I want to know I want to know in closing you know how we can learn from someone like you who's written so many books so many books that a book that couldn't be written that you thought was going to be written and you listen to your Kudos Kudos to you about that by the way. I think like at the end of the day it's like you're ready. Yeah, 100% not even a question. That's the whole idea of doing that. Yeah. The beauty of having a rebbe in in what my opinion and the reason why I tell people it's so important is because when they say not to do something you feel good about it. Right. You want to say it's all it's sort of like he's with you on this, right? to my rebbe about this thing that I'm working on. I said I said I need you to dive in so I can be myself cuz I really want to be a partner. Right. I'm looking forward to be able to be a financial partner with you or your Yeshiva. Please dive in for me so I can do that. Yeah. He's like I'm going to dive in for you to be a big partner. So that that's important to me. This is what I can tell you disappointment. Okay. So there was a specific there were two books I wanted to write. And and I didn't get to get them and I was I was asked by our school to write one of them and then somehow somebody came and somehow managed to get it and I didn't get it. I tried very hard to get those books and I did not get them. I and I was in both Yeshivas. What does that What does that mean you tried? I'm sorry. I went to I went to the wife of the person who passed away there was a Yeshiva. I see. I said I I knew there was a relationship with these people. I learned in the Yeshiva. The other person also learned in the one Yeshiva. Sure. I learned that Yeshiva and the other person wrote the book didn't even learn in the Yeshiva. The other person came to me to for help cuz he didn't know the people in the Yeshiva. I had I was like and I gave them the information I had. But it was really disappointing. And then I that was it. I was trying trying I'm going to people I'm making a stylist and then it got incredible and I didn't do any stylist. I didn't try and that book was one of the most popular of books of all time. And I said, "Okay, I learned. You don't have to make yourself crazy." Later on, so it was a it was a Later on, the the certain organization wanted me to to to to to do uh they told me to write a book. And and then the the president said to me, "Oh, yeah, but there's a people we don't want. This guy we want." I said, "I'm out. I'm not." He's like, "What do you mean, you're out?" I said, "I'm out. If it's supposed to be for me, I'll get it. I don't have to fight for it. And if I'm not, then no way I want to do I won't get it." And that book some that that prize didn't end cuz someone else who does something similar in Israel, I ended up writing books about that person. And it was I'm so much happier. And I I exact I saw that the kudo. And today when people say I am like I I said this to the guy recently. He's like, you know, uh we've told him about writing a book. And I and I'm like, "Listen, I don't have to fight for books. I don't have to fight it. If it's supposed to happen, it will happen. If it's not supposed to happen, it's not going to happen no matter what I do." And I learned this. It's And I was disappointed, but I learned very clearly that you don't have to worry about these things. Everything has an address. I'll give you an example of of a disappointment that led to big things. You guys want a good story? Please. Go for it. So far, everything has been good. It was also really nice to be with you. And you know, we have good camaraderie brother, but uh back in our good friends we could call each other like other people they have to call David. we're like we're all friends. Yes, yes. We can get away with it. Back to the toy that's the dodgeball in the backyard. So, we can do that. So, actually asked me to tell you. He said, "You think you still got a punchball?" Used to wait for the dodgeball for recess and that Oh, it was great. It was great. Oh, it was so much fun. Illumination dodgeball. Anyway, so I I'm I'm I'm going to be so broke with I wrote my first book and I had some free time. I wanted to do something. I need like I need a few hours of work, let's say. I'm looking for I don't know what to do. Like, what am I going to do? So, I had an idea. I'm like, Jonathan Rosenblum, get us a Rosenblum resume from Spector Commons. So, he had an office across from from Center One back then. So, I said, you know, I'm going to I'm going to go to him. He That was in my final law school in Her Noff. I know him from the show. I'm going to go to him and I'm going to ask him if he needs something to help him. Right? Right? Maybe I got research, I don't know. So, I just I get dressed and I'm all set and I go. Like, inconceivably he's going to turn me down, right? No way. So, I