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IN-DEPTH FEATURES
Beginnings . . .
It all began on 3 Elul, 5683 (1923), at the Second Agudas
Yisroel Knessia Gedolah in Vienna. This great assemblage,
chaired by HaRav Yehuda Leib Zirelsohn zt"l, was
attended by the cream of Torah Jewry at the time. HaRav Meir
Shapiro zt"l had been honored to present to the plenum
the suggestions and decisions of the Vaad LeInyonei Chinuch.
After enumerating the plans to strengthen Yiddishkeit,
and other chinuch-related propositions, Rabbi Meir
appealed for permission to present a personal idea to the
great crowd.
In his clear and ringing voice, as his eyes sparkled with a
great light, Rabbi Meir emotionally outlined his ingenious
proposition for the Daf Yomi. All of Klal Yisroel, all
over the world, would learn the same daf gemora on the
same day. They would begin Shas together and they
would finish Shas together. An inseverable bond would
be formed between all Jews, irrespective of their
location.
Daf Yomi would become the connection between Hakodosh
Boruch Hu, the Torah, and Klal Yisroel. And thus,
Rabbi Meir dramatically finished his passionate plea: "It is
up to the Knessia Gedolah to decide! Will it be that from
Rosh Hashonoh 5684 we begin learning a daily daf
gemora according to the order of Shas? Will this
daf from now on, be a symbol of those who unite to
fulfill the Word of G-d?"
Rabbi Meir's fiery words, spouting forth from a heart
bursting with yearning for Torah and its lomdim,
impressed themselves enormously upon his listeners. Up until
then his words had been heard in silence.
Suddenly, while the last word of Rabbi Meir's open question
still hung in the air, the crowd was swept with tremendous
emotion and simultaneously rose to its feet. Thousands of
participants: the gedolim, the rabbonim, and the crowd
at large cried out, "Na'aseh venishma!"
The walls shook, reminiscent of the first time those precious
words of kabbolas haTorah had been exclaimed. Amidst
the joyful enthusiasm of the throngs, Daf Yomi had earned its
official acceptance: "Chareidi Jewry of the world does hereby
accept upon itself, to learn each day, one specific
daf, beginning with maseches Brochos . . . "
On that Rosh Hashonoh, it became reality.
The Inspiration Behind the Daf
A newspaper of that historic period featured an interview
with HaRav Meir Shapiro, wherein he expressed his thoughts
and feelings about Daf Yomi (freely translated): "As I
traveled to the Knessia Gedoloh, a heavy question appeared in
my mind. It disturbed me tremendously, and I knew not the
answer. I pondered for hours, yet could not come up with a
reply. Until I actually stood in the great hall of the
convention, I remained lost in thought.
"How can we possibly host, in one hotel, all the gedolei
Yisroel, from all circles and different backgrounds? How
can HaRav Chaim Brisker connect with Reb Yaakov Rosenheim
(President of Agudas Yisroel) from Frankfurt? Can a modern
American youth sit comfortably together with a Yid
from Tzfas? Can a Torahdige, litvish'e Dutchman go
along with a chossid from Poland? What could possibly
bridge the differences between people from all walks of
life?
"At a loss for an answer, I opened my attache case and took
out my gemora Brochos to begin learning in-depth. I
reached the first question of the gemora and could not
understand it. I began to study the meforshim: Rashi .
. . Tosafos . . . Maharsha . . . Maharam. Upon learning their
explanations in detail, I was soon able to come up with a
pshat."
Rabbi Meir continued to outline his train-of-thought:
"On the spur of the moment, it occurred to me: The
mishna was created in the days of Rabbi Yehuda Hanossi
in Eretz Yisroel. The gemora was written in
Bovel. Rashi lived in Mainz, the Tosafos in France, the
Maharsha in Lithuania, and the Maharam Lubliner toiled in
Torah in Poland. And — wonder of wonders! — all
these diverse backgrounds come together, united, to explain
the gemora's classical question."
*
That daf gemora removes all dividing walls, turns the
oceans into dry land, joins distant opinions, and bridges
diverse nations and foreign countries. All are united around
the daf.
We can thus see why the idea of Daf Yomi spread like
wildfire. Rabbi Meir's brainchild took off — to the
extent that the seforim stores then almost exclusively
carried gemoras Brochos. These were snatched up like
hotcakes, and masechta Shabbos sold as well. People
feared that by the time the Daf Yomi cycle would be up to
Shabbos, there would be no gemoras left!
