Uplifting Maamad of Kavod HaTorah at Prudential Center as Klal Yisrael Set to Undertake the Learning of Hilchos Shabbos
Klal Yisrael needs shemirah… desperately! The last few weeks have sadly and tragically been the embodiment of the words that we recently read in the Haggadah, “Ela she’bichol dor v’dor omdim aleinu l’chaloseinu - in every generation they seek to stand up against us and destroy us.”
What we have seen transpiring in university campuses where calls for “Kill the Jews” have become de rigueur have made even Jews who were once complacent in the “melting pot” of America fearful for their future in this country, actually in any country in the world.
Jews the world over are surrounded by enemies who seek nothing less than our destruction. Even our “friends” have proven untrustworthy at best.
We Need the Koach of Torah and the Koach of Shabbos
There is no question that the ultimate response to this must be a spiritual response. Hashem is talking to US! The leading Gedolei Yisrael of our time are telling us that we need the koach of Torah and the koach of Shabbos. The zechus of Torah saves the world, and the zechus of shmiras Shabbos and limud about Shabbos, is the ultimate shemirah.
That is why Dirshu is investing a colossal effort into trying to unite all of Klal Yisrael through limud Hilchos Shabbos. This initiative can save us from the forces that seek to destroy us, by encouraging Jews in all four corners of the world to start learning hilchos Shabbos. The fact that the Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Halacha will begin learning hilchos Shabbos this coming 3 Sivan/ June 9 is the most opportune time to join and see how learning hilchos Shabbos can not only transform your life and your Shabbos, but it can also transform the world and protect Klal Yisrael from harm. That is the koach of hilchos Shabbos.
It is for this purpose that Dirshu, with the bracha and encouragement of Gedolei Yisrael from both Eretz Yisrael and chutz l’aretz, will be holding a massive gathering entitled “Kinnus Olam HaTorah, Kabbolas Shabbos Event” to mark the haschala of hilchos Shabbos in the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program. The event will be held on Sunday, 3 Sivan/ June 9, at the Prudential Center Arena in Newark, NJ. Leading Gedolei Yisrael will address the maamad of chizuk and tefillah and most importantly, encourage the undertaking of a kabbalah to learn and upgrade our hilchos Shabbos.
The Kinnus Olam HaTorah at the Prudential Center: A Deeply Inspiring Program Graced by Leading Gedolei Yisrael
The Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program is an excellent vehicle to accomplish this goal. It involves a relatively small daily investment of time to learn an amud of Mishnah Berurah along with Dirshu’s Biurim and Musafim on the adjacent page that elucidates the piskei halacha of many Gedolei Haposkim on modern day questions and scenarios as paskend by the Poskei Hador since the publishing of the Mishnah Berurah. Simultaneously, lomdei Dirshu are now in the middle of learning Masechta Shabbos in Talmud Bavli, availing themselves of the ideal opportunity to learn the foundational underpinnings of the halacha from the Gemara and then follow up with the practical halacha.
The massive Kinnus Olam HaTorah at the Prudential Center will feature a deeply inspiring program graced by leading Gedolei Yisrael and promises to be a tremendously uplifting maamad of Torah, tefillah and kavod haTorah.
Daf HaYomi B’Halacha: A Program For Our Time Established by the Gedolei Hador
Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program was established at the behest of the Gedolei Hador, Hagaon Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, and Hagaon Harav Shmuel Wosner, zt”l. These Torah giants encouraged Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu, to launch a Dirshu program that would facilitate daily learning of Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim featuring the common halachos that people encounter each day.
Daf HaYomi B’Halacha is a daily, multiple-track learning program of halachah and mussar. The first track focuses on an amud of Mishnah Berurah together with Dirshu’s Biurim U’Musafim found on the corresponding page in the Dirshu Mishnah Berurah. The most advanced track consists of learning approximately an amud of Mishnah Berurah with Biur Halachah and Shaar Hatzion as well as Dirshu’s Biurim U’Musafim.
