"By expanding Torah study more and more, one merits savoring the sweetness of Torah." These were the inspiring words of the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, this past Monday to the heads of the Acheinu Kiruv organization in anticipation of the yearly conference of Kiruv organizations which will take place next Tuesday at the Ramada Hotel in Jerusalem with the participation of hundreds of Kiruv activists from all such organizations throughout the country. The purpose of this convention is to provide them with the tools for successful outreach activities for both those spiritually near [but weak] and far. The heads of Acheinu also heard words of encouragement and guidance from HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaRav Gershon Eidelstein.
This year's annual Acheinu convention marks two decades of blessed activity in "deepening and imbuing the sweetness of Torah."
"In many cases where yeshiva students felt a lack of success in their learning, the reason lay in the fact that they had not received sufficient or proper guidance in acquiring a love for Torah and a bonding with the study of gemora," note the heads of Acheinu. "A student who approaches his study in the proper manner with the incentive to find the sweetness and spiritual satisfaction in learning Torah will find that most of his problems will be solved. In this yearly convention, we hope to convey the lessons of our own experience with working within various yeshivos in reaching out to those both close and distant from Torah throughout the year."
In anticipation of this convention scheduled for next Tuesday, the heads of Acheinu met, together with the Acheinu president, Rabbi Dovid Hoffstedter, in the homes of Torah leaders, among them HaRav Shteinman, to receive words of encouragement, blessing and guidance. The latter stated that "the best counsel to arrive at the sweetness of Torah is only by studying more and more, steadily and consecutively." He added that they should tell the avreichim operating in Kiruv to augment the study of Torah amongst those who are still distant and stress this even more than mitzvah- observance, since this will naturally lead to the level where one experiences the geshmak of Torah.
He also added that "this is also what differentiates man from beast. Man has the ability to arrive at experiencing the charm and appeal of Torah. There are things whose sweetness appeals only to man. An animal, for example, only savors live things like meat, as opposed to man. Man, however, can find sweetness that appeal solely to him, and this can be arrived at by more and more intensive study of Torah."