The First Daf
Extra-special preparation for this Rosh Hashonoh was
noticeable in the shuls of every town. The
shamoshim prepared additional illumination, to last
hours longer than usual. As the New Year came in, the
atmosphere was awesome, yet particularly festive. Baalei
batim hurried to shul, their gemoras
Brochos tucked under their arms. Their delight was
evident and their faces displayed pride, as if they were
showing off beautiful esrogim. Their cause for
happiness was justified. After all, the greatest
lamdan of the town would be giving the first Daf
Yomi shiur tonight, and they would be attending!
Immediately after the tefilloh ended, the tables,
especially prepared on erev Yom Tov, spontaneously
filled with lomdim. The writer Gershon Gura o"h
described what went on in his hometown: "With simchas Yom
Tov plain on their faces, those seated opened their
gemoras. The New Year opened its doors, and these
people turned a new page in their lives . . . Reb Yisroel
Yonah zt"l opened his large gemora and could
not hide his great emotion. In a trembling voice, he began
the shiur: `Mei'eimosai korin es Shema . . .
'
"Like drops of dew that wet the parched earth, Reb Yisroel
Yonah's sweet words arouse his listeners. The arguments in
learning, halochoh, aggodoh, general knowledge of
Shas were brought in. The great significance of that
day, of that historical moment, is etched in time forever
after.
"The allotted time for the shiur passes and the
learning stretches on for hours. The lomdim sit
mesmerized, unaware that they have not yet made
Kiddush! The Wine of Torah, its sweetness infinitely
richer than apple and honey, has intoxicated them . . .
Finally, the new lomdei hadaf are forced to get up
from their places. The kol shofar would be sounding
early tomorrow morning and they still had to go home and
partake of the seudah. Yet, there was a feeling of
satisfaction . . . of achievement . . . of fulfillment . . .
The kol shofar would ring differently tomorrow. These
lomdim had made a giant step in the right
direction.
*
Leil Rosh Hashonoh, in the massive beis medrash
of the town Ger. Thousands of Chassidim, dressed in
their majestic Yom Tov garb, packed together, jammed
into every inch of space. All are eager to catch a glimpse of
their revered Rebbe the Imrei Emes, as he concludes
the Rosh Hashonoh Ma'ariv. Suddenly the Rebbe turns
around and, facing the crowd, announces, "I am going to learn
the Daf Yomi. Gut Yom tov."
It was as if the crowd was suddenly electrified. Within
seconds, all the gemoras Brochos had been snatched
from the shelves . . .
The First Siyum HaShas
In Honor of the First Siyum HaShas on Tu BeShevat, 5691
(1931)
On the first day of Rosh Hashonoh 5684, tens of thousands of
Yidden took the first masechta of Shas
in their hands and began from "alef" — "Mei'eimosai
korin es Shema . . . "
Behold, here they are all today, on the rosh hashonoh
of the trees, and the last masechta of Shas is
in their hands. They stand here, actually on the threshold
of: "One who reviews halochos every day . . . (is
assured his share in Olom Habo)."
Two thousand seven hundred and two days have gone by like the
blink of an eye. With each day that passed, our hands have
turned an additional page. Let us study for a moment, the
synchronization that has been achieved by the pages and the
days. We can then prove in totality that the numbers are
identical: Two thousand seven hundred and two pages.
Praised be the Jew! How great is his persistence and
determination! After having struggled through an entire long,
exhausting day, accompanied by waves of troubles and
responsibilities, he immerses his soul in the crystal-clear
waters of the yam HaTalmud. His demanding way of life,
his halichos, are exchanged for paths to the World to
Come. Call them not halichos—ways; Call them
halochos—laws.
The Jew throws off the clothes of This World and dons the
clothes of the Next. Although filled with worry and
uncertainty, downtrodden and dispirited with his harsh daily
existence, the Jew's daf gemora enables him to
overcome it all.
The Daf Yomi is like a bridge made of paper on which the Jew
courageously treads, passing over the endless oceans of
suffering. This bridge is stronger and sounder than any steel
bridge ever made.
The pinnacle of Daf Yomi's magnetic power lies in the
idea, the reflection, that the one daf gemora I am
learning here is being learned by thousands of Jews all over,
in whatever place they have been dispersed to, around planet
Earth. Each person is different, with his own flavor, his own
style of thinking, and way of learning, whether alone or with
a chavrusa — yet Abaye and Rovo remain the
same.
