Chaburas Shas to Embark on Masechta Bava Basra on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

“Once it was deemed impossible for yungeleit to learn and know Shas with depth. Today, however, we see that it is not impossible. We see from the Chaburas Shas program that it IS possible to learn Shas at a pace where one has depth of understanding. Yes, the concept of ‘kennen Shas’ is no longer a dream.”

Those words were said by HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, at a unique maamad of kavod haTorah held in the presence of HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, and more than forty Roshei Chaburah of Chaburas Shas together with the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita and senior members of Hanhalas Dirshu.

The event held in Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch’s room in the Slabodka Yeshiva and the presence of those three Gedolei Eretz Yisrael just a few days before Rosh Hashanah was a testament to the esteem and great importance that they attach to the Dirshu Chaburas Shas iyun program. This was further enforced by the fact that both Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rav Dovid Cohen had just returned that week from exhausting journeys overseas to rally support for the Keren Olam HaTorah. Despite their exhaustion, Chaburas Shas is so dear to them that they invested the effort to participate.

Chaburas Shas, a Program that is Unique and Different!

The forty Roshei Chaburah represent thousands of avreichim who participate in the Dirshu Chaburas Shas program.

Dirshu Chaburas Shas is distinct, because it is designed for avreichim who want to learn with depth but who want to simultaneously finish masechtos. It was introduced upon the advice and guidance of numerous Gedolei Yisrael.

The two-track program is tailormade for bnei Torah who desire in-depth learning combined with a schedule that empowers them to complete masechtos in a systematic manner.

The program covers two-and-a-half blatt weekly (an amud per weekday) with Friday and Shabbos consecrated for chazarah. Track one includes Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos while track two features learning and being tested on 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.

The program began two years ago with Masechta Bava Kama and has thus far completed Masechta Bava Kama, Horiyos as well as more recently, Masechta Bava Metziah. On Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan they will embark on Masechta Bava Basra.

In addition, Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood has a special, extremely successful Chaburas Shas chaburah that will be embarking on the learning of Masechta Yevamos.

The Greatest Zechus, the Zechus of Torah

At the event celebrating the completion of Masechta Bava Metziah at the Slabodka Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Feinstein said, “The fact that we are holding by making a siyum on Bava Metziah means that we have been learning and toiling on this masechta day after day, week after week and month after month without stop. In these days before Rosh Hashanah, we are all seeking zechusim. I cannot think of any greater zechus than the zechus of the Torah.”

Rav Chaim added, “We see this idea in the very halachos of Rosh Hashanah. The poskim teach us that the reason we blow the shofar at the bima rather than in front of the aron kodesh is because the bima is the place where we lein from the Torah, where we learn the Torah and there is no greater zechus, no greater conduit to arouse rachmei shomayim than the Torah itself. That is also why in the nussach of the Shofros davening, we mention maamad Har Sinai and how Hashem gave us the Torah with thunder and lightning, etc. Why? Because there is no greater zechus that we can invoke on Rosh Hashanah than the zechus of the Torah itself. All you Roshei Chaburah are the catalysts who enable us all to access those zechusim…”

Chaburas Shas, which Rav Dovid Cohen classified as an iyun kal program, caters primarily to kollel yungeleit who have the time to invest in a demanding program and is ideal for those who want to learn with depth while covering ground. Many night kollelim across the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael have adopted the Chaburas Shas program as their night seder program while other kollelim do the program during the afternoon seder. In Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood there is also a very large chaburah that participates in Chaburas Shas.

The Rosh Chaburah of Chaburas Shas? Rav Dovid Cohen!

Rav Binyomin Godlowsky, one of the Roshei Chaburah who chaired the event at the Slabodka Yeshiva, pointed out that in essence the Rosh Chaburah of the entire Chaburas Shas chaburah is Rav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron. Why? Because it was Rav Dovid who greatly encouraged the establishment of the program, guiding the designers of the program on where to put greater or lesser emphasis.

One of the unique aspects of the chaburah is the fact that barely anyone “falls out.” The nature of many programs is such that when things get tough, schedules change etc., a considerable amount of people fall out or quit. Since its inception, very few people have fallen out of Chaburas Shas. In addition, although in many other programs there are considerable numbers of people who do not pass the test, in Chaburas Shas the avreichim learn with such dedication that the percentage of excellent marks is well beyond the norm.

Another unique aspect of Chaburas Shas can be seen in how it differs from other two-track programs within Dirshu itself. Usually when Dirshu offers a two-track program the vast majority of participants take the easier track with only a small minority opting to be part of the more difficult track. With Chaburas Shas, however, the opposite is true!

“This Siyum Marks Both the Completion of Masechta Bava Metziah and the Beginning of Masechta Bava Basra!”

Rav Godlowsky related that in Parshas Nitzavim, the passuk teaches that “this mitzvah” is neither impossible nor far from you. It is not in Heaven. Rashi says that from here we see that even if it was in shomayim, we would be obligated to go up to heaven and pursue it.

What is “this mitzvah” that Rashi says we would be obligated to go up heaven to pursue?The Netziv explains that the “this mitzvah” is referring to the learning of Torah b’iyun. The Netziv says that the passuk is teaching us that even if the learning seems beyond your intellect and ability we are still obligated to “go up to Heaven” and learn it.

