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FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Dirshu Lomdim Retrace Mesoras HaTorah at Siyum on Second Machzor of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva, Maggidei Shiur, and Lomdei Dirshu gather for three days in Vilna, Kovna, Slabodka and Radin, celebrating their dedication to Ameilus BaTorah divrei zikaron about the community of Vilna.
By Ezra Burstein
T
here are no words to describe the mission, along with the feelings of elevated hisorerus and chizuk. But, as the purpose of the mission was to be mechazek limud haTorah across the globe, I try my best to find the words to spread the chizuk haTorah created last week. Although the words “historic” and “unprecedented” lost their credibility, thrown into news items like the wind-swept snow in the frigid streets of Vilna, I am confident that this time, those words are true. The Dirshu Mission to Vilna and Siyum celebration of the second cycle of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha was truly historic and unprecedented. Vilna – the magical city which until now held secrets locked away in the vaults of history, visible only in the imaginations of those who study, learn, and toil to understand the words of its guiding sages, the “Yerushalayim d’Lita,” upon whose streets walked the great Gaon and tzaddik likened to “the Rashba and maybe the Ramban,” whose talmid HaGaon HaRav Chaim Volozhiner, the “Av Hayeshivos,” paved the way for Torah to flourish again, Vilna, which after 80 years in mourning and solitude, has returned to life – welcoming kavod haTorah once again. Dirshu is Klal Yisrael The Dirshu Mission was not only a kibbutz galios of two hundred members of the Dirshu family converged to celebrate limud, ameilus, and chizuk in Torah. The words of HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel,
shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva Mir, expressed what everyone felt. “When the Bnei Yisrael went to be Oleh L’Regel, it looked exactly as it looks tonight. From Paris, Bnei Brak, New York, Leon, Gibraltar, and Marseilles, each one here is a special yochid, each with his own melody, with his piyyut, with his own path to hatzlacha, and each one a part in the greater tzibbur with achdus. “Dirshu is to search out. Dirshu is to seek to raise the banner of Torah which lifts up each and every Yid. Dirshu is Klal Yisrael!” Vilna Dirshu’s mission is to promote, sustain, and facilitate limud and ameilus baHatorah. The brainchild of Rav Dovid Hofstedter, under the guidance of Gedolei Yisrael across the spectrum, Dirshu’s approach to create a daily learning regimen, with review and accountability, revolutionized limud haTorah and halacha for thousands of bochurim, yungerleit and baalei battim. With siyata dishmaya, Dirshu has seen unprecedented growth in the twenty years since its founding. “The Mishnah Berurah began right here in Vilna,” The Chevron Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlit”a explained. “The
Chofetz Chaim writes in the hakdama that after he reviewed all the poskim, his psak is like the Gr”a, the light of Yisrael, and the foundation which everyone relies on. “Reb Chaim Volozhiner founded all of our yeshivos – here in Vilna. This city is the source of the Torah of our generation!” The Kedoshim of Paneriai Forest The mission began as the Gedolei Torah and Lomdei Torah from all sects of klal Yisrael stepped off the buses in downtown Vilna, and inhaled the air, saturated with Torah for six centuries. After checking into the five-star Kempinski Hotel and receiving a warm welcome from Gedolei Yisrael, uniting with their “Dirshu Family” from across the globe, making each guest feel at home, the group set out to the first destination – The Paneriai Forest. Rav Eliezer Ralbag, shlit”a, Rav of Lakewood Courtyard, addressed the gathered, “Here, a makom kadosh where over 75,000 Yidden from all over Europe, including the Marcheshes zt”l Hy”d, and HaGaon HaRav Boruch Ber’s rebbitzen and sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, were murdered. “The simple vasser treggers of Vilna were meleiim
mitzvos k’rimon, and they were stuffed in wagons and brought here to be shot and buried – many of them buried alive.” The oilem was stirred by their words and used the opportunity to be mispallel for their needs in the zchus of the kedoshim. HaGaon HaRav Boruch Ber zt”l’s Kever The next stop was the site of the recently discovered tzion of the Birchas Shmuel, HaGaon HaRav Boruch Ber Leibowitz, zt”l, talmid muvhak of Rav Chaim Brisker, zt”l. On the snow-covered hill, surrounded by hundreds of unrecognizable kevorim, stood the lone matzeiva of the Gadol B’yisrael – HaGaon HaRav Boruch Ber, zt”l. Amid falling snow and freezing winds, HaRav Uziel Leibowitz, shlit”a, Rosh Mesivta Birchas Shmuel and great-grandson of Rav Boruch Ber, zt”l, spoke passionately about Rav Boruch Ber’s impact on the oilam hayeshivos, evoking the koach and opportunity those gathered had to be mispallel at the kever. At the next stop, a visit to the Choral Synagogue of Vilna, Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel, international historian and lecturer who served as a tour guide and darshan over Shabbos, said
Maamad Tefillah at Kever of the Vilna Gaon The American and European groups then set out to the kever of the Gr”a, and the group from Eretz Yisrael traveled across the Belarus border to Radin. Rav Dovid Hofstedter welcomed the oilam in the freezing cold and falling snow and set the tone for the maamad. “There are so many Yidden whose lives are bitter. Let us be mispallel for them – that they too should taste the sweet waters of Torah!” HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlit”a, his voice amplified by the pre-set sound system, and his face aglow, began. “The Gra is an integral part of the chain of our mesorah of Torah from Moshe Rabbeinu. “The Gemara in Niddah says (70b), ‘Ma yaase adam viyechkam? Yarbeh biyishiva … yivakesh rachacim l’mie shehachachma shelo! We have to do both! Dirshu Hashem v’euzo – bakshu panav tamid! We must continue to learn and continue to daven for havonos haTorah! “The Gaon was a kol gadol v’lo yasaf! The Gra’s Torah never stopped!” The tefillos at that site were indescribable. The emotional and tearful Tehillim, selichos, and yud gimmel middos resembled Nei’lah of Yom Kippur. The tangible aura of kedusha of the time and place was unparalleled. The tefillos continued at the kevorim of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Ozer and HaGaon HaRav Itzele Ponovezher, zt”l, among other Gedolei Yisrael.
