Roei Topaz: "I Left All My Clubs for Shabbat, Then COVID Hit"

"I was a scholar, just on the other side," Roei Topaz tells me at the start of our conversation. "From the age of 15, I organized parties, and by 25, I was a co-owner of three prominent clubs in Eilat. Then came the opening of a jewelry store chain, and my businesses thrived, especially on Shabbat. But inside, I felt empty. Not the beautiful car I bought, nor the house with the pool, could fill that void. All this until I met the man with the long beard, who refused to take charity from me, and later came the dream that left me with few choices. I made the hardest decision of my life and left everything, only to find a few months later that I had gained immensely.

Bringing Thousands to a Party with a Single Whistle

Roei was born in Vienna, Austria, to an Austrian Jewish father and an Israeli mother. "Until the age of 10, I grew up in a traditional home and studied at the local Jewish school, which included Jewish studies and activities from the nearby Chabad House," he recounts. "At 10, we moved to Israel, my parents divorced, and at that time my father went bankrupt. So, my mother, sister, and I found ourselves moving from a well-established home in Vienna to my grandparents' modest house in Israel. This upheaval wasn't easy for me; I dreamt of returning to my previous situation, so I started working at whatever I could from the age of 15. Mornings were for studying, and evenings were for odd jobs—from washing dishes or working in a clothing store to operating sound systems for events. This way, I helped my mother with rent, and soon I got into producing small parties. By 18, I was a known party producer in the Sharon area."

Even after being drafted into the army, Roei continued his various pursuits. "Alongside producing parties, I became a partner in one of the bars in Sharon, while also serving as a soldier in the south. During that period, Operation Cast Lead began, and the cities in the south suffered heavy rocket attacks. One day in Ashkelon, on my way to the military base, a rocket landed near me, and I miraculously survived. At that moment, I felt heavenly protection, and decided to put on tefillin daily. I didn't intend to go further, but the tefillin stayed with me from then on."

Roei Topaz in his personal story:

After completing his military service, Roei received a tempting job offer from Eilat in the south. "When I was younger, I worked in a luxury clothing store that attracted all the important people, and as soon as I finished the army, they offered me a sales manager position in their Eilat branch," says Roei. "Through the store, I connected with many celebrities, as well as the owner of one of the region's clubs. He saw how I brought crowds to parties and how the most famous people in the country came through me, so he offered me a partnership in his business. Together, we established a bar-restaurant, followed by a club designed for 4,000 people. Then came another club for 700 people, and we hosted the largest parties in Eilat, attracting between 10,000 to 20,000 people. We brought the world's top DJs to Israel, and it was so that a single whistle from me would bring thousands to a party."

How did it feel up there, on top of the world?

"People dreamed of a life like mine, as I achieved everything I wanted, traveled abroad often, and mingled with celebrities. But the truth is, inside, I felt a profound emptiness, and I didn't know how to fill it. From here to there, I figured I might need a good car to cheer me up, so I bought a beautiful and luxurious car with an open roof, one that everyone would notice on the street. I was excited about it for three months, but then the thrill faded, and I felt empty again. In my head, the thought crossed - 'Strange, what's happening?' - but then I realized the problem. I decided I needed to buy myself a house with a pool, believing it would make me happy. After the purchase, I was excited again, but after a few months, the emptiness returned. I truly didn't understand what was happening to me since I saw people around me following the same path and feeling good, but again, my soul was thirsty, and my spirit was empty. Some time passed, and finally, I realized what I truly needed. I decided to start another business and established a jewelry store chain. I had six branches nationwide, and it filled me for a while, but the painful emptiness wouldn't relent, and my heart felt hollow again."

Not only was there emptiness, but also pride. "A person who can bring thousands to a party with a single whistle feels on top, and whenever I visited my father abroad or my mother in the country, they sensed a bit of arrogance in me. They even told me it was their feeling, and I felt something wasn't right within, but I didn't know of anything beyond the material world that could fill me with meaning or create change within me."

"I Don't Want Your Charity"

The inner search that enveloped Roei led him to a strange street encounter. "One day, I was driving and suddenly saw a man with a long beard. Without understanding why, I stopped the car, and when I saw him asking for a donation, I handed him a bill," he describes. "In return, the man handed me a small book and suggested I read it, but I told him I wasn't interested in the book and intended to move on. But the man didn't give up and asked me to take the book anyway, and again I refused, saying 'Be well.' What happened then, I couldn't foresee. The man said, 'If you don't want this booklet, then I don't want your money either; please take your bill back.' I looked at him, stunned, and suddenly started crying. I got out of the car, sat beside him, and couldn't stop the tears from flowing. I was ashamed of myself for my arrogance and took the booklet from him. It was a summary of the book 'In the Garden of Emuna,' and immediately after reading it, I ran to buy the full book."