What is the Biurim U’Musafim section in the Dirshu Mishnah Berurah?
Firstly the “Musafim” component adds the Mishnah Berurah’s own additional words and rulings culled from other areas on the subject at hand. For example, if the Mishnha Berurah, when expounding on the laws of bishul - cooking on Shabbos, discusses one topic at length and in a different section discusses the same topic in a shorter, less elaborate way, the Dirshu edition includes the Mishnah Berurah’s words from the other location on the opposite pages to where the halachos are discussed. This frequently sheds light on the halachic ruling and enables the learner to see how the Chofetz Chaim himself ruled on the same matter in a different place.
The second component is that of the Biurim. Often, in the main body of the Mishnah Berurah the Chofetz Chaim only writes the actual psak halachah - halachic ruling, without giving the reasons for that ruling. It is not uncommon, however, for the Chofetz Chaim to elaborate on the reasons in his commentaries, Shaar Hatzion and Biur Halachah. Additionally, these commentaries present halachic rulings not contained in the Mishnah Berurah which shed insight on the topic at hand. In a wonderfully cogent, concise manner, the Biurim part of the Dirshu Mishnah Berurah cites these rulings, thereby affording the learner a quick, comprehensive listing of related halachic rulings and explanations as ruled by the Chofetz Chaim himself in his other sefarim.
Perhaps the most exciting component of the new Dirshu Mishnah Berurah is the “Likutei Teshuvos” part of the Biurim U’Musafim section. The Chofetz Chaim completed the Mishnah Berurah in 1907. Over the past century plus, umpteen technological advances and countless questions relevant to today’s lifestyles have arisen. This is especially true regarding the halachos of Shabbos, where the constantly evolving technology has engendered thousands of new halachic questions and rulings. Of course, all these rulings are rooted in the original words of the Shulchan Aruch and poskim. The Dirshu edition of the Mishnah Berurah brings literally thousands of rulings from the Gedolei Haposkim of the last generation as well as from contemporary poskim, each in its proper place in the Mishnah Berurah. The learner is therefore not only able to learn the words of the Mishnah Berurah but to know and understand the rulings of the great poskim on thousands of modern, practical questions while simultaneously understanding how these modern-day rulings have their source in the original words of the Shulchan Aruch and Mishnah Berurah!
Learning Mishnah Berurah is Mamesh a Spiritual Hatzalos Nefashos!
Seven years ago, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein spoke at a Daf HaYomi B’Halacha event devoted to Chelek Gimmel, hilchos Shabbos. He said, “The Mishnah Berurah contains within it many practical halachos that are incumbent on every Jew to keep. [If one does not learn these halachos] it is very easy to inadvertently transgress. This is particularly true with regard to hilchos Shabbos. A person who does not learn these halachos can easily transgress Torah-mandated prohibitions. That is why it is so important to learn Mishnah Berurah every day. Learning Mishnah Berurah is mamesh spiritual hatzalos nefashos!”
Indeed, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, shlita, recently said, “We all know that shemiras Shabbos serves as the ultimate shemirah, the ultimate protection from our enemies. How much more so is learning Torah and learning about Shabbos a protection in these times when Klal Yisrael needs so much shemirah. Thus, it is important to tap into that shemirah to invoke rachmei shomayim on behalf of Klal Yisrael and enhance our limud haTorah, especially in areas of Shabbos, which is the mekor habracha, the source of all blessing.”
Now is the time to undertake to accept upon ourselves, with a true kabbalah,to learn hilchos Shabbos, and to enhance and upgrade our shemiras Shabbos. The only way to do that is by learning hilchos Shabbos.
This 3 Sivan/June 9 let us all join Klal Yisrael led by Gedolei Yisrael at the Prudential Center and begin learning hilchos Shabbos. There is nothing better that you can do for Klal Yisrael! There is nothing better that you can do for yourself!
By Chaim Gold
