From Real Estate Mogul to Torah Teacher: A Journey of Spiritual Fulfillment

Every day in Beit Shemesh, inside a unique and expansive building, people from all walks of Israeli life—businessmen, yeshiva heads, religious and secular Jews, Black Hat to knit kippot, suit-wearers to those in casual attire—gather for one purpose: to study a page of Gemara.

All of this happens under the guidance of Rabbi Eli Stefansky, whose class has become a sweeping phenomenon across sectors and opinions. More than 10,000 people connect to his lesson daily from across Israel and around the world, including women and young children eager for words of Torah.

Rabbi Stefansky's lesson is one of the most famous Daf Yomi classes globally, drawing a large, diverse following. Behind this massive success is Rabbi Stefansky's fascinating personal story. Formerly a successful businessman in New York, he chose to make a dramatic life change, move to Israel, and settle in Beit Shemesh, where he now leads the impressive Torah initiative that has captured the hearts of many.

Seeking Spirituality

Rabbi Stefansky was born in America and studied in yeshivot and kollel for six years. He later entered the business world, managing a successful catering company that served about 100 weddings a year.

"At one of the weddings," he recalls, "someone approached me about buying and managing a real estate project of two thousand rental apartments. My initial reaction was, 'Are you crazy?' It sounded utterly unreasonable. But, as I thought about it overnight, I realized maybe it wasn't so far-fetched after all. If it had been ten or twenty apartments, I might have said yes, so what's stopping me from thinking bigger? Only my fears and doubts.

"Ultimately, I decided to go for it, full force. I handed over the catering business to my cousin and in 2005 entered the real estate market, purchasing all two thousand apartments. That's how the huge business began—I employed 150 workers, and since the profits were good, I was able to indulge. I bought a private jet and many sea toys like yachts and jet skis. I built my family a large house in Chicago with dozens of rooms, 15 bathrooms, an elevator inside, and more top-tier amenities. My wife, being an interior designer, decorated our home with the latest trends. We lived there for three months when I told my wife everything was wonderful, but I felt something missing—I was searching for spirituality. I was giving a class in Chicago to five people at the time, but it didn't fulfill me. So I decided to make Aliyah, and within a few weeks, we had moved to Israel. It was all very quick, and our lives changed from then on."

When they first moved, Rabbi Stefansky traveled abroad for a few days each month to manage his businesses, handling everything else remotely. Later, he found a good overseas partner, freeing up his time for new pursuits.

"Then, the idea hit me—start a weekly class summing up all the material learned throughout the week. I knew it would require effort but also force me to learn daily, providing a routine. To encourage people to come, as they didn't know who I was, I ensured there was good food—sushi, schnitzels, cholent... and indeed, many came. I knew they weren't there for me, but for the food, which served the purpose: it required me to prepare a lesson, and them to listen.

After two years, people approached me and said, 'Why just summarize the daf? Give us a daily class.' I asked, 'Do you really want that?' When I saw genuine interest, I said, 'We start tomorrow.' I'm a big fan of immediate action. That's how the daily class began the next day—eight people attended the first session, and I even remember which page we studied—Avodah Zarah, page 28. It wasn't the start of a new tractate or a special date. But it was the right thing to do, not to wait, just to start where there's motivation.

Did you foresee how it would grow and expand?

"Of course not. But even then, in the beginning, I decided to use the strategies I developed in real estate—unique methods that distinguished me in business. It was clear from the start I didn't want a regular class, but something different. So, I brought in props to illustrate the lessons. Once, I brought a dog, another time a snake, and another a goat. When discussing knives, I brought various kitchen knives, and once someone hid under the chairs and danced around when I gave a signal. Apparently, this intrigued people, and attendance grew each time."

Crossing Boundaries

When roughly 40 people started attending, Rabbi Stefansky realized his house was too small to accommodate everyone, prompting the need for a dedicated space: "I tried to get fellow neighborhood residents involved, but they didn't want to participate because they didn't believe in it. I ultimately decided to go alone, setting up a space with 80 seats for the Daf Yomi participants. Even then, people doubted, questioning why I would build for 80 when I had just 40-50. Yet I always thought big, and went for it. Today, those who doubted me now tell me 'Why did you build such a small place? There's no room to sit.' But that's life. You shouldn't listen to doubters. In real estate too, had I listened to those telling me not to buy, I'd have done nothing.

