Worldwide Siyumim on Three Continents to Celebrate Completion of Third Machzor of Dirshu Kinyan Halacha Program

Massive Siyum at Binyanei Haumah in Yerushalayim to be Held

By Chaim Gold

The Teddy Hall at the Binyanei Haumah Convention Center in Yerushalayim will look like a beis medrash in the middle of Simchas Torah this coming motzoei Shabbos Parshas Vayigash.

Yes, Simchas Torah on Motzoei Shabbos! The simcha is the milestone a massive siyum for Dirshu’s five and a half year long Kinyan Halacha machzor will take place. Leading poskim led by HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein, shlita, talmid muvhak of Rav Shmuel Wosner, zt”l, and HaGaon HaRav Sariel Rosenberg, shlita, ybl”ch, son-in-law of Rav Nissim Karelitz, zt”l, will be in attendance.

Unlike most of Dirshu’s other programs, Kinyan Halacha is designed for an elite group of mature talmidei chachamim who desire to undergo a grueling, five-and-a-half year learning and testing program to become morei horaah, poskim who can pasken on the Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah orders of Shulchan Aruch associated with semicha.

The program was established fifteen years ago, with the guidance and bracha of the previous generation’s poskei hador, Hagaon HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Wosner, zt”l and Hagaon HaRav Nissim Karelitz, zt”l. Rav Wosner and Rav Karleitz actively participated and addressed Kinyan Halacha events and testing sites.

Unique Niche Program

Kinyan Halacha is a rigorous program to which 3,000 avreichim applied more than five-and-a-half years ago. From among that 3,000 that applied, only 1,800 avreichim were deemed worthy of being accepted into such a demanding program. From that 1,800 only 400 persevered until the end becoming true bekiim in halacha and achieving outstanding results on very rigorous, comprehensive tests on hilchos Shabbos, Niddah, bassar v’chalav, taaruvos, safek sefeikah, melicha, shemitta v’yovel, brachos, sefer Torah, tefillin and mezuzah, eiruvin and ribbis. All the material was learned by beginning with the Gemara, proceeding through the Rishonim, the Tur and its mefarshim, then Shulchan Aruch with its mefarshim until the poskim of our time.

Rav Shlomo Gans, a supervisor of the Kinyan Halacha program, said, “This program is a unique halacha program that does not exist anywhere else. Both in the amount learned, depth and breadth and the support that it has received from the Gedolei Yisrael.”

There will be siyumim in Eretz Yisroel, England and America, to celebrate the accomplishments of this group of special talmidei chachamim who have invested their lifeblood into becoming true baalei horaah.

They will each be presented with a special Cheilcha L’Oraisah certificate signed by Rav Moshe Shaul Klein Rav of the Ohr Hachaim neighborhood of Bnei Brak and posek of the Mayaanei Hayeshua Hospital, and Rav Sariel Rosenberg, Av Beis Din of the Beis Din of Rav Nissim Karelitz, zt”l,  attesting to their accomplishment.

“Halacha is Not Just Learning a Piece of Gemara!”

Rav Moshe Shaul Klein related, “Halacha is not just learning a piece of Gemara here and a piece of Gemara there, then a se’if in Shulchan Aruch that tells you what to do. It is far more than that. Truly learning halacha in a way that you can pasken properly and correctly requires much more than just learning a sugya here and there. It requires the foundational underpinnings of each sugya and each halacha. It requires learning every siman in Shulchan Aruch from beginning to end, it requires learning and understanding each of the meforshim on the Shulchan Aruch and all their sources. Becoming a moreh horaah involves much more than just taking a ‘semicha program’. That is what Kinyan Halacha seeks to impart. To learn everything from its foundation through the practical halacha.”

Practical Guidance for each Participating Yungerman

Perhaps one of the most unique, important aspects of the program is the hadracha – the practical guidance for each participating yungerman. Each avreich receives a kuntress outlining all the material being learned for the forthcoming half year. The program also provides mareh mekomos and constant guidance in what to learn and where emphasis should be placed.

These special kuntreisim, compiled by some of the greatest poskim of our time, have served as one of the major catalysts in the success of the program.

The program with its clear hadracha has become so popular that tens of kollelim throughout Eretz Yisrael have opened horaah programs wherein the entire kollel learns halacha together with the Kinyan Halacha program. Not all these kollelim are part of the official Kinyan Halacha network, nevertheless, all have seen the tremendous benefit of participating in a program with a clear framework for learning with chazarah. Dirshu is glad to send even those kollelim that are not officially part of the network, all its kuntreisim and do whatever in their power to offer the support they need to enrich Klal Yisrael with yet more poskim muvhakim.

“Learning Halacha with Tur and Shulchan Aruch are Gufei Torah”

Before the program’s inception in 2006, when HaGaon HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, was presented with the details of the Kinyan Halacha program by Dirshu’s hanhala led by its Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, he was extremely impressed saying, “…Learn [halacha] with Tur and Shulchan Aruch, for these are the essentials of [gufei] Torah.” He went on to recommend that an optimum way to learn halacha is by learning the Tur with the Bais Yosef’s commentary prior to learning Shulchan Aruch. In this way, one can discern how the halacha evolved into the final psak halacha of the Shulchan Aruch. Learning in-depth and following the trajectory of the halacha from the Gemarah through the Rishonim, the Tur with Bais Yosef and onto the Shulchan Aruch with its commentaries provides a person with the Gufei Torah, the essentials of Torah.

“How Does One Merit to Become a Baal Halacha?”

Rav Dovid Hofstedter, the Nasi of Dirshu related, “The great posek, Rav Shmuel Wosner, who actively guided the Kinyan Halacha program from its inception would often tell me, “The area of Torah that is the most difficult is being able to rule on halacha. To become a baal halacha is the hardest task. How does one merit to become a baal halacha? How does one invoke the divine mercy and siyata d’Shmaya to be able to pasken correctly? The only way is ratzon, true burning desire to do Hashem’s bidding. When a person really invests his entire being into fulfilling that desire, Hashem gives him miraculous abilities to reach that goal.”

This coming Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Vayigash, at the Teddy Hall of the Binyanei Haumah Convention Center, Klal Yisrael will celebrate the absolutely unique accomplishments of these baalei horaah, who have persevered with remarkable ratzon as they step up to become the poskim for the next generation.