just show up. And I And I ask the secretary, can I see it? Yeah, sure, go in. I go in to him. His His desk is piled high with papers like a real He's a real Yale academic. He's brilliant. You know You know how old he is? No. Brilliant Yale academic, tons of books, papers everywhere. Anyways, I told him I'm like, you know, do you think it's possible maybe I could get a job working here? He's like, very small operation, me and my secretary. I don't need anyone. Okay. I walk out of his office. I'm like, all dressed up and nowhere to go. Now what? I said, I don't want to just give up. So, I look at the directory of the company. And there's a whole bunch of of company names. I'm going to take one company and I'm going to walk in there. I'm going to ask them if they need someone. I don't know what they do. I'm going to walk in and see what happens. Wow. That's it. So, I walked in. I took I took the elevator to the third floor. And I just see this company and this the glass doors open up. And I walk inside. There's a secretary by the door, sitting table. And she was on the phone. So, I just walked in. I walked in. I started walking around. And I see people at computers and it's a nice vibe, a good atmosphere. People seem happy. And uh okay. I don't know what they do, but it looks like a nice place to be. So, a guy comes over to me and he says to me, can I help you? I'm like, I hope so. He says, what are you like? So, I'm looking for a job. He says, what I What do you Can Can you write? I'm like, yes. That's exactly what I can do. Why? What is this place? He goes, we outsource for a certain newspaper in America. We put it together over here. I'm like, great. When can I start? He's like, whoa, slow down. Slow down, tiger. I need a sample of your work. I'm like, fine. Okay, I'll bring you a sample. So, I go home. I take a floppy disk. My first book was on a floppy disk. And I go the next day to a to a to a store. I don't have a printer or anything. I wrote my first book by hand, actually. My first few books I wrote by hand and I had people typing them. So, I told myself I had to fight. Anyways, I got a printout like 20 pages. I go back to him the next day, bring it to him. I said, I said, when are you going to get back to me? He said, I need like 2 weeks. I'm like, 2 weeks to read 20 pages? Like, you're in the newspaper business. Like, how do you guys get a newspaper out every week if you need you know, 2 weeks to read two He's like, nah, 2 weeks. I'm like, okay. Anyways, 2 weeks go by, he doesn't call me. Call. I'm like, what's going on? He says, I didn't read it. I'm sorry. I'll get back to you. So, he calls me that not long afterwards. I said, I said, you don't need 2 weeks. I'm all right. Anyways, he's like, listen, I don't know. I'm like, what what do you what what do you know? He said, I don't know if you have what it takes, you know. I'm like, well, how are you going to know if you don't give me a chance? He's like, yeah, maybe call on the spot call call Hamodia, maybe write two stories, you know. I don't know. I don't think it's the right match. So, I got off the phone. I was very upset at this point. Because as I said, it doesn't cost you any money to give me a chance. I'll be honest, I'm trying to get into the business. Give a person a chance. I learned from this. Give people a chance. Shmuel Stauber, you know that is I don't know if you know that is. He did a lot of stuff in Bob Perlman's. People call me, they're young, they're starting out. Because a person's 18, 19, 20, doesn't mean they're not good. They're good. They could be great. Do give people a chance. We wouldn't have heard of him till he let me write an article. If you don't like it, don't use it. Don't pay me. Just give me the and then give me a chance. I I so upset. I sat down at the table and I wrote my first short story. It was called Reb Ellie. Actually, that's funny. Wow. And I It was a story about when I was a kid and it where I lived when I moved to Israel and there was a guy there, American guy, and there were a lot of Americans there. I became close to him and then he and then he became Hasidic and moved away and moved to A Story to become a principal Hasidic. Whole story. And I I you know how he changed, whatever. My story. I wrote the story. I'm like, "Okay, so now what?" He said, "Call the Hamodia." I I pick up the newspaper and the newspaper says "Editorial Offices" and I'm like, "That sounds so professional. That sounds so scary. It's formal. Editorial Offices." I'm like my confidence was shot, you right? I got scared. I couldn't do it. So I didn't pick I didn't call. A few A few weeks later an old friend of my parents comes to Israel, Reb Shraga Lyman, z"l. He was a pioneer in the Jewish book world. He's He wrote He had magazine called Light Magazine and he he translated books. He was He was a He was a special guy. A very special