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NEWS
Daf Yomi Gathering Marks End of Eruvin, Beginning of
Pesochim
by Betzalel Kahn
Gedolei Yisroel shlita, including Maran HaRav
Eliashiv, HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, HaRav Chaim Pinchos
Scheinberg, the Admor of Belz, the Admor of Novominsk, the
Admor of Nadvorna, the Admor of Boyan and HaRav Yisroel Hagar
joined thousands of Daf Yomi lomdim and maggidei
shiurim for a major event at Binyanei Ha'Uma in Jerusalem
to mark the completion of Masechta Eruvin and the beginning
of Masechta Pesochim.
To accommodate the large number of participants Meoros HaDaf
HaYomi, which organized the event, reserved the main hall of
the International Congress Center, as well as adjacent halls
where the proceedings were screened live for ladies and the
overflow crowd. The event was also broadcast live at
gathering points in Bnei Brak, Kiryat Sefer, Ashdod,
Rechasim, Elad and Beit Shemesh.
The event began with tefillas Arvis, led by HaRav
Eliezer Turk, a rov in Achuzat Brachfeld and a
ram at Yeshivas Ahavas Torah in Kiryat Sefer. The
opening speaker and emcee was HaRav Dovid Zicherman, who
cited the verse "Vayehi biyeshurun melech behisaseif
roshei om yachad shivtei Yisroel" (Devorim 33:5).
"HaKodosh Boruch Hu is elevated and exalted when Am
Yisroel gathers together to honor the Torah. Every gathering
intended to strengthen the religion is a gathering for the
sake of Heaven, all the more so if the gathering is done to
accept the yoke of Heaven and to strengthen Torah learning.
Then it is not merely a gathering for the sake of Heaven, but
also a gathering for accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of
Heaven."
He was followed by Jerusalem Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, who
said, "We have the privilege to celebrate here today with
joy, the completion of maseches Eruvin and the
beginning of maseches Pesochim. At this uplifting,
elevated, tremendous event in honor of Torah `we will sing
and rejoice with the Torah, for it is our strength and our
light.' In the name of Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh
Vehamikdosh, the King's palace, we host the learners of
the Daf Yomi and halochoh. Happy is the city that sees with
pride and joy the multitudes of lomdim who arrive to
celebrate the joy of Torah."
The Mayor went on to say that with the City of Jerusalem at
the center of the international stage and a source of
political and local disputes, "now I have come," as the angel
says to Yehoshua bin Nun (Yehoshua 5:14), to note the
great importance of an event of this kind in our city, Ir
Hakodesh. Within the gates of Jerusalem they are engaged
in Torah study and these are the ones upholding
Jerusalem and our real, firm hold on Jerusalem in the palace
of the King is based on calls by gedolei Yisroel, led
by Rabbenu Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv shlita,
to integrate the daily halochoh with the Daf Yomi.
These are the gates of Tzion referred to in the verse
"Oheiv Hashem shaarei Tzion" (Tehillim 87:2),
which are the gates noted for the study of halochoh —
sheorim hametzuyonim behalochoh.
"The Meoros organization and its head, HaRav Kovalsky, along
with his many maggidei shiurim, has the merit of
disseminating Torah and horo'oh throughout Eretz
Hakodesh, led by Jerusalem, at hundreds of educational
institutions, at thousands of mikdashei me'at, in
offices and in factories. At this event where multitudes from
the world of Torah and Chassidus have gathered together for a
genuine instance of sanctifying the Name of Heaven and Torah
joy, all of us are feel encouraged to increase the number of
soldiers for Torah, its halochos and its ways. Ashreichem
ve'ashrei limudeichem," concluded Rabbi Lupoliansky.
After the Mayor stepped down HaRav Dovid Zicherman read aloud
a letter of support sent by HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz.
Chief Rabbi Moshe Shlomo Amar then took the podium, saying,
"HaGaon R' Meir Shapira of Lublin ztvk"l, founded the
study of the Daf Yomi, while HaRav Chaim Dovid Kovalsky
amplified the call to this takonoh by disseminating
the Daf Yomi around the world and went even further based on
the advice of gedolei hador by adding two halochos,
which complements the in-depth study with practical study,
and nothing could be more important than this."