Today I don't work in business at all and rely on my partner 100%. I dedicate between 10 to 14 hours daily to the Daf Yomi project, focusing on how to innovate, diversify, and add. I employ a team to create animations and illustrations for teaching, and I continue to bring various items for hands-on learning. Recently, when studying lashes, I brought an actual whip, and I have very advanced animations—today, we had 57 animations in one lesson. The work is round the clock, with no other activities. I rarely attend weddings, don't vacation much with my wife, and when I have to travel abroad to teach, I pre-record that week's lessons, which is very complex and challenging.

One unique aspect of the Daf Yomi is that it allows no days off. Your lesson is required even on Tisha B'Av, Yom Kippur, the eves of festivals, even after Shabbat or during your busiest times. For example, I gave a lesson on the day my grandson was born, despite being overwhelmed with the birth of my daughter. I continued lessons while sick or busy with endless responsibilities. Those who know me understand that such consistency doesn't characterize me—my bookshelves are lined with half-read books, but learning Gemara comes with an extraordinary miracle. For five years, I haven't missed a single day. It defies natural explanation.

Over time, a warm atmosphere developed among all the lesson participants who met each other. "It's genuinely incredible," Rabbi Stefansky says emotionally. "People got to know each other through the lessons on Zoom, forming connections, mutual assistance, and a community or family-like feeling.

"We had an interesting case when someone attending by zoom contacted me one day, sharing how they noticed a child's house with a ceiling leak and wanted to send money to fix it. After checking, it turned out to be a family needing financial assistance, and within that week, he sent them $10,000 through me to fix the leak.

"In another case, a participant's eight-year-old son fell ill, and after hearing about it, other attendees supported him, helped him buy an advanced computer for the child's communication, and sent numerous food and clothing packages. When the child passed away, lesson participants came to comfort him, and I was deeply moved seeing pictures of a Chabad chasid comforting a Litvak father, connected by the class. Some even flew internationally to console him. Such things, where else can you see them?"

A Profitable Enterprise

Those attending Rabbi Stefansky's classes are also aware of a special initiative—distributing free Gemaras to anyone announcing their intention to join. "To date, over 500 Gemaras have been given out," he points out with satisfaction. "Each Gemara costs nearly 200 shekels, and it's not the only expense. This Daf Yomi project costs about $2 million annually. Of course, I don't take a salary from it, but my goal is to truly do good, and I've discovered that offering free Schottenstein Gemaras helps people. They like receiving things, even when they can afford them, and eventually, they find the value and stay.

What are your plans for the future? Do you plan to return to business?

"I love business very much, not just for the money. Business provides a lot of fulfillment—you buy and sell, it's interesting and challenging. But this level of fulfillment doesn't compare to that from delivering these lessons. Not a day goes by that I don't hear stories moving me to tears. Like the person who told me how, as a child, they were hurt so severely that it destroyed their life until they found the class, which saved them. Or a 17-year-old who stopped putting on tefillin at 15 but, after his father introduced him to the class, has completed ten tractates.

There was a woman who dreamt of needing to study 'beitzah.' Uncertain about its meaning or who studies such a thing, her rabbi explained about Gemara Beitzah and encouraged her to check it out. She searched online for 'study beitzah' and found my class. For two months, she listened until ultimately becoming ba'alat teshuva, although initially, her husband remained secular. Months later, we received an email from him referring to the story, informing us that he's joined the class as well, and noted, 'You changed my life.'

My aim is for as many people as possible to realize that learning Daf Yomi can be life-changing. Knowing many stories, I can explain why: doing something consistently every day shows a person they're capable of persevering and achieving things they didn't believe possible. If they can insert a 40-minute class into their daily routine, they can handle other goals like staying fit, eating well, or any other important project. Moreover, the very learning provides many great tips and advice on family harmony, child-rearing, and even business. It's no wonder it changes lives.

Yes, I regard the project as a kind of business. I strive to offer good service to those listening to the lesson since they're, in essence, my clients, just in a different sense—clients for Torah. This is an opportunity to invite anyone reading this to join the lesson and taste it themselves. It's a personal request from me, but the benefits are entirely yours.

To join Rabbi Eli Stefansky's Daf Yomi classes, click here