Dirshu nesius, comprised of senior gedolei roshei yeshiva and admorim, attend event.
Any time there is a siyum at the home of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, it is a moving ma’amad; certainly it is exponentially more inspiring when that siyum is attended by senior gedolei Yisrael such as HaGaon HaRav Berel Povarsky, shlita, rosh yeshivas Ponovezh, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, shlita, rosh yeshivas Ateres Yisrael, the Sanzer Rebbe, Hagaon Harav Dovid Cohen, shlita, rosh yeshivas Chevron, and the Modzitzer Rebbe, shlita.
The siyum on Daf HaYomi Bavli, Masechta Middos and on Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, Chelek Daled of Mishnah Berurah at Rav Chaim’s home took on a much more pronounced significance due to the fact that, in just over a month, the multiple events of marking the Dirshu World Siyum will begin. Those siyumim to be held in stadiums from Yerushalayim and Tel Aviv, to Manchester, Paris, Johannesburg and more, will culminate in the grand finale of the world siyum at the Prudential Center and NJPAC in Newark, New Jersey, where the accomplishments of the lomdei Dirshu will be hailed and publicly recognized.
The siyum at the home of Rav Chaim was divided into two parts. Dirshu’s nesius gathered at Rav Chaim’s house in the evening where the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, the Sanzer Rebbe and Rav Dovid Hofstedter gave addresses. Rav Chaim, who was not feeling well, asked that the ma’amad continue in his house without him and asked the leaders of Dirshu to return to his home the next morning after vasikin davening.
He also sent his son, Rav Yitzchok Shaul Kanievsky, with a letter that was read publicly at the ma’amad.
“There is a well-known Gemara in Masechta Shabbos:34 that teaches that one of the questions that a person will be asked when he is brought to judgment is whether he has set aside fixed times for learning Torah. The Mishnah Berurah takes great pains to tell us that a person should never neglect a set time for learning. It is also well known that the ultimate level of Torah learning is when one learns in order to come out with practical halacha. The Chofetz Chaim, in his introduction to the Mishnah Berurah, explains that if a person doesn’t have enough time to learn everything, the first thing he should learn are the practical things so that he will not inadvertently transgress halacha. It is therefore incumbent on us to thank Dirshu and our dear friend, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, who for decades has been and continues to be moser both his nefesh and his resources to promote the learning of Daf HaYomi and the other programs in order to increase knowledge in all of Shas among yungeleit and bachurim. It is in his zechus that thousands know Shas, Mishnah Berurah and Shulchan Aruch….”
Rav Chaim concluded with a heartfelt bracha to all of the learners who will be making a siyum and whose accomplishments will be celebrated and hailed at the upcoming World Siyumim.
The Vizhnitzer Rebbe, in his passionate remarks, focused on the fact that Dirshu has promoted the idea of chazara, reviewing one’s learning in an unprecedented way. “With Dirshu, there is no such thing as learning the Daf HaYomi once and then just moving on. That is perhaps what the pasuk after which Dirshu is named means when it says, ‘Dirshu Hashem v’uzo, bakshu fanav tamid.’ The way to seek out Hashem is by tamid, constantly reviewing, over and over again.”
Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi took the opportunity of the siyum, the last siyum before the major siyum haShas, to talk about the siyum haShas and Dirshu’s role in promoting learning, chazara and yedias haTorah among the masses in an unprecedented way. He said, “Klal Yisrael is about to finish Shas! Is that a small accomplishment? Think about it for a second. You know who has thought about this and keeps thinking about this? Dirshu. Dirshu is a chiddush. In a certain sense, they have done something that no one else has been zoche to achieve. They are an organization with one objective: to seek out ways to increase Torah learning and Torah knowledge among klal Yisrael and to increase kavod haTorah…”
The Sanzer Rebbe said, “I want to tell you something.” The Rebbe continued emotionally, “The Gemara tells us that when the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, the Shechina went into galus. The only way to bring the Shechina back is through Torah. I think we can say that Dirshu has brought back the Shechina!
“I want to share a personal thought with you. When Dirshu started, I didn’t think—and no one thought—that it would grow to such a worldwide movement. The Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Boruch Mordechai, said in his address that there is no comparison to it [Dirshu] in klal Yisrael. He is right! In every country where there are Yidden who learn Torah, Dirshu is there, assisting them and helping them maximize their learning. It is a movement that has revolutionized the entire world. Rav Boruch Mordechai said that we have to be makir tov to Dirshu and Rav Dovid, that is true, but I also want to say that I am jealous. I am jealous of such a zechus. What Rav Dovid Hofstedter has done is a tremendous mechayev. It obligates us all. It isn’t just money that has led to Dirshu’s success. It is zechusim. You need zechusim to facilitate so much limud haTorah all over the world. There are many wonderful, ehrliche Yidden, many philanthropists who want to do big things, but not everyone is zoche.
“My bracha is that the upcoming siyumim increase the kavod haTorah and encourage more and more people to learn Torah. After all, ultimately, the more Torah that is learned, the more people chazer, the closer we are to bringing the ultimate geulah sheleimah that we all so long for, may it be b’mheira b’yameinu!”
Rav Dovid cited the words that the Sanzer Rebbe had just spoken—the fact that the way to bring the Shechina to klal Yisrael in our time is through limud haTorah. Rav Dovid added, “In the time of the Beis Hamikdash, the Shechina was there. In our times, however, the Shechina resides when there is a gathering of gedolei Yisrael. When gedolei Yisrael come together to give advice and bracha, it is a manifestation of the Shechina’s presence in klal Yisrael. That is why we at Dirshu feel so fortunate to have the constant bracha and guidance of the leading gedolei Yisrael of our time, who, both in the past and in the present, have been our guiding lights, advising us on which programs to start and how to promote them.
“This year especially we have the zechus of receiving so much guidance and bracha from the gedolim as we embark on world siyumim all over the world. It is their guidance that will enable us to make a kiddush Hashem, to be mechazek Torah learning and to be mechazek ameilus in Torah and yegiah in Torah. We feel so deeply fortunate to benefit from this constant guidance. It is our fervent tefillah that Hashem should preserve our gedolim in good health and they should continue to accompany us and guide us to increase Torah and to be mekadesh shem shamayim!”
By Chaim Gold
