"The yearning of bnei yeshiva to become a Torah elite is what grants them special siyata deShmaya for success." These were the words spoken this past Sunday evening by HaRav Gershon Eidelstein in a special guidance-prep talk delivered before more than a thousand yeshiva students who are finishing their year of shiur gimmel in intermediate level yeshivos. Known in Israel as "yeshiva ketanos," the students are aged roughly 13-16. They were gathered, as every year, by the Dirshu organization for a chizuk message prior to their entering the various yeshivos gedolos in the upcoming Elul term.
This yearly event has become a tradition since its inception six years ago, with the attendance of many yeshiva students who gather eagerly to hear the guiding inspirational words of Torah leaders. The huge hall began filling up early in the evening with graduates of yeshivos ketanos moving upward, eager to internalize the messages to be delivered later that evening.
The keynote address was delivered by HaRav Eidelstein who came especially to bolster the students who are leaving behind the halls of yeshivos ketanos to take a big step forward in Elul. He dwelled on the challenge of succeeding in yeshivos gedolos and highlighted the aspect of proximity to Torah leaders, of shimush and choosing one's prime Rav-mentor, attending shiurim regularly and reviewing them respectively once or twice. These are the ways of absorbing and internalizing wisdom from the various roshei yeshiva, he advised.
Another talk was given by HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slobodka, who opened his words with chizuk, saying, among other things, that the participants were at the threshold of a new era in their lives and that this was the time to devote their all to Torah study. "The prime success of a bochur and also of an avreich depends on these formative years. Whoever aspires and toils to reach a high level will continue to do so later on in life. But he who embarks without aiming high will find that this sets the tone for a continued mediocre path. These years are all-decisive."