man. And he he was starting Satmar was starting a newspaper in America called the American Jewish Monthly and he was the editor. He asked me I don't even know why he asked me. "Do you have any any any pieces that you write?" I said, "Yeah, I have a bunch." And I wrote a few pieces. Here, he said He read them. He said, "I like them. I'm going to I'll publish it." So the next 6 months he's publishing my pieces in the American Jewish Monthly and then it goes bankrupt. But by then I'm ready published. I've already published a bunch of pieces. I feel confident again. So I call up I pick up the Hamodia. I call the number 5 uh 8 5 3 8 2 2 2 6 It's not hot seller. You don't have to know it by heart. I get through to the editorial Mrs. Sarah Solomon Mizrahi. She's in charge of the magazine. I say, "Hello, my name is Akiva Seltzer. Are you looking for writers?" She said, "Of course." I said, "Great." Um She says, "Have you written anything?" I said, "You have the newspaper on the other desk?" She said, "Yeah." I said, "Turn it over. Is there ad for Targum Press? My book just came out." The ad is over there. Click. Oh, we start talking about what what you're going to write. And eventually I sent to different samples and finally eventually Shavuot start Shavuot she took my first piece when it come with you and things started cracking and I was in London for age flew me and I was going at that time I was by Bristol Brook with Kiev I was I went to Russia and Kiev to London I was cousin and looking to job there in London and I remember my the story that angry father came out and every rough like said it at the name keeper and it was a huge thing. And I was reading a board Hamodia in England and I I saw the the magazine letter to the editor they're like we love these stories from you know from Nachman Saltzer and then I was like you know pull it away like look at this it's happening you know. And and the year goes by and there's this this new thing called the Nachman Saltzer story. It's a genre. Year and a half goes by. One Shabbos morning for the Seudah with my wife Shabbos morning for the Seudah with my wife and there's a couple sitting across the table and the wife looks vaguely familiar. So after I might say look at her and I say you look familiar where do I know you from? And she gets this sheepish look on her face and she says I'm the secretary of that company that you walked into she said. Yes we know we made a mistake. Babe you'll come work for us now. I felt good come on. It felt good. But I learned from that and use it in your life. I learned like the person says you know you you're going to do good things in life and make but your job is not to write PR pieces for a newspaper. Your job is to write short true stories and Seforim and Zera Shimshon make do that and and and and you know Hatzalah and Rabbi Grossman and you have a different job and that's not going to work but but you know you're doing your style this I'm going to come towards you you're you're making it happen don't worry. As long as you do your style as we'll meet you. You don't have to worry I said no is you're there and it is a plan for every person and that was such a big lesson for me it's like you don't have to worry. And I said, I said, that's not for you, but you'll see there'll be other things for you that maybe you'll enjoy a lot better and you'll feel like you're doing way more productive for Klal Yisrael and you're you're So so that was a big huge life lesson. I'm just going to edit one thing you said and I'm going to say you've done great things, not good things. It's amazing. Thank you so so much. Rav Nachman, Rav Naftali, this was an amazing episode. Thank you all. Please don't forget to like, subscribe, comment, get involved. We love your feedback. I I I am so happy that leaving Israel and on my way to the airport, I'm able to catch you guys and have this episode that we are all doing great things together and I just want to bless the two of you that you should continue to be inspiration until everyone around you, to your family, to your friends, to your associates, to people in your shul, in your community, like you're doing till now, continue to do great great things. Neil, gentlemen, you're amazing. I love you. Thank you for joining me today. Rav Nachman, you're amazing. I love you. Thank you for joining us today. Rav Citron, thank you so much for making this happen in your beautiful studio, Citron Studios. Did I get it right? Cit- Citron Films. Amazing. Such a beautiful studio. Anybody that needs anything done in Israel in terms of videography, promotions, or in the US, check them out. Uh this was amazing. I I just give you all a blessing that we should all continue to grow on our journey together. And Neil, I'll let you have the final word. Usually we end off, you know, these trips in a blast, but this time we ended off in a spritz.