There is no beis hamedrash without its
chiddush. The National Halochoh Project (Mifal
HaHalochoh Ha'artzi - - Kur Hahalochoh) is well known
for having developed a novel and refreshing system of weekly
tests on halochoh.
Distinguished rabbonim and poskim agreed to help by
drawing up the tests, working for the project's success,
examining those who completed the program of study and
giving out certificates which confirm the examinee's mastery
of halochoh lema'aseh.
Thousands of bochurim, avreichim and bnei
Torah owe their extensive knowledge of Shulchan
Oruch to the project, which operates modestly without
much fanfare.
The Kur Hahalochoh is a crucible from which its participants
come out with a different level of knowledge. The material
is analyzed and dissected until it becomes crystal-clear
halochoh. Not only the examiners say this but,
especially, the examinees. Many letters of thanks and
appreciation from graduates of the Mifal are to be found in
its offices. They talk about their satisfaction at having
accumulated a vast amount of knowledge as a result of the
methodical system of study, chazoroh and regular
tests.
"I didn't know that there were so many practical everyday
halochos in the Mishna Berurah, Sha'ar
Hatziyun and Biyur Halocho," writes one grateful
avreich. Another says: "I never knew how to approach
the Mishna Berurah on Sukkos, Arba Minim and
other topics, until a rov advised me to learn halocho
with the sefer Kur Halocho. I took his advice, and it
made a tremendous difference."
A thankful father wrote as follows: "My son did not manage
to learn the halochos of tefillin before his
Bar Mitzva. For some reason he could not grasp the material.
I was told to learn the sefer Kur Halocho with him,
and I was pleasantly surprised by the result. The question
and answer format aroused his interest and he eagerly went
through the whole sefer. When he went back to learn
the Mishna Berurah it was a pleasure for him, the
material suddenly having become clear. Every halocho
reminded him of a question and answer in the
sefer."
The Zichron Moshe Umiriam Institute incorporates several
important projects. The man running these projects is Rabbi
Yehoshua Buk. They include a kollel whose
avreichim write kollel Shas tests, a Friday-
Shabbos kollel, a masmidim yeshiva in Har-Nof,
publication of the Kur Halocho books and pamphlets,
and the Mifal Hahalochoh tests which take place in many
locations throughout Eretz Yisroel.
The Mifal offers various courses, all of which aim to
instill the study of halochoh into every Jewish home.
The secret of its success is its system of constant study,
chazoroh and weekly and monthly tests.
This year, in addition to the regular courses, a Kur
Halocho sefer on hilchos Shevi'is was published,
which consists of questions and answers based on
Mishpetei Ho'oretz. Further courses are offered on
the halochos of loshon hora, the 39
melochos, Mishna Berurah, Orach Chaim, cheilek alef,
hilchos Shabbos, hilchos taharoh the Chayei Odom,
as well as other topics.
The idea is to have a book on a certain topic in a question
and answer format and use it in conjunction with the
halochoh book itself. This may be the Mishna
Berurah on Orach Chaim and Shabbos, or another
specialized sefer on hilchos taharoh and
shevi'is written in a clear style and easy and
pleasant to use, for the purpose of learning and reviewing
these halochos.
The questions and answers are drawn up by eminent rabbonim
and poskim, and the examiners are also talmidei
chachomim of capacity. After thirteen years of tests,
some of the first graduate examinees are the examiners of
today.
Every yeshiva and kollel has a Mifal representative,
and many thousands are tested every month, a large
proportion also receiving a stipend if they are successful
in their tests.
Preparing the Kur Halocho seforim is a very
complicated and arduous task. The questions and answers have
to be carefully edited and reedited many times before they
are ready for print.
Some places around the globe receive copies of the tests on
a weekly basis, by mail or by fax. Mifal workers have many
moving stories to relate, including the one about the
answers to a test written by Dovid Kartoza Hy"d
received in the mail after he had already been murdered.
Amongst those benefitting from the seforim are
rabbonim who are not ashamed to say that they use them
before Yomim Tovim in order to make a quick
chazoroh of all the hilchos hachag. In a time
of emergency, they can study for three hours instead of
thirty days before Yom Tov. Occasional and regular
users of the seforim are full of praise for the hard
work that has made them such a valuable addition to halachic
literature. The gedolim have also given enthusiastic
haskomos to the Mifal.
Thousands of shekels worth of stipends are paid out by the
Mifal every month. Pure knowledge of halochoh
supports many households, but who supports the Mifal?
Chazal say that the second luchos which were given in
secret were preserved. In the merit of the modesty of its
founders, the Mifal has managed to remain active, despite
its financial difficulties every month. To take part in the
tests, by learning or being tested or to make a
contribution, write to P.O. Box 43154, Jerusalem or send a
fax to 02- 6514098.