Some time later, a friend suggested Roei visit Rabbi Chaim Alush, a student of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto and head of the 'Shuva Yisrael' institutions in Eilat, to receive his blessing. "Without really understanding why, I agreed to go with the friend," he says. "When we reached the Rabbi, I shook his hand and felt a disturbance within me. We listened to his words of Torah and left, but then the need to return arose within me. I told the Rabbi, 'When you held my hand, I felt a light I can't explain, and my hand seemed to turn red,' The Rabbi heard and suggested I come again the next day. When I woke up the next morning, I couldn't explain what was happening to me, and instead of going to the businesses waiting for me, my feet led me to him. Thus, each week, after the parties ended at two or three in the morning, I'd call the Rabbi to ask if I could come, and he'd answer 'Yes, come study with me.'"

Roei Topaz with Rabbi Pinto

The nighttime study became a regular event. "Immediately after the party, I'd escape from my friends and run to study Torah and Gemara. A few months later, I told the Rabbi, 'I don't know what's happening to me; I can't stop thinking about you.' The Rabbi replied, 'Roei, a light of Hashem has opened upon you, your soul is thirsty.' But he didn't stop there; he decided to take me a step forward. The Rabbi suggested I stay for Shabbat at the yeshiva to help me observe it."

How did you react to the offer?

"I couldn't accept the offer because the club parties were primarily on Friday nights. I was the 'face' of the business, and many came to the parties just because of me. So, I told the Rabbi I couldn't, but to my surprise, he didn't relent. He said, 'You can join us for Shabbat or continue on your path and not study with me anymore.' At that moment, I was at a crossroads because I didn't want to give up on the learning that was so important to me. I realized I had no other choice, so I informed my partners that I'd be at the yeshiva that Shabbat instead of at the club. My friends, of course, didn't believe I was doing this and responded with, 'What, are you starting to go crazy?' But I had already made the decision, and that Shabbat was very special for me."

Rabbi Chaim Alush describes Roei's approach to religion:

Losing a Lot, Gaining Even More

Not long after, the Rabbi explained to Roei that it would be wise for him to leave the businesses in which he was a partner because they operated on Shabbat. "He told me, 'There is no blessing in such money, which comes from a bad place,' but the implication of leaving businesses I had built with my own hands and with my money was very heavy. So I said it didn't seem practical, but since he insisted a little, I promised to see what I could do about it."

Then the dream came, which helped Roei make the most crucial decision of his life. "That night, I went to sleep and dreamed that all my clubs were on fire. I woke up sweating and unsure what to do. When I told the Rabbi about the dream, he replied, 'These businesses are not good, you should leave them as soon as possible,' and because the truth was already clear to me, I understood I needed to take that step. I approached my partners in the clubs and jewelry stores and told them I wanted to dissolve the partnership. Of course, they didn't see it favorably and were only willing to give me half of my part. In each of these clubs, I invested about 700-800 thousand shekels, and I realized that if I left, I'd lose 50% of my investment."

How did you feel at those moments?

"It was a very tough decision for me, but I understood I had no way back. After I had already tried all the worldly pleasures, the light in the Torah was the only thing that truly filled me. I'm not one of those who came closer to the Torah path because of some great miracle or intense experience; I had everything I wanted in life, and I came solely out of love. So, I returned to the Rabbi with my partners' responses, and he told me: 'Tell them this is an atonement for your sins, that they'll remember it.' In my heart, I said to Hashem: 'I'm losing everything for you, Creator of the world,' and in January 2020, just before COVID began, I left all the clubs and jewelry stores. Out of a need to disconnect for a while, I moved to live near my father in Vienna. The community there is very strong religiously, and I went straight to yeshiva to study Torah."

What would have happened if you hadn't left then?

"A month later, all the clubs were closed due to the COVID pandemic, and as we know, they are still closed today. Essentially, I lost fifty percent and gained fifty percent because had I stayed in that partnership, I'd have lifelong debts. Since then, half of the jewelry stores have also closed, and choosing to observe Shabbat saved my life. I left to fulfill Hashem's will, and without knowing beforehand, I discovered how the Creator of the world saved me."

Chilling...

"Yes..."

Still, you went through this process like a marathon run; in hindsight, don't you feel it was too fast?

"For me, it was the right way because I don't know how to be in the middle. As soon as I saw the truth, I went with it all the way; I even initially decided to keep no contact with women because I wanted to distance myself from parties. The feeling was that I needed to purify myself, and to do that, I gave up all the money and fame. The meaning it brought to my life was worth everything. To wake up in the morning without needing a party or some other craze to make me happy, and to feel a simple, internal fullness, that's the best thing there is, and the main thing is that I get to do Hashem's will."

Only about a month ago, Roei returned to Israel, and now he splits his day between studying and working. "I pray to Hashem that as I previously touched people and brought them to empty places, I will now succeed in benefiting the public in truth and lead them to internal fulfillment," he says.

And what do your business partners say about all this?

"The partner in the jewelry business started putting on tefillin, having never done so before, and so did my club partners, who were deeply moved by the whole thing. It was impossible to ignore what happened, and they themselves told me: 'Listen, Roei, Hashem took you out.' What I know is that Hashem took me out because I chose to observe Shabbat and do His will, and that's what I explained to them - that if a person takes one step, Hashem takes two towards them. Today, it's clear to me that those who give of themselves for the Creator never lose, and even more so - they gain immensely."