Dirshu

Rav Dovid Cohen Hails Dirshu’s New Chaburas Shas Program as Golden Opportunity For Avreichim

By Chaim Gold

The newest Dirshu program has already created waves of excitement in the olam haTorah. The Chaburas Shas program, Dirshu’s latest iyun program created for mature bnei Torah, is already gaining wide popularity and has been enthusiastically encouraged by leading senior Gedolim both in Eretz Yisrael and America.

Gedolim such as HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Tiferes Yerachmiel and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, have all praised the program as a worthy one for bnei Torah who find satisfaction in a limud that combines iyun kal with a clear schedule of learning and chazarah that, over time, empower the participant to cover large parts of Shas with iyun.

The program began masechta Bava Kama this past Rosh Chodesh Iyar. Reports thus far from the lomdim have been effusive. The structure and even more importantly the maareh mekomos provided by Dirshu have enabled the more than 2,000 participants to learn ten blatt a month, and not just learn them superficially but to really gain a grasp of the sugya with iyun and deep havanah.

The Chaburas Shas features the learning of two and a half blatt each week, (an amud per day) with Friday and Shabbos consecrated for chazarah. There are two tracks: Track one is Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos with a thirty-question test every month. Track two features Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos, the special kuntress published by Dirshu with maarei mekomos of the primary Rishonim and Acharonim on the sugyos being learned.

Rav Dov Landau: The Program Is Excellent And Has All The Maalos!

When the hanahala of Dirshu recently went to meet with Rav Dov Landau, presenting him with the details of the program and a sample of the maareh mekomos, he exclaimed, “The program is excellent and has all the maalos! For avreichim who appreciate this way of learning, it is wonderful!” The venerated Rosh Yeshiva concluded by saying, “Ashreichem!.”

On a recent trip to Eretz Yisrael, Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, gave an iyun shiur in the sugya of Masechta Bava Kama in which the program was holding. The shiur was given in the Zvhill Beis Medrash right near the Mir Yeshiva of Yerushalayim. Many avreichim learning in the Mir participated in the shiur along with avreichim from yeshivos and kollelim from all over Yerushalayim. The well-attended shiur was received with great enthusiasm by the lomdim and afterwards, many of them expressed their deep hakoras hatov to Rav Hofstedter for providing them with such a program. One yungerman said, “We should pay to be able to learn in such a program, but instead we are getting paid for excellent test results in the monthly tests!”

The “Golden Opportunity” for Avreichim

Rav Dovid Cohen explained that one of the reasons he is so enthusiastic about the Dirshu Chaburas Shas program is because it offers a beautiful synthesis of bekius and b’iyun in what is today called iyun kal.

“When I was a bachur,” Rav Cohen reminisced, “and I learned bekius, after I finished learning the Gemara with Rashi and Tosafos I wanted to catch a glimpse of the rishonim and acharonim on the sugya. I would quickly look into the Ketzos Hachoshen, Avnei Miluim, Rabi Akiva Eiger, Rav Chaim Brisker, the Brisker Rav… There were otzros, treasures of kushyos and approaches to the sugya. It is a pity to forgo all those wonderful treasures! It took me time to find the treasures. The amazing thing about the Chaburas Shas program is that you don’t have to spend time looking for the rishonim and acharonim that shed light on the sugya. The maareh mekomos prepared by Dirshu has saved you the time it takes to look around. It is ready for you. Those maareh mekomos are a tremendous help to be able really penetrate to the heart of the sugya and to access the basic lomdus and ‘rayd’ on every sugya.

“In truth, the better a person understands the sugya, the better he remembers it. This is why the Iyun Kal program not only serves as an iyun seder but also helps your bekius, helping you retain the many blatt learned.”

Rav Dovid Cohen concluded, “I think the Chaburas Shas program presents a golden opportunity for all yungeleit. It gives you the best of both worlds. It allows a yungerman to truly be koneh bekius in large parts of Shas, if he perseveres, while simultaneously enabling him to really understand the tzuresa d’shemaatsa, the structure of the Gemara in a comprehensive way.

“Another tremendous quality of the program is that it is most often learned

HaRav Dovid Cohen meeting with Hanhalas Dirshu regarding the Chaburas Shas Program Rav Dovid Hofstedter discussing the Chaburas Shas program with HaRav Gershon Edelstein in his home

during night seder. Therefore, a yungerman can learn two solid sedarim in his kollel and then join Chaburas Shas and have another seder that will enable him to make a siyum haShas b’iyun kal in about twenty years.”

What an opportunity!

Iyun or Bekius?

A Discussion with the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh, Hagaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, Shlita

Iyun or bekius? How much of each should one learn. Is there a formula? This is a very common question in the yeshiva world. Some bachurim are more drawn towards iyun, others get satisfaction from covering ground and knowing large amounts. What is really the best way?

Before Tisha B’Av this year leading members of Dirshu’s hanhalah posed this very question to the senior Gadol Hador, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita.

It was the day before the massive Dirshu Hachana event attended by some 4,000 bachurim entering yeshiva gedolah. In past years, Rav Gershon was a main speaker at this gathering and was slated to address the kinnus in person, but he had been hospitalized a week earlier and therefore could not personally be present at the asifa. Nevertheless, despite his weakened condition he felt compelled to address Dirshu’s hanhalah at an informal meeting at his home around his kitchen table the day after he was discharged from the hospital.

“Should we focus on programs that stress depth and quality of learning,” was the question, “or should we focus on programs that stress quantity?”

Rav Gershon smiled and answered, “Both.” He said, “Dirshu should be offering both options. Options that stress more iyun knowledge of less material and programs that stress more bekius knowledge of more material.”

“If we offer bekius programs,” Dirshu’s Hanhala asked next, “shouldn’t we worry that people will choose one of the limudim and neglect the other?

“You do not have to worry about that,” Rav Gershon replied. “The nature of a person is to learn b’makom shelibo chafetz, where his heart pulls him. People have different natures. Some people are naturally inclined to bekius and others to iyun. That is why I feel that you should have many types of programs. Each person will find the program that appeals to his particular skillset, the place that is libo chafetz.”

Dirshu then asked the Rosh Yeshiva about the age restriction in its Kinyan Halacha in-depth halacha program. Until now, Dirshu limited the program to avreichim over thirty years old who already learned in kollel for several years and now wanted to begin pursuing indepth halacha learning. There are many people under thirty, however, who wish to join the program?”

The Rosh Yeshiva replied that they should allow those under thirty to join as well. “There are young avreichim who will thrive learning in such a program.

“The main thing,” the Rosh Yeshiva repeated, “is that every person should learn in accordance with his natural inclination. Chazal teach us that this is the way to truly grow in Torah!”