HaRav Yissocher Frand, long time R”M at Yeshiva Ner Israel of Baltimore was the speaker at a unique Dirshu Siyum on Seder Moed this past 3 Sivan/June 1, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The siyum by the Dirshu Baalei Batim Kollel was a deeply inspiring event depicting how even people who spend their days earning parnassah to sustain their families do not have to give up on ameilus in Torah.
The Dirshu Kollel for Baalei Battim in Silver Spring is one of the most remarkable and successful baalei batim programs. Today it features over 40 participants. The program, which has been in existence for 12 years, has completed 17 masechtos! Over those years, literally hundreds of people have participated in the Dirshu Kollel and it has remained virtually unchanged in form with both an early morning and evening program in two locales, the Yeshiva of Greater Washington in Kemp Mill and South East Hebrew Congregation in White Oak.
The cornerstone of Kollel Dirshu Silver Spring is Rav Eliyahu Reingold, Rosh Kollel of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. Rav Reingold is the driving force who gives the morning shiur at the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, writes the tests and gives the review shiurim. There are a number of other maggidei shiur as well. The deeply devoted administrative and spiritual driving force behind the Kollel is Dr. Hirsh Komarow. Together, they have enabled the program to achieve such phenomenal success.
The siyyum at the Shomrai Emunah Shul was a beautiful, catered event for the participants and their families. Many additional community members packed the hall to be inspired by a drasha during the Sheloshes Yemei Hagbalah in preparation for Shavuos by Rav Yissocher Frand, one of the pre-eminent speakers in the Jewish world.
Rav Frand explained, “Dirshu is an organization, a movement where people don’t just start Masechtos and taper off. It is a movement all about achrayus, responsibility, in limud haTorah, accountability in limud haTorah and most of all about ameilus, working and toiling in Torah learning. This chaburah and all of Dirshu’s myriad programs are programs where people don’t just start Masechtos, they finish them! They don’t just finish Masechtos perfunctorily, but they learn them, review, review again and then take tests on them! Learning and taking tests on the entire Seder Moed is a colossal accomplishment that all of you and your families should be deeply proud of.”
The Dirshu Baalei Batim Kollel in Silver Spring is just one component in Dirshu’s numerous programs of accountable limud haTorah where Masechtos and sefarim are both started and completed. Dirshu’s Kinyan Torah Daf Hayomi testing program has produced untold numbers of bekiim in Shas and Dirshu’s Kinyan Halacha program is preparing the poskim for the next generation. They are two of Dirshu’s most popular programs. Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program, which began six years ago, is currently on the last chelek of Mishna Berurah and is headed to the historic siyum of its first machzor scheduled for April 2015.
By Chaim Gold