“That is what we are celebrating here today!” exclaimed Rav Godlowsky, “the mitzvah of learning b’iyun. This wonderful siyum marks the completion of Masechta Bava Metziah, but it is equally a celebration to mark the haschala, the beginning of Masechta Bava Basra!”

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch: When One Pushes Himself to Learn with Mesiras Nefesh, That is Very Beloved by Hashem

After Rosh Chaburah Rav Gad Kadosh made the siyum on Masechta Bava Metziah, a hush fell upon the hall as Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, the venerated Rosh Yeshiva was asked to give divrei bracha.

Rav Hirsch cited the words of the Tanna Devei Eliyahu wherein Eliyahu Hanavi says, “I was once talking to an elderly man when a bachur came over and said, ‘I try to learn, I really try and try and try but it doesn’t go. Nothing stays in my head.’ I replied to him, ‘My son, there is no one in the world who succeeds in learning Torah unless he his moser nefesh for it.’”

“I think,” Rav Hirsch said, “that it is fair to say that each and every one of us has times when it is very difficult to learn and keep up with the relentless pace. When they overcome the difficulties and push themselves to learn even when it is difficult, that is a level of mesiras nefesh that is very beloved by Hashem.

“My bracha to everyone here is that they should keep on pushing themselves above their limitations because when we do this, we are truly zoche to make great strides in Torah. This can only be achieved through mesiras nefesh.”

The Difference Between Going Through Shas and Really Learning Shas

Rav Dovid Cohen picked up on the theme of Rav Moshe Hillel and said, “Indeed, there are those who go through Shas, but to know Shas only comes with mesiras nefesh for Torah. That is why it is such a simcha to participate tonight! We are gifting Klal Yisrael with talmidei chachomim who are really learning in a way that will give them a true kinyan in Shas.”

Rav Dovid concluded with a heartfelt bracha to Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu, for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah and the warmest bracha to Hanhalas Dirshu as well, “Hashem will give you tremendous hatzlacha and siyatta d’Shmaya. Keep on enriching Klal Yisrael with these wonderful programs that encourage limud haTorah at the highest levels!”

The Importance of Bekius, But NOT at the Expense of Iyun

Although HaGaon HaRav Aviezer Piltz, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Tifrach, did not attend the event, he is very familiar with Dirshu’s programs and the effusive way in which he greeted Rav Hofstedter and the hanhalah of Dirshu when they visited him in his home was a testament to that.

Rav Aviezer praised the work of Dirshu and recognized the profound hatzlacha that Dirshu has had in enabling bachurim, yungeleit and people of all ages and stages in Klal Yisrael to enhance their yedias haTorah. He was especially effusive about the Chaburas Shas program which combines bekius and iyun in a way that affords bnei Torah great satisfaction.

He highlighted the fact that, “Not too long ago by some, it was a busha to know masechtos. Some people were so focused on understanding the depth of a sugya that they, in some ways, looked down at those who had also acquired wide-ranging knowledge. I was not brought up that way. Our Mashgiach in Chevron, Rav Meir Chodosh, insisted that in addition to the depth of iyun that we learned in the morning, we should make sure to complete a daf of Gemara every day.”

Rav Piltz cautioned that as important as it is to learn and be tested on bekius, it should never supersede the iyun seder because the point of iyun seder is to teach us “tzu kennen lernen – to know how to learn.”

At the end of the visit, Rav Piltz was very glad to receive a copy of the recently published sefer Moed L’Dovid that contains the iyun shiurim and chiddushim of Rav Dovid Hofstedter.

Rav Dovid Hofstedter: Hatzlacha Comes from Guidance of Chachmei HaTorah and Mesorah

In his remarks at the august gathering, Rav Dovid Hofstedter spoke about the koach the chachmei Torah and chachmei hamesorah in each generation have to know exactly what the generation needs even if it is sometimes counter-intuitive. He explained, “That is why it is so important to always take hadracha from the Gedolim of each generation. They know what the dor needs, even it is different than what the previous generation needed.”

Rav Dovid then took a “trip” down memory lane, reminiscing about the early years of Dirshu when Dirshu merited to gain from the wise counsel and constant chizuk given by HaGaon HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, zt”l. When we brought the program to Eretz Yisroel, Rav  Michel Yehuda suggested that the tests be given in yeshivos as well. Although at that time it wasn’t as prevalent to give tests to bnei yeshiva and kollel yungeleit, Rav Michel Yehuda insisted that this would be the right thing to do.  

“Later, we had the zechus of establishing the Yeshiva of Acheinu, a kiruv yeshiva that prepares boys from irreligious or moderately religious homes, to go to yeshiva. This step too was undertaken as a result of the constant advice and counsel that we received from HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman and Rav Michel Yehuda They even visited the yeshiva and the rest is history.

“Similarly, when it came to Chaburas Shas, the Roshei Yeshivos guided us in how to structure the program. The program was established here, in the home of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. Rav Dovid Cohen, who has been guiding and advising us, was instrumental in structuring the derech halimud of Chaburas Shas. Today, there are hundreds of people learning the program and taking the tests!”

Covering Ground While Absorbing the “Heart” of the Sugya, THAT is Chaburas Shas!

Indeed, perhaps Rav Dovid Cohen best encapsulated what Chaburas Shas has done when he said, “This program allows for the learning of both iyun and bekius, 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. A program like Chaburas Shas allows a person to cover ten blatt a month while absorbing the ‘heart’ of the sugya rather than learning it in a superficial manner.”