Gedolei Yisrael Address Precarious Situation in Eretz Yisrael
“I can’t believe I learned the entire hilchos tefillin with Mishnah Berurah! Even the difficult siman lamed beis and the Mishnas Sofrim about how to properly write the letters in tefillin, mezuzos and Sifrei Torah was not skipped. It was the first time in my life that I learned these halachos! The Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program has taught me not to be scared of any area, but rather to plunge into the learning, one day at a time, one se’if after another and realize how, with a small daily investment I can slowly make huge strides in knowledge of halacha and mussar.” These were the excited sentiments expressed by a person who began the second machzor of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha just over six months ago and has not looked back since.
He continues, “Now we have started the halachos of birchas hashachar and the daily tefillos. I am so motivated!
Guidance from Gedolim to Engender Success
One of the underlying hashkafos of Dirshu is to constantly seek guidance from Gedolei Yisrael, both with regard to existing programs and new programs in their planning stages, in keeping with the words of the Gemara that, “Anyone who takes advice and guidance from the elders will not stumble.” Thus, last week, senior members of Dirshu’s hanhala went to the homes of several senior Gedolim to receive their bracha and words of chizuk as Daf HaYomi B’Halacha embarks on the daily halachos of davening and in mussar on shmiras halashon. Among the Gedolim visited were the senior Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, shlita, the Sar HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, the senior Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita, and the senior Sephardic Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Shimon Baadani, shlita.
The visits transpired this past Sunday, 28 Cheshvan/October 11, when Eretz Yisrael was in the throes of an unprecedented wave of terror attacks perpetrated by young Arabs against innocent Israeli civilians. Dirshu’s hanhala found the Gedolei Yisrael very worried about the plight of Am Yisrael and in tremendous pain over the loss of life and injury caused by the wave of attacks in multiple cities and especially in Yerushalayim where there have been numerous serious incidents resulting in death and serious injury.
Little did the hanhala of Dirshu realize that in the eyes of the Gedolei Yisrael, the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and mussar program can play an important role in arousing the rachamei shamayim needed to neutralize and stop these gezeiros from transpiring.
Rav Gershon Edelstein: Shmiras Halashon Can Lead to Hatzalas Nefashos
The first Gadol that Dirshu visited was HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita. Rav Gershon, whose every word is measured in his public statements, told the Dirshu hanhala that, “learning the concepts of shmiras halashon carries within it the power of hatzalas nefashos. The senior Rosh Yeshiva added that learning hilchos tefillah in a comprehensive manner, with cheishek, excitement and desire, has the power to transform a person’s tefillah. [This enhanced adherence and devotion to] tefillah is a segulah that can help a person be saved from difficult occurrences.”
Rav Chaim Kanievsky: Halacha and Mussar, Shields for Salvation!
From the unassuming apartment on Rechov Rashbam in Bnei Brak where Rav Chaim Kanievsky lives, the light of Torah shines forth to the four corners of the world. Although it is well known that Rav Chaim is extremely sparing with his words he nevertheless has a special place in his heart for Dirshu and expresses his deep simcha and respect for the tremendous amount of Torah learning and Torah living that Dirshu has facilitated among Yidden the world over. When Dirshu came to receive guidance and chizuk from Rav Chaim, Rav Chaim said, “It is obvious that chizuk in the learning of daily halacha with a program such as Daf HaYomi B’Halacha coupled with the words and ideals of mussar from the Chofetz Chaim can serve as a shield and a source of salvation during this difficult period [that Am Yisrael is undergoing.]”
Rav Shimon Baadani: Daily Halacha Learning… An Antidote to Travail and Suffering
HaGaon HaRav Shimon Baadani, shlita, member of the Nesius of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, was extremely distraught over the difficulties that Yidden across Eretz Yisrael are facing due to the outbreak of Arab terrorism in cities throughout the country. Rav Baadani bemoaned the fact that still, despite everything, people are often not careful in what they say about their fellow man. “Negative speech and lashon hara is so dangerous!” he reiterated. He then praised Dirshu for instituting a program where the halacha and mussar regarding lashon hara is learned because just as speaking lashon hara can r”l, be the source of much difficulty and travail for Klal Yisrael
Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman: Learning Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Can Change the Situation
A visit to the humble abode of the venerated senior Rosh Yeshiva of our time, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, shlita, is always a deeply inspiring, instructive experience. The visit of Dirshu’s hanhala to his austere home this past Sunday was no different.
As always, Rav Shteinman greeted the hanhala of Dirshu who were accompanied by his close talmid, HaGaon HaRav Chizkiyahu Mishkovsky, shlita, Mashgiach of Yeshiva Orchos Torah, with great affection. After hearing a report about Dirshu’s latest accomplishments and plans, as well as the hisorerus engendered by the recent Dirshu mission to Radin, Rav Shteinman addressed the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program and the current wave of terror in Eretz Yisrael that is causing the Rosh Yeshiva such heartache. He spoke about the power of all limud haTorah and limud halacha to neutralize difficult gezeiros saying, “It is simple and obvious that learning in a program like Daf HaYomi B’Halacha can help [Klal Yisrael] in the present difficult situation.” Later, he qualified his words with even greater emphasis saying, “It is clear that joining the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha can serve as a means to change the matzav…”
Rav Shteinman ended with warm, heartfelt bracha to Dirshu that “they should continue to accomplish only good things!”