Afterwards a letter written by HaRav Shabsai Aton, rosh
yeshiva of Yeshivas Reishis Chochmoh, was read aloud. HaRav
Aton was present at the event but was too weak to address the
audience.
In his continuing remarks HaRav Zicherman called HaRav
Kovalsky "the great rosh yeshiva of the world of Daf Yomi
learners," saying every kehilloh in every town in
Israel has at least one Daf Yomi shiur and HaRav
Kovalsky restored the crown to its rightful place, for HaRav
Shach zt"l would often ask, "Where have the Masmidim
Society, the Shas Society and the Ein Yaakov Society gone
since the Churban of European Jewry? And indeed HaRav
Kovalsky, with his prodigious energy, went from city to city,
from town to town and from business to business calling for
shiurim to be started at all hours of the day."
HaRav Kovalsky taught the final daf of Eruvin as the
enormous audience followed along in special booklets printed
in honor of the event, and he added words of encouragement
for the study of the Daf Yomi.
Before maranan verabonon entered the hall HaRav
Zicherman related a story told by HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein
about how his father-in-law, Maran HaRav Eliashiv, once paid
a visit to a sick talmid chochom on Erev Shavuos.
"When is kabolas haTorah on Shavuos?" the sick man
asked Maran, "For mumim heal at the time of kabolas
haTorah."
HaRav Eliashiv replied, "Kabolas haTorah is at the
time of the reading of Aseres Hadibros and at that
time one must have intention to receive the Torah. The
greater your acceptance of the Torah, the more your
mumim will heal."
Added HaRav Zicherman, "Even in the middle of Teves we have
merited kabolas haTorah, for if maranan verabonon
shlita took the trouble to come here with mesirus
nefesh to celebrate together with us, this is truly a
kabolas haTorah and we will accept upon ourselves to
learn halochos from the Daf Yomi and we will merit, together
with gedolei hador shlita, to receive Moshiach
Tzidkeinu."
At that point HaRav Kovalsky announced enthusiastically, "We
have the merit of receiving Maran Posek Hador shlita,
who is entering the hall." The audience responded by rising
to its feet and bursting out in a long round of "Yomim Al
yemei Melech tosif" as Maran HaRav Eliashiv, followed by
HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, HaRav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg,
the Admor of Belz and the Admor of Novominsk filed in one
after the next and took their seats on the dais, joining
several long rows of prominent roshei yeshivos and rabbonim,
including HaRav Shmuel Deutsch, HaRav Dovid Cohen, HaRav Dov
Yaffeh, HaRav Moshe Shapira, HaRav Dovid Shapira, HaRav Leib
Minzberg, HaRav Ezriel Auerbach, HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein,
HaRav Mordechai Gross, HaRav Binyomin Rimer, HaRav Michel
Barniker, HaRav Avrohom Eliashiv, the Admor of Nadvorna, the
Admor of Boyan, the Admor of Sochotchov and HaRav Yisroel
Hagar.
HaRav Zilberstein then addressed the audience, followed by
HaRav Shteinman (see sidebars). After the Rosh Yeshiva spoke
he was given the honor of reciting the end of maseches
Eruvin and Hadran aloch. After the Admor of
Nadvorna recited Kaddish, the Admor of Belz took the
podium as well (see sidebar).
The Admor of Novominsk, who serves as the Rosh of Agudas
Yisroel of America, also spoke, saying that tens of thousands
of Jews participate in the Daf Yomi in the US, largely at the
impetus of Agudas Yisroel.
HaRav Kovalsky then taught the first two halochos related to
the Daf Yomi at the beginning of maseches Pesochim.
Afterwards maranan verabonon took their leave as the
audience sang "Ki Orech Yomim Ushnos Chaim."
The program concluded with a performance by chazan R' Chaim
Eliezer Hershtik and choir singing led by R' Meir Adler.
