This past Sunday, tens of thousands of participants in Dirshu’s learning programs embarked on a new journey as they embraced Dirshu’s newest program, titled “Kinyan Chochma.” Kinyan Chochma is a mussar program wherein a short piece of one of the mussar classics will be learned daily.

The program has been instituted to encourage daily learning of mussar. The gedolei Yisrael from both Eretz Yisrael and chutz la’aretz have called on Yidden the world over to join the program and incorporate the daily learning of mussar into their lives together with their other learning sedarim. Lomdei Dirshu participating in the Kinyan Torah program and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha programs will be able to take a monthly test on the mussar learned and receive a stipend for excellent results.

Last week, HaGaon HaRav Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky, shlita, menahel ruchani of Yeshiva Orchos Torah, visited the home of HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita, rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, as well as the home of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, who praised the ideal of mussar learning as an important component in the Torah learning of every individual. Rav Mishkovsky added that the imperative to learn took on added urgency as a vehicle to arouse rachamei shomayim on behalf of the gadol hador, HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Ben Gittel Feiga Shteinman, shlita.

At the most recent Dirshu test, numerous gedolim and rabbonim addressed the lomdei Dirshu in the various testing sites throughout Eretz Yisrael, Europe, North America and South America, encouraging all to undertake that few minutes a day of limud hamussar that can have a transformative spiritual impact on one’s entire day.

In America, two of the great mashgichim of our generation, HaGaon HaRav Matisyahu Salomon, shlita, mashgiach ruchani of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Wolfson, shlita, mashgiach of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and rav of Kehal Emunas Yisrael of Boro Park, wrote enthusiastic approbations to the program that were published at the front of the new Kuntres Kinyan Chochma.

HaGaon HaRav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, shlita, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg, added his signature to Rav Matisyahu’s haskama encouraging all to undertake the daily learning of mussar.

At the Dirshu testing site in Boro Park, HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Schorr, shlita, rav of Kehal Nezer Gedalyahu of Flatbush, addressed the packed beis medrash. After asking mechila from the talmidei chachamim for disrupting their concentration, Rav Schorr quipped, “I have been asked to sell honey to you, for the word devash is the same gematria as mussar!” The connotation was clear. Mussar makes life sweet. A person who lives a life influenced by mussar has a sweet life.

In Eretz Yisrael, luminaries such as the well-known mashgiach HaGaon HaRav Don Segal, shlita, spoke at the testing site at Yeshivas Mir, Yerushalayim; HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, shlita, av beis din Shaarei Horaah and a talmid muvhak of Rav Shmuel Wosner, spoke at Beis Medrash Chanichei Yeshivas Chevron in Bnei Brak; Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager, son of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, spoke at Vizhnitz, Bnei Brak, HaGaon HaRav Yisrael Gans, shlita, rav of the Mattersdorf neighborhood of Yerushalayim and R”M at Yeshiva Kol Torah, HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok Kook, shlita, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Me’or Hatalmud; and Rav Avrohom Halberstam, son of the Sanzer Rebbe, spoke in Netanya..

In Monsey, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Weisberger, shlita, mashgiach in Yeshivas Ohel Torah and Bais Mikroh addressed the lomdei Dirshu. At Kollel Kesser Torah in Montreal, the Dirshu testing site, HaGaon HaRav Yoel Chonon Wenger, shlita, rav of Kehal Eitz Chaim, addressed the test takers.

HaGaon HaRav Efroim Greenbaum, shlita, a dayan in Shikun Skver, spoke at the testing site in Shikun Skver.

At the testing site in Modiin Illit, Eretz Yisrael, HaGaon HaRav Yisroel Zicherman, rav of the Brachfeld neighborhood of Modin Illit, echoed what was on the minds of so many; the condition of the gadol hador, the senior rosh yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, shlita. Rav Zicherman said, “In these difficult days, when each and every one of us is deeply concerned and worried about the welfare of Rav Shteinman; in these days when we are all davening and literally storming the Heavens begging Hashem to send a refuah to Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib ben Gittel Feiga, it is incumbent on us to follow the guidance of the senior gedolim [Rav Gershon Edelstein and Rav Chaim Kanievsky] and add mussar learning to our schedules. Mussar is the pillar that supports our learning of halacha and Shas that we do in Dirshu’s programs. It is our tefillah, our deepest supplication to Hashem that this Kinyan Chochma mussar learning that we are adding should be the support that will invoke a refuah sheleima for the venerated Rosh Yeshiva and that he will continue to lead and guide us until the coming of Moshiach!”

By Chaim Gold