Prominent Rabbanim Deliver Divrei Chizuk and Children Around the World Daven for Klal Yisrael and Internalize the Chofetz Chaim’s Message

“We would pay any money in the world and do just about anything to get a bracha from the holy Chofetz Chaim, the Rabban Shel Kol Yisroel in advance of Rosh Hashanah, right?! Well, the good news is that we CAN receive a bracha from the Chofetz Chaim. When we learn the Chofetz Chaim’s sefarim, whether the Mishnah Berurah, the sefer Chofetz Chaim, Shemiras Halashon or the many other sefarim that he wrote, it is clear that the Chofetz Chaim will be our defendant on Rosh Hashanah. This can be seen from the Gemarah (Bava Metziah 85) that teaches about one of the Amoraim who was ill and prostrated himself at the kever of his rebbi, Rav Chiya, saying, ‘I learn your Torah!’ In that merit, he was healed.

“We see from here,” HaGaon HaRav Chaim Mordechai Ausband, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo, exclaimed, “that if one learns the Chofetz Chaim’s sefarim he has the right to ask the Chofetz Chaim for a bracha and it is clear from the Gemara that the bracha will be given.”

These passionate words of Rav Ausband were said on the pre-Rosh Hashana videocast in conjunction with Dirshu’s Eleventh Annual International Yom Limud and Tefillah held on the yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim, Wednesday, 24 Elul/September 17.

Other prominent speakers on the videocast were Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Eytan Feiner, Rav of Kehillas Knesses Yisrael of Far Rockaway-Lawrence, and Rav Zev Smith, Maggid Shiur, Daf HaYomi B’Halacha.

Another fascinating part of the videocast was the unique footage of HaGaon HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponovezh Yeshiva L’Tzeirim and one of the most insightful mechanchim of bachurim in his generation, answering questions about and discussing the rebbi-talmid relationship.

The videocast was punctuated with inspirational niggunim of hisorerus in advance of the Yamim Noraim.

The Purpose of the Yom Limud and Tefillah

The Yom Limud and Tefillah was established to designate the yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim as a day to bring chizuk and hisorerus to Klal Yisrael in advance of the Yamim Noraim through the message of the Chofetz Chaim.

For the eleventh year, the Yom Limud and Tefillah has successfully brought all of Klal Yisrael together specifically on the auspicious occasion of the Chofetz Chaim’s yahrzeit just before Rosh Hashanah in unified tefillah on behalf of Klal Yisrael and to encourage the continued learning of the Chofetz Chaim’s sefarim that have such power to invoke rachmei shamayim.

This year, perhaps more than in any previous year, the Yom Limud and Tefillah resonated in a more profound way - as Yidden are under attack both in Eretz Yisrael and around the world, just because they are Jews.

On the Yom Limud and Tefillah, Yidden throughout the world said perakim of Tehillim beseeching Hakadosh Baruch Hu to have mercy on Klal Yisrael and learned halachos from the Mishnah Berurah and the sefer Shemiras Halashon both authored by the Chofetz Chaim. “The zechus of limud haTorah, tefillah and the extra sensitivity in matters of speech will certainly serve as a shield for Klal Yisrael in the upcoming Yom Hadin,” said Rabbi Avigdor Bernstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s hanhalah.

Rav Dovid Hofstedter: Learning from What We Have Done Right, to Build the Future

Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu, commented on the previous year through the lens of a Torah perspective. “These days before Rosh Hashanah and during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah offer us an opportunity to reflect on the past year and look deeply into ourselves as a tzibbur so that we can potentially discern what we need to improve in the year to come.

“In all truth, Klal Yisrael experienced many miracles this year. Yes, there were numerous tragedies and losses this year, r”l, but at the same time, there were so many yeshuos!Klal Yisrael saw the Yad Hashem!

“The Gemara in Eruvin teaches that every Jew should constantly analyze his own conduct and see what he can improve. Even in the good things that he does, he should try to see what he can do better.

“Perhaps we can suggest that now is the time to analyze what we have been doing that is RIGHT. Why? So that we can be encouraged to continue in that path and build on it.

“We know that the world stands on Torah, avodah, and gemilas chassadim. This past year we all davened for Klal Yisrael. We invested our hearts and souls in tefillah. There was the war in Eretz Yisrael, the hostages, the losses. We davened with more kavanah and more heart.

“We also learned more Torah. Since the war in Eretz Yisrael began, look how much Torah has spread nationally and internationally. There is the Amud HaYomi that has spread to all corners of the globe and so many other important Torah programs.

“And what about gemilas chassadim? When there were cuts in funding for yeshivos from certain sources, what did Klal Yisrael do? They gave and they gave!

“We should take encouragement from all of these and realize that Hashem looks favorably on these actions, and we can build on them going forward.”

Children Throughout the World Connect to the Chofetz Chaim

One of the especially notable aspects of the Chofetz Chaim’s yahrtzeit was the special Yom Limud and Tefilla programming for children which was created with the singular goal of connecting children to the teachings and life of the Chofetz Chaim. In North America alone, more than 100 schools held special sessions of learning from the legacy of the Chofetz Chaim while in Eretz Yisrael and Europe similar programming was held in many hundreds of schools!

Throughout diverse communities across the United States and Canada, a wide range of some 150 schools representing the entire panoply of Orthodox Jewry participated in the Yom Limud and Tefillah school programs. Whether it was Ashkenazim, Sefardim, Chassidim, Yeshiva types, Day Schools, Chadarim, Bais Yaakovs; all were represented at Dirshu’s Yom Limud and Tefillah.  They include schools hailing from communities such as Monsey, NY; Lakewood, NJ; Brooklyn, NY; Manhattan, NY; Toronto, Canada; Houston, TX; Baltimore, MD; Cleveland, OH; Waterbury, CN; Phoenix, AZ; Passaic, NJ; Denver, CO; Boston, MA; Los Angeles, CA; and Providence, RI and so many more.

A prominent menahel of a cheder in Lakewood related, “The program was extremely well received and deeply inspiring for our talmidim. We gathered the entire school for an assembly and two of our rebbeim told stories of the Chofetz Chaim. What was special about the event was that although, of course, everyone had heard of the Chofetz Chaim, but only in a very abstract way. ‘He was a big tzaddik, etc.’ What the Dirshu programming did was bring the Chofetz Chaim alive for the children in a way that they could relate to him. He became ‘real’. Another of our rebbeim explained what the Mishnah Berurah is and how this sefer written by the Chofetz Chaim still today guides us in our everyday life.

“Then, the entire school said Tehillim together followed by the tefillah of Acheinu. It was so beautiful! The pure voices of the children davening for Klal Yisrael right before Rosh Hashanah in the merit of the Chofetz Chaim left us all very moved.”

The Yom Limud and Tefillah is another way that Dirshu is unifying young and old all over the world to invoke rachamei shomayim in advance of Rosh Hashanah.