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Excerpt from HaRav Shteinman's Address
Commenting on the verse, "Mimizrach shemesh ad mevo'o"
the Medrash says Yehoshua was arguing with the sun
when he told it, "Shemesh beGiv'on dom" and there was
a whole debate between them. For every element in Creation
has a task of its own—inanimate, growing, living and
speaking [i.e. man]—and each task is different. The sun
is inanimate but it has the task of moving to fulfill the
verse, "Mimizrach shemesh ad mevo'o mehulol sheim
Hashem" and the sun travels around the world and praises
HaKodosh Boruch Hu 24 hours a day and its movement is
praise of the Name of Heaven.
The sun tells Yehoshua, "I was created two days before man
was created and I have had to praise [Hashem] ever since I
was created, which began before Odom Horishon was created. I
have my own task to do without man, so why are you telling me
to stop in place? My task remains," claimed the sun to
Yehoshua. Replied Yehoshua, "Since the arrival of Avrohom
Ovinu, man's powers have changed; he is greater than before
and all kovod Shomayim must pass through man, because
Avrohom Ovinu began with the Torah and HaKodosh Boruch
Hu created the world for the sake of Torah. He wanted to
bring about kovod Shomayim by having man learn Torah,
and this has been the real goal since the days of Avrohom
Ovinu. Since man needs the sun to stay still, this is what
you must do," and the more we increase Torah study and
setting fixed times for Torah the greater the kovod
Shomayim.
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The Belzer Rebbe's Address
With the permission of the rabbonim geonim, the
admorim, the tzaddikim, roshei yeshivos, the
lomdei Torah, the bnei yeshivos and last and
most cherished of all, the esteemed baalei batim who
set aside fixed times for Torah study. All of us must learn
from the people who set times aside for Torah. It has already
been said in the name of a certain godol, why
does the gemora refer to those who learn Torah every
day as "kovato itim leTorah?" It is based on the words
of the verse in Mishlei, "Vekava es koveihem nefesh,"
and Rashi interprets the word "koveihem" as
"gozleihem," from the word "gezeiloh" or
"stealing." Those who set fixed times aside for Torah study
are stealing from their own time for Torah study. At the end
of Eruvin the gemora says, "Omar R'
Yochonon, ilmolei lo nitno Torah, hoyinu lomdim tznius
michatul vegezel minemoloh..." ("Said R' Yochonon, had
the Torah not been given we would learn modesty from cats and
stealing from ants..."). All of us must learn from baalei
batim to steal from our own time for the sake of
Torah.
The Mishnoh in Ovos says, "R' Meir omer, `Havei
mema'et be'esek va'asok baTorah, vehavei shefal ruach bifnei
kol odom, ve'im bitalto min haTorah yeish harbeh beteilim
kenegdecho...'" ("R' Meir says, `Minimize your business
dealings and engage in Torah, and be humble before every man,
and if you refrain from Torah there are many ways to make you
idle..."). Rabbenu Yonah notes the separation between the
first phrase of the mishnah and the last phrase of the
mishnah.
The explanation is that the first part of the mishnah
speaks about a ben Torah who comes upon a business
opportunity he has to engage in and on this it says,
"Minimize your business dealings and engage in Torah." Even
though you engage in Torah day and night and minimize your
business dealings to engage in Torah, be humble before every
man. Do not become haughty before baalei batim who set
fixed times for Torah.
And afterwards the Tanna speaks about the kovei'a itim
leTorah, for this demands great chizuk. Oftentimes
an urgent business matter comes along that is hard to
postpone. Says the Mishnoh, if you refrained from
Torah study there are many things to come along and make you
idle. And if you labored in Torah by stealing from your time
to labor in Torah, which comes through toil and not easily,
He has much reward to give you. Hashem Yisborach will
send blessing in your endeavors so that with little effort
you will have blessing and success in your business
dealings.
I would like to bless the maggidei shiurim who devote
time to the task of preparing the shiur, making
efforts to explain to each [participant] according to his
level of understanding, especially the hard masechtos
like Shabbos and Eruvin. May Hashem bless you with all the
blessings and may we all have the merit to raise the banner
of the Torah in Yisroel speedily.
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