This exact feeling that Daf Yomi has given the Jewish world
is what I felt the first time I went out to collect for the
benefit of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin. I came upon many Daf
Yomi shiurim in various Jewish centers around the world.
The differences in style of learning between HaChover Dr.
Braunsweig in Strasburg, or Reb Isser Shamosh in London to
Rabbi Schwartz in Baltimore all fade away. Compared to the
great power locked into the idea of Daf Yomi, the contrast is
irrelevant. Wherever the group of lomdim may be, the
content of this inner message remains.
I still clearly remember the everlasting reply given by
Yechiel Yeshayohu, the Jewish soldier from Radom. When I
perceived that he had a small gemora in his rucksack,
probably that of Daf Yomi, I asked him: "Do you faithfully
learn Daf Yomi every day?"
To this he replied, "Of course! I am a soldier, and a soldier
abides by the rules! I keep the Daf Yomi calendar, and do not
allow myself to fall behind!"
He is correct. A vital power, besiyata deShmaya, has
joined our platform of strength. This point is crucial, and
great importance must be attached to it in the battle for our
existence.
Today, at the Siyum HaShas, unusually fortified
pillars of strength are on display. Our rows (of
lomdim) are constantly growing. All of us, without
exception, prepare ourselves to increase our soldiers, for
our great source of strength: Daf Yomi.
Today is a Yom Tov for Klal Yisroel. Fortunate
and filled with contentment, are those who have merited
learning Daf Yomi day-in, day-out. Fortunate are their
partners, who have merited hearing the blissful announcement
that they too, are considered equal, having donated the
grush yomi.
As one man, with one heart, bathed in a luminous beam of hope
and promise, we pray that we be zoche to learn
Shas again the second time around. May it be amidst
better life conditions, with the yoke of golus not so
heavily cast upon us. On this holy, momentous day, may the
two thousand seven hundred and two blatt gemora,
learned by tens of thousands (kein yirbu!), rise
Heavenward. May they stand before the Heavenly Throne as
Pleaders, to defend and to entreat for Klal Yisroel's
Salvation. May we merit Chazal's promise: "One who fulfills
the Torah in poverty will come to fulfill the Torah in
wealth!"
*
As retold by a close talmid of Rabbi Meir Shapiro:
"Our great Rebbe was zoche to celebrate the First
Siyum HaShas, on Tu BeShevat, 5691 (1931). Siyumim
were held all over the world. Yet perhaps the most splendid
affair took place in Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin where the Daf
Yomi was conceived. The Captain of the magnificent Yeshiva
conducted the siyum with blazing emotions and
celestial dveikus. In a total outpouring of his lofty
soul, he cried as he concluded the last lines of Shas,
tears of joy dropping from his pure eyes . . . "
In Difficult Times
When the Nazi Party ym"sh rose to power, overt
antisemitism began to take over. The atmosphere was anxious,
controversial, and tense, to say the least. Rabbi Meir's
Shabbos Hagodol droshoh of 5693 (1933) sized up the
situation, and gave his kehilloh the mindset to
continue. "I can still picture how he stood on the
bimah of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, his ringing voice
echoing zealously," recalled a talmid almost sixty
years later:
The gemora in maseches Brochos (61b) relates:
Once the Roman Empire issued a decree forbidding Torah study.
Papus ben Yehuda came along, and found Rabbi Akiva gathering
crowds and teaching them Torah. He asked, "Akiva! Do you not
fear the government?" Rabbi Akiva responded with a parable:
"To what is this compared? To a fox who was walking along the
banks of the river, and saw fish pooling together (moving)
from one place to another. `What are you escaping from?'
asked the fox. `From the nets of man!' answered the fish.
`Why don't you come up onto the land, and you and I will live
together, just like my ancestors lived with yours!' invited
the fox. `Are you the one said to be cleverest of all the
animals?' the fish accosted him. `Fool! If we live in fear in
the territories that give us life, how much more so do we
fear the area of certain death!' So too, continued Rabbi
Akiva, we sit now and study Torah, which is our life. If we
give up Torah, how much more so must we fear!
It was not long after, that Rabbi Akiva was caught and
imprisoned. Papus ben Yehuda was arrested too, and chained
near Rabbi Akiva. `What brought you here?' asked Rabbi Akiva
of Papus. Papus's rejoinder was: `Fortunate are you, Rabbi
Akiva, for having been arrested for learning Torah, while I
have been arrested for (mere) idle-talk.'
