Tefillah gatherings led by gedolei Yisrael at the Kosel and at kever of Chazon Ish.
“The main teshuva is Torah!” That is what Rav Aharon Kotler teaches us. On Rosh Hashanah we will say, “Teshuva, tefillah, and tzedaka removed the evil decree.” What is teshuva? We say every day in davening “Hashiveinu Avinu l’Sorasecha,” the primary teshuva is upgrading our limud HaTorah. The Chofetz Chaim’s sefarim are full of this. We must especially remember this in our times when Klal Yisrael needs so much rachamei shomayim!”
These powerful words were said while overlooking the Kosel by HaGaon HaRav Nissan Kaplan, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Nesiv Daas, at Dirshu’s 10th Annual International Yom Limud and Tefillah, held on 24 Elul/September 27, the Chofetz Chaim’s yahrzeit.
Many lomdei Dirshu and members of Hanhalas Dirshu had joined Rav Kaplan together with Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, for a special asifas tefillah at the Kosel on the yahrzeit of the Chofetz Chaim. It was deeply inspiring to witness and be part of the powerful outpouring of tefillah. It is hard to describe the sight of so many lomdei and marbitzei Torah begging Hashem for rachamim in the zechus of the Chofetz Chaim at this critical time of the year before Rosh Hashanah when Klal Yisrael is faced with such formidable challenges from within and without!
Following the asifas tefillah, a gathering held at the hall of Yeshiva Aish HaTorah was addressed by Rav Kaplan and Rav Hofstedter.
Another extremely moving tefillah gathering was held the following night at the kever of the Chazon Ish in Bnei Brak. To hear the tefillah of HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita, wracked by sobs and copious tears as he begged Hashem for rachamim was to truly feel the pain of the Shechina. Rav Shimon was joined by HaGaon HaRav Messoud Ben Shimon, shlita, Sephardic Rav of Bnei Brak and HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, shlita, one of Bnei Brak’s most prominent poskim who also led the tzibbur in tefillah.
The outpouring of emotion just days before Rosh Hashanah highlighted the difficult matzav and uncertainty about the future that Klal Yisrael is facing.
This Year More Than Ever
The Yom Limud and Tefillah was established by Dirshu to bring all of Klal Yisrael together specifically on the auspicious occasion of the Chofetz Chaim’s yahrzeit just before Rosh Hashanah in unified tefilla on behalf of Klal Yisrael and to encourage the continued learning of the Chofetz Chaim’s sefarim that have such power to invoke rachmei shamayim.
This year, perhaps more than in any previous year, the Yom Limud and Tefillah resonated in a more profound way—as the world is in real danger. In Eretz Yisrael the danger is obvious, but in America and Europe, the rise of antisemitism and unapologetic Jew hatred in the mainstream is affecting the physical, spiritual and economic health of our community in an unprecedented way.
Videocast Full of Inspiration From Past and Present Gedolim
This year’s Yom Limud and Tefillah featured a special videocast that began this past Motzei Shabbos, 25 Elul, and ran throughout Monday. The videocast featured unique chizuk by leading gedolei Yisrael including, Rav David Ozeri, rav of Congregation Yad Yosef of Brooklyn; Rav Dovid Hofstedter, nasi Dirshu; Rav Daniel Glatstein, rav of Kehillas Tiferes Mordechai of Cedarhurst; and Rav Zev Smith, maggid shiur Dirshu, Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and Irgun Shiurei Torah. One of the highlights of the videocast was the historical footage of HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l, wherein he gives detailed hadracha for Bnei Torah on how to succeed in learning.
Rav Gershon Edelstein:
The Antidote to Yetzer Hara Is Geshmak in Learning
Another highlight of the videocast was the rare historic footage from 15 years ago of Rav Gershon Edelstein answering questions. One of the questions was, “What is the proper approach for a ben Torah to manage with all the difficult, spiritual challenges in our times?”
Rav Gershon answered, “He must have a geshmak in learning and that means learning things that his heart desires. Not everyone enjoys learning the same thing. Some like iyun, some are more inclined to bekius, and yet others prefer halacha. Having a geshmak in what one learns overrides anything else. It is a geshmak in matters of kedusha that empowers him to tear himself from the other so-called ‘geshmak’ pastimes.”
In Display of Achdus, Diverse Communities Participate in Special Schools Programing
In addition to the Yom Tefillah and videocast, the special programing for schools on the Chofetz Chaim was a resounding success.
Throughout diverse communities across the United States and Canada, a wide range of some 200 schools that represented the entire panoply of Orthodox Jewry, participated in the Yom Limud and Tefillah school programs. Whether it was Ashkenazim, Sefardim, Chassidim, yeshiva types, day schools, chadarim, bais yaakovs; all of them were represented at Dirshu’s Yom Limud and Tefillah. They include schools hailing from communities such as Monsey, Lakewood, Passaic, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Toronto, Canada; Houston, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; Waterbury, Connecticut; Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; Providence, Rhode Island and so many more.
Indeed, Dirshu produced riveting USBs with stories about the Chofetz Chaim told by the famed Rabbi Yoel Ferber in English and by Rabbi Leibish Lish, legendary Yiddish storyteller. The children listened to the stories in school and were each given their own USB to take home and listen to on their own time.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, a citywide tefillah rally for children was held, where all of the children in the various Torah schools in the city gathered together at the Shaarei Chaim shul to storm the gates of Heaven on behalf of acheinu Bnei Yisrael. “It was a deeply inspiring event permeated by remarkable achdus,” said Rabbi Ari Taback, Dirshu’s South African director.
One menahel related, “I spoke to the boys about who the Chofetz Chaim was and how, through his seforim, he immeasurably enriched each and every one of us. Although the children had certainly heard of the Chofetz Chaim they nevertheless gained a true appreciation of what he did for us when I showed them the sifrei Chofetz Chaim and Mishnah Berurah and explained how pivotal they are in our everyday lives. They became cognizant of how the Chofetz Chaim relates to them on a personal level.”
May the zechus of the Chofetz Chaim and all of the tefillos and Torah learned on his yahrzeit protect Klal Yisrael and be a zechus for Jews the world over.
