Chaburas Shas Iyun Kal Program Embarks on Masechta Bava Metziah

By Chaim Gold

“Dirshu never rests on its laurels!” was the reaction of HaGaon HaRav Yeruchem Olshin, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Medrash Govoha, when he heard about Dirshu’s Chaburas Shas program.

On Rosh Chodesh Elul, Chaburas Shas will be beginning Masechta Bava Metziah.

Talmidei chachamim from all over the world have expressed tremendous excitement at the opportunity to learn in a structured iyun kal program that will enable them to learn Masechta Bava Metziah with meforshim and guidance in less than a year.

“The feedback from lomdei Chaburas Shas has been absolutely phenomenal!” exclaimed Rabbi Avigdor Bernstein. “We have now completed Masechta Bava Kama and Masechta Horios and are poised to begin Bava Metziah. In Eretz Yisrael alone more than 1,600 people have signed up for Masechta Bava Metziah with hundreds more in North America. Many night kollelim throughout Eretz Yisrael have adapted Chaburas Shas as their limud and the kuntres Marei Mekomos, written under the guidance of HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, has been extremely well received for the concise, clear way that it cites the meforshim that bring the primary ‘reyd’ on each sugya.”

“Lomdei Dirshu in Europe and in South America have expressed the desire to also have Chaburas Shas come to their communities and therefore,” Rabbi Shlomo Rozenstein, Dirshu’s director of public relations, announced, “Chaburas Shas is expanding to Europe and South America. As of Rosh Chodesh Elul, with the advent of the beginning of Masechta Bava Metzia, bnei Torah in those communities will be able to participate as well.”

Rav Dovid Cohen praised the program for its combination of bekius and iyun saying, “This program allows for the learning of both, in a way that is very fitting for so many lomdei Torah. Of course, during morning seder, lomdei Torah learn with great iyun and hear shiurim on what they learn. Because of that, however, they generally do not cover so much ground in the morning seder. A program like Chaburas Shas can allow a person to cover ten blatt a month while at the same time absorb the ‘heart’ of the sugya rather than learn it superficially.”

What is Chaburas Shas?

Chaburas Shas was introduced at Dirshu’s most recent convention by the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita. It is a two-track program that covers two and a half blatt a week (an amud per weekday) with Friday and Shabbos consecrated for chazarah. Track one is Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos with a thirty-question test every month. Track two features Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos, and a list of maarei mekomos from the Rishonim and Acharonim prepared under the guidance of HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, also with a thirty-question test every month.

New Shiurim Available in Numerous Frum Centers

Another exciting innovation in Chaburas Shas is the opening of shiurim for those who desire to attend a shiur. Although most lomdei Chaburas Shas learn with a chavrusah, many others benefit from a daily shiur. On Rosh Chodesh Elul numerous new shiurim will begin including one in the main Belzer Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim and another in the new Vizhnitzer Beis Medrash in Shikun Vizhnitz, Bnei Brak. Three new shiurim have opened in the Litvish community of Modiin Illit, as well as one in the city of Afulah. The Breslov community in Tzefas has just opened a shiur, and another shiur opened in Kiryat Sanz, Netanaya. “Dirshu is dedicated to trying to maximize the opportunities for accountable limud haTorah for all segments of the population and these new Chaburas Shas shiurim do just that,” concluded Rabbi Rozenstein.

HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Slabodka Yeshiva, has been an enthusiastic supporter of Chaburas Shas. He said, “I always tell my talmidim and yungeleit who come to me that they must learn in a way that is fitting for them and their own individual needs. I think this program can bring tremendous to’eles to many, many avreichim.”

In light of that tremendous benefit, Dirshu has also arranged guest shiurim for large Chaburas Shas groups by prominent roshei yeshiva. Just recently, Rav Yaakov Stefansky, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah B’Tefarta, and Rav Menachem Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Kaplan and a son-in-law of HaGaon HaRav Yigal Rozen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Yisrael, gave very well received shiurim to Chaburas Shas groups.

Siyum At Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom

The Sefardic community is another community that has embraced Chaburas Shas. At the outset of the program, Dirshu’s hanhalla visited HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen, zt”l, in his apartment in the Old City of Yerushalayim to tell him about the new program and ask for his bracha. Although Rav Cohen was weak and ill at the time, he went out of his way to meet the hanhalah of Dirshu. Rav Cohen expressed his pleasure, saying, “Not only do you deserve a bracha but I must also give a bracha to those who are actually learning in the program. I give them my bracha that they should learn the material and know it! Hashem should help that you should merit to increase Torah learning in the best way possible!”

With tremendous warmth, Rav Shalom Cohen concluded, “May you succeed through these programs in infusing cheshek, desire for learning so that they will want to learn and learn and keep on learning.”

Just recently, a beautiful siyum on Masechta Horios was made by the avreichim learning in the Kollel of Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom led by HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Hillel, shlita.

In the words of Rabbi Rozenstein: “If you want to learn and know Masechta Bava Metziah with Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos with iyun kal, Rosh Chodesh Elul is the time to start!”

The new program will commence with Masechta Bava Metziah this coming Rosh Chodesh Elul. For more information or to join, please contact Dirshu at 1-888-5-Dirshu or e-mail, Info@kollelDirshu.org