The Lubliner Rov explained: "Papus represented the population
that wishes to be like all the gentiles. This warped ideology
is based on the notion that if we wish to rid ourselves of
the tribulations of golus, the only solution is to
remove the barriers dividing us from the gentile. The Jew
must aspire to conduct his lifestyle as similar to the
gentile as possible, to connect with the gentile, and live
together with him — they say. In such fashion, they
think, the antisemitism will automatically fall away, never
to return.
Rabbi Akiva's philosophy was different.
Basing his life on his oft-repeated saying, `All creatures
found in the sea are tahor, excluding the sea dog'
(Keilim 17:13) Rav Bartenura explains: The sea dog
exists in water, yet when threatened with capture it escapes
to the dry land. Rabbi Akiva was imparting the following
message to Papus: One who runs away from his lifeline
displays unclean attributes! A tahor creature does not
run away from water! Rather, it descends even deeper into
the sea! A Jew wishing to escape his tzoros must
plunge even deeper into the ocean — into the yam
HaTalmud! One who attempts to be equal to the gentile in
order to escape, and thus runs in the opposite direction of
his natural lifeline, displays unclean attributes.
Tumah! Such behavior will be liable to cut him off in
short order from This World.
In our long history of Klal Yisroel among the Nations,
those that promoted the idea of equality and brotherhood for
all soon fell upon their faces. A few short months ago, the
dream of a Jewish Socialist Party arose. Those that imprinted
their flag with this equality and brotherhood have rapidly
shown us that this ideology is false, full of fallacies, and
always contrary to what the Jew should be. We have
demonstrated over and over again, that the only salvation
Klal Yisroel has is through Torah. "Ki heim
chayeinu, ve'orech yomeinu, uvohem nehegeh yomom
voloyloh."
By learning Daf Yomi we are in essence declaring: "We are the
sons of Rabbi Akiva, and we uphold his viewpoint!"
"Ani chomoh, veshodai kamigdolos" (Shir Hashirim
8:10). Rabbi Yochonon said, "Ani chomoh — I
am a wall — this is the Torah. "Veshodai
kamigdolos" — and my Towers are the talmidei
chachomim. The talmidei chachomim who kill
themselves to learn Torah are our protective fortress. "Any
instrument created to destroy you will not succeed"
(Yeshayohu 54:17). No hoax or ruse can pull us away
from learning Torah, and no deception can penetrate our Wall
of Torah and our yeshiva fortresses. No matter who we are,
from which lifestyle we come from. Through learning Daf
Yomi each one of us is, in essence, a cheilek of
the one-and-only effective protection we possess: Torah.
In Closing
We come to the close of the Eleventh Daf Yomi cycle. We
realize that passage of time has not dimmed the bright flame
which Daf Yomi initially ignited in the hearts of
Klal Yisroel. On the contrary, its newness remains as
if this novel idea had just been introduced. With each
passing day, the further development of learning intensifies
for the lomdim.
It is as if the spirit of Rabbi Meir Shapiro zt"l
hovers over every group of people learning Daf Yomi. As the
daily shiurim between mincha and ma'ariv
take place after a full day's work, Rabbi Meir's lips mumble
in his grave. He can never be gone; the Daf Yomi legacy lives
on.
We began this Daf Yomi cycle seven years ago, with the
words "Mei'eimosai korin es Shema be'arvis —
From when is it permissible to recite Shema in the
evening." Let us hope, that in the zchus of the light
of Torah and mitzvos, we will soon witness the darkness of
night being swept away, by the crack of dawn; "Vehoyoh
le'eis erev, yihiyeh ohr . . . " May it happen speedily, in
our days."
From a distant village in faraway Bukovina, an urgent letter
arrived at the home of Rabbi Meir Shapiro zt"l from
his sister. The letter was dated motzei Rosh Hashonoh,
5684, and contained the following lines (freely translated
from the Yiddish):
"On the night of Rosh Hashonoh, I dreamed that I saw you, my
dear brother, in Heaven. Crowds of distinguished-looking
tzaddikim surrounded you, their faces beaming like the
brilliant skies. You, my brother, were the focus, and your
face shone like the radiant sunlight. Everyone was smiling
and expressing their gratitude to you, as they rejoiced with
your very presence. My dear brother, reveal it to me! What is
the explanation of this wondrous dream?"
The sister was mystified, as she did not realize the above
was reality, not a dream. All this had indeed taken place in
This World. Those thousands of blatt gemora from the
first blatt of Shas had all risen heavenward.
