My father, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Wosner, zt”l, was completely immersed in learning all areas of Torah in great depth. At the same time, he never neglected to deliver a daily shiur in simple halacha! At the root of the word halacha is the word holech, walking. Halacha must “walk with,” must accompany, every Jew, wherever he goes, every day. No one can know what his obligations to Hashem are without learning halacha!”
The above powerful words were delivered by HaGaon HaRav Chaim Wosner, shlita, rav of Zichron Meir and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, at a historic gathering of over 450 Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Halacha magidei shiur from across Eretz Yisrael, held on Motzei Shabbos Parshas Mishpatim in Bnei Brak. The event was also addressed by HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, shlita, rav of Ramat Elchanan, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Samet, shlita, dayan in the Eidah Hacharedis, HaGaon HaRav Sariel Rosenberg, shlita, dayan in the beis din of Rav Nissim Karelitz and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha magid shiur, and Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, nasi of Dirshu. The event for magidei shiur was part of a whirlwind week of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha events throughout Eretz Yisrael, England and America, marking the completion of the complex halachos of Kriyas Shema and the beginning of hilchos tefillah. The beginning of hilchos tefillah marks the final stretch in the march toward the completion of Chelek Aleph of the Mishnah Berurah and the historic siyum on the first Chelek of Mishnah Berurah that will be held in locales across the globe after Pesach of this year.
United by a Common Undertaking
The kinus for magidei shiur was truly a unique event. According to Rabbi Avigdor Bernstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s hanhala in Eretz Yisrael, “Just observing the 450 talmidei chachamim who deliver shiurim across Eretz Yisrael was fascinating. Most of them did not know one another, but as the evening went on and they began to converse they found so much common ground it was almost as if they were old friends. By the end of the kinus, when spontaneous dancing broke out, the enthusiasm and ahava with which they danced together was a testament to the fusion of the hearts and minds of these unique talmidei chachamim who collectively teach daily halacha to many tens of thousands of lomdei Daf HaYomi B’Halacha.”
Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein: The Power of Publically Teaching Torah
At the kinus for magidei shiur in Bnei Brak there was a hush in the hall as HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, shlita, was called to the podium.
Rav Zilberstein said, “The Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Halacha is now embarking on hilchos tefillah. I would like to cite a halacha in hilchos tefillah that offers insight into the profound importance of teaching halacha to others as you magidei shiur do. The Shulchan Aruch tells us that it is not permitted to engage in learning once the zman tefillah arrives. The only exception he says is someone who is teaching Torah to the public. Rabbeinu Yonah in Maseches Brachos explains that the zechus of a person who teaches others is so great that if we don’t allow him to teach at all times, those whom he is teaching may not learn at all! This zechus of teaching Torah publicly that you have has the power to save you and all of us from so many tzaros!” concluded Rav Zilberstein emotionally.
A Unique Level of Hashgacha
In his powerful and poignant remarks, Rav Dovid Hofstedter spoke with wonder about the tremendous siyata diShmaya that Daf HaYomi B’Halacha has seen. “It is clear that there is a special Divine hashgacha accompanying the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha. How else can one explain how, in such a short time, a plethora of daily shiurim have sprouted throughout Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora? Yes, we have extremely gifted magidei shiur, who are moser nefesh to give shiurim every day. Nevertheless, the extraordinary success that the program has had, and the way it has transformed the lives of those who learn it, attest to a unique hashgacha that the program has.”
England and America Commemorate Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Milestones
On that same Motzei Shabbos, Dirshu magidei shiur from across England gathered in London for their own magidei shiur evening.
The American Torah community is also looking forward with great anticipation to the gala siyum on Chelek Aleph of the Mishnah Berurah that will be held this coming 24 Nissan/May 2 in Passaic, New Jersey, and will be addressed by HaGaon HaRav Yerucham Olshin, shlita, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, and HaRav Yissocher Frand, shlita, R”M at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel of Baltimore. “Dirshu has been deeply gratified at the unprecedented response to its Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program in North America,” said Rav Ahron Gobioff, Dirshu’s North American director. “Numerous new shiurim keep opening in communities across North America and the response has been remarkable. Dirshu will celebrate this tremendous kiddush Hashem as we complete Chelek Aleph and look towards the beginning of Chelek Beis.”
An Underlying Theme of Learning and Changing
At a gathering held at the Vizhnitz Monsey Beis Medrash in Beit Shemesh, the rav of the kehillah, HaGaon HaRav Boruch Shimshon Hager, shlita, son of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, related, “Since we embarked on the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha with the beginning of Chelek Aleph last Nissan, we have noticed a marked change in our kehillah. The atmosphere is different, even the small talk is different! Learning daily halacha has brought with it a tremendous chiyus in our Yiddishkeit. The fact that so many of us are engaged in learning the same thing has created a tremendous feeling of achdus among us. All of this just from devoting a half hour per day to learning halachos that are pertinent every single day of the year!”
By Chaim Gold