Like sparkling gems, they created tremendous zechusim
for Rabbi Meir. They had formed a Royal Crown for that Day of
Judgment eighty-two years ago . . . From the four
corners of the Earth, those blatt rose up before the
Heavenly Throne and began their outward journey . . .
Their journey still continues today, in 5765. Millions of
blatt, in companionship of the Heavenly Angels, now
join this great celebration, as we complete the Daf
Yomi cycle once again.
Lu'ach Daf Yomi
To the Youth all over the world, who fear G-d's Word and His
Torah,
Peace onto You and Great Blessings!
Colleagues in Knowledge!
The Knessia Gedolah agreed, based on my proposition, to
introduce the shiur on Daf Yomi. Everyone accepted
this suggestion with great satisfaction and joy. But you, our
youth, the cream of our Nation and its future, accepted this
plan with the (greatest) holy enthusiasm.
Appreciate, wherever you are, precious children, that you
have undertaken a great promise for the G-d of Israel. It is
incumbent upon you to approach this holy mission yourselves,
and to arouse others to do the same.
Accept from me this Daf Yomi calendar and you will see that
we begin Shas on the first day Rosh Hashonoh, 5684,
and we will finish Shas, iy"H, on the Rosh Hashonoh of
the trees, Tu BeShevat, 5691.
Appreciate, that if upon every member of Agudas Yisroel lays
the obligation to learn the Daf Yomi upon you, this
commitment increases seven-fold.
Let us trust in G-d and His Kindness, that He swiftly grant
us the merit of seeing the Beis Hamikdosh rebuilt, and
the Earth filled with Knowledge of G-d.
Children, Precious Ones of G-d! You have gone out with might,
in the Name of G-d. Go forth with your strength even further!
Carry the banner of Torah up high, for the eyes of all
Chareidi Jewry are upon you! May G-d be with you, Courageous
Warriors!
From one who signs off with a heart full of longing for the
holy Torah, and with blessings for a gemar chasimoh
tovoh,
Hakoton Meir Shapiro, Av Beis Din, and ram of
Sanok
When Mr. S. of Monsey, NY, realized he would be in Hong Kong
on business on the night of the 11th Siyum HaShas, he
conveyed his regret to his friend in shul. "I learned the
daf every day for seven and a half years, and now I
won't be able to join in the celebration."
The particular mispallel with whom Mr. S. shared his
disappointment was Rabbi Labish Becker, associate executive
director of Agudath Israel of America — organizers of
the mammoth Siyum in America — and the man in
charge of coordinating satellite transmission of the
celebration at Continental Airlines Arena and Madison Square
Garden to locations in cities across North America and around
the world.
Rabbi Becker recalls, "When Mr. S. explained that there was
actually a jewelry show beginning in Hong Kong on the day of
the Siyum and that he was not the only one who'd be missing
the celebration, I knew we'd have to investigate the
possibility of a hookup." Approximately 100 people, among
them residents of the Hong Kong Jewish community, are now
expected to participate in the local event.
The challenge of coordinating local events is prodigious
— particularly abroad, Rabbi Becker observes. But, he
says, the personal satisfaction he derives from it is
great.
"The excitement the Siyum is generating in these communities
is, I would venture to say, comparable to that in the New
York-New Jersey area, where over 50,000 Jews will gather at
the two Siyum venues." The reason?
"Especially in smaller, more far-flung communities, the event
represents an awesome opportunity to plug into the spiritual
energy of 120,000 Jews getting together to honor Torah."
Reports from local organizers and participants after the last
mega-celebration in 1997, would seem to bear this out.
From Pittsburgh: "The broadcast introduced the attendees to a
whole new dimension of Jewish life focusing on daily Torah
study and Torah leadership. [Many] in the audience were
hearing Gedolei Torah for the first time."
From Portland: "The Siyum was a strong reminder of just what
I am missing in a place far from a mokom Torah. But it
also gave me a tremendous chizuk that despite the
isolation that I sometimes feel in being a representative of
Jewry in this outpost, I know that I am part of a strong,
large, vibrant . . . Klal Yisroel."
*
The tefillos of Siyum participants in Los Angeles and
elsewhere will mingle with the prayers of a large number of
Jews. At the time of this writing, close to 70 cities around
the globe have registered for hookups — 30 cities
signed up for the 10th Siyum — and more are still
joining.
The largest local celebrations will be held in Toronto, which
will host an estimated 6,000 people at the Ricoh Coliseum;
Chicago, where 3,000 participants are expected to gather at
the Rosemont Theater; and Los Angeles, where the new Walt
Disney Concert hall has been reserved to accommodate the
3,000 celebrants expected at that event.
Other cities with registered sites include Albany, NY;
Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Bangor, ME; Bethlehem, PA;
Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA; Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX;
Deerfield Beach, FL; Denver, CO; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI;
Edmonton, Canada; Charleston, SC; China; Houston, TX;
Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Johannesburg, South
Africa; Las Vegas, NV; Little Rock, AR; Lublin, Poland;
Melbourne, Australia; Memphis, TN; Mexico City, Mexico; Miami
Beach, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Montreal, Canada;
New Orleans, LA; New York , NY; Norfolk, VA; Ottawa, Canada;
Overland Park, KS; Panama City, Panama; Philadelphia, PA;
Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Providence, RI;
Richmond, VA; Rochester, NY; Santiago, Chile; Sao Paulo,
Brazil; Savannah, GA; Scranton, PA; Seattle, WA; Silver
Spring, MD; South Bend, IN; St. Louis, MO; and Sydney,
Australia.
*
Among the most soul-stirring of the gatherings is the one
scheduled to take place at the site of the very first Siyum
HaShas in 5691-1931 — Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, which
was founded by the "Father of Daf Yomi," Rabbi Meir Shapiro.
Participants at that event will include approximately 100
American members of a tour group organized by Rabbi Dovid
Singer of Brooklyn. Efforts are underway to bring in students
representing the 14 Eastern European Jewish schools that
comprise the well-known Shema Yisroel Network, as well as a
number of talmidim from yeshivos in Kiev and
Moscow.
For Rabbi Yaakov Bleich, Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine,
bringing the children to the Lublin Siyum is nothing short of
a dream come true. Thanks to the satellite hookup and the
spectacle of tens of thousands of other Jews celebrating the
completion of the same Gemora that they study, they
will truly feel part of the greater Jewish world
"When I attended the 9th Siyum HaShas in Madison Square
Garden 14 years ago," he recalls, "I remember thinking:
'Wouldn't it be wonderful if these Jews, who for 70 years
were cut off from their people, could see this, could feel
part of this tremendous world gathering? Wouldn't it be great
if they could experience this feeling of achdus, of
belonging?"
"And now — they will."
There are a number of strong independent organizations in
Eretz Yisroel organized around the Daf Yomi, in contrast to
the situation in America where Agudas Yisroel is virtually
the only organization that promotes Daf Yomi on a large
scale. However in Eretz Yisroel, Aguda-Degel HaTorah is also
strongly involved.
A large siyum organized by Agudas Yisroel-Degel
HaTorah will be held on 20 Adar Alef at the Yad Eliyahu
stadium in Tel Aviv, followed by local events throughout the
week. The week will conclude with a second major event slated
to take place in Jerusalem at Binyanei Ha'Uma.
Meoros Daf Yomi organized a gathering of Daf Yomi maggidei
shiurim on motzei Shabbos Parshas Terumoh. Meoros
Daf Yomi under HaRav Chaim Dovid Kovalsky publishes a weekly
Torah sheet about the current dapim that is widely
distributed, and opened close to 200 shiurim all over
Eretz Yisroel.
Dirshu has a very active Daf Yomi program with some 3,000
participants in the various programs it runs. The financial
support that an avreich can earn in its programs is
substantial. A 200-man delegation comprised of maggidei
shiurim in the US and avreichim who participate in
its Daf Yomi project is scheduled to arrive in Eretz Yisroel
and to participate in the major events in addition to events
of their own.
The Beis Medrash in Zichron Moshe offers shiurim
almost 24/7 and now distributes a very handy paperback
version of the current masechta based on the Oz
Vehadar edition.
Even the largest independent English language Daf Yomi
program is based in Israel: Kollel Iyun Hadaf of Har Nof
under HaRav Mordechai Kornfeld. It has a kollel
dedicated to Daf Yomi and provides a free resource center for
Daf Yomi learners around the world. It has thousands of
subscribers to its various mailing lists that are sent out
all over the world. It maintains a very active Web site that
is accessed by hundreds of thousands of users a month. It is
organizing an English language Siyum in Yerushalayim on
Wednesday 21 Adar I in Binyanei Ha'Uma.
So far they have sold out all the 4,500 tickets that were
available for Binyanei Ha'Uma, and the organizers are
considering how to accomodate the overflow (see full article
elsewhere in this issue).
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