The floodgates opened!  It happened during the drasha of HaGaon HaTzaddik, HaRav Raphael Abuchatzeirah, shlita. Some seven thousand Yidden from Argentina packed into the Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires. The standing room only crowd, both the more than 5,000 men and the nearly 2,000 women in the ezras noshim, were listening as the venerated mekubel began talking about what is happening in shomayim. He said, “Chazal teach that when a large group of Jews gather in honor of Torah to make a siyum on Torah, the power of Torah coupled with the power of so many Jews coming together creates a tremendous, powerful eis ratzon, opportune time for tefillos to be answered.  “There are so many things that we need from Hashem. Our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael are involved in a war against a cruel, implacable enemy. The Jewish people all over the world are in danger. So, so many people have their own personal difficulties. Even since arriving here in Buenos Aires, so many wonderful Jews have come to me begging me to pray for them. This one needs a child, the other needs parnassah, the third needs nachas from the children, the fourth needs a shidduch and the fifth needs shalom bayis. We all have so many things to ask from Hashem. NOW is the time to daven. It is an eis ratzon…” This was one highlight during a night of highlights on a scale never previously experienced by South American Jewry. Earlier this month, the South American Jewish Community celebrated its largest Torah event in history with the inaugural siyum on Masechta Brachos in the Amud HaYomi. The event was graced by HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Ezrachi, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim, HaGaon HaRav Raphael Abuchatzeirah, shlita, and Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita Nasi of Dirshu.  Wall-to-wall achdus permeated the siyum through the enthusiastic participation of Rabbanim and members of virtually every Torah observant kehillah of Argentina along with a large contingent from Brazil led by the Rav of Kehillas Mekor Chaim of Brazil, Rav Yitzchak Dishi, shlita. Later that week, an large well attended Amud HaYomi siyum was held at the large Safra shul in Sao Paulo Brazil.  The powerful, pervasive message at the siyum, said Rabbi Cohen-Talgam was that Dirshu is here for every person at every level. “We want to help YOU learn Torah! If you are someone who learned in yeshiva and have a background in learning, we have a program for you! If you are a beginner, we have a shiur and a program for you. If you want to learn halacha, we have a program for you at multiple levels. If you want to learn Gemara, we have a program that fits. If you want to learn the works of mussar and ethics, we have a program and a shiur for you. And if not, we will make one!” The aftermath of the siyum, more than anything else, has attested to the fact that Dirshu has succeeded! There has been an exponential increase in limud haTorah, in new participants throughout South America. “Indeed,” said Rav Cohen-Talgam, “the ultimate purpose of the siyum wasn’t just to celebrate the past, the fact that we had completed Masechta Brachos with the Amud HaYomi or Masechta Bava Kama with the Daf HaYomi. It was

HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei got up and grabbed the microphone. It was a totally spontaneous moment that left tears of emotion in the eyes of the thousands in attendance. It was in the middle of the Amud HaYomi Siyum at the Armon Hotel in Stamford. Hagaon HaRav Hillel David, shlita, had just finished speaking when suddenly, before the MC, Rabbi Leibish Lish, could step in and introduce the next speaker, the gaon and tzaddik, Rav Galei, grabbed the microphone and exclaimed, “Rabbosai! I want to tell you something very important. A siyum masechta is a time when there is a great eis ratzon in shomayim. If this is said about any siyum, how much more so, a siyum being made by thousands! Now is the time for all of us to daven for Klal Yisrael who are undergoing great difficulty and for all our personal tefillos as well.” Rav Shimon then began singing, “Shaarei shomayim pesach,” a song where we beg Hashem to open the gates of heaven and shower us with bracha from His infinite otzar, treasure house of bracha. The tangible emotion and feeling of Rav Shimon reverberated throughout the hall and the crowd joined him, raising their voices in song. Soon, everyone was on their feet singing, davening. The emotion reached a crescendo and it was clear to anyone there that they were indeed tapping into a unique eis ratzon. The emotion, the tefillos, the tears that were shed, defy description.  The truth, however, is that this exalted moment at the Amud HaYomi siyum was a microcosm of the eis ratzon that characterized the entire Shabbos Dirshu Convention this year. Every believing Jew knows that there is nothing that invokes rachmei shomayim more than the koach haTorah. Over the course of Shabbos Dirshu, not only was Torah celebrated by more than a thousand lomdei Dirshu and their families, Torah was being learned in every free minute! As HaGaon HaRav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, shlita, the Skverer Dayan of Boro Park, so eloquently highlighted during his shalosh seudos drasha, “I must confess, I have never seen anything like it! I woke up on Shabbos morning at about 5:00a.m. I went downstairs and couldn’t believe my eyes! There were people learning all around the lobby and in the large room designated for learning. Where do you have a Shabbos convention where the program ended the night before at close to 1:00a.m. and then, by 5:00a.m. the next morning people are horeving over their Gemaras? Only at a Dirshu convention where limud haTorah with goals and tests never stop for anything!” Throughout the Shabbos, the extended Dirshu family reveled in spending time with like-minded people traveling the same exalted road of life where their homes and every waking minute is influenced and shaped by goals of learning, reviewing and constant accountability through testing that so exemplifies a Dirshu Yid.   The inaugural Amud HaYomi siyum on Masechta Brachos, held on Thursday night in the Armon Hotel’s main ballroom, was a self-contained event that was open to the public, and the public came en masse. The standing-room only crowd was permeated with a profound sense of simcha. This was especially evident after HaRav Shlomo Eliezer Katz, a prominent Amud HaYomi maggid shiur delivered the hadran and entire assemblage burst into song and dance.

Rav Hillel David: The Unique Maalos of Amud HaYomi  It is barely two weeks since the launch of the global Amud HaYomi program and the Amud HaYomi is spreading across the world!  Hundreds of shiurim and night kollelim began learning the Amud HaYomi this past Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan starting Masechta Brachos daf beis amud aleph. Thousands of chavrusos began learning the amud together across the world from Melbourne to Buenos Aires, from Lakewood to Bnei Brak, from Antwerp to Texas, and from Johannesburg to Caracas, Venezuela.   In addition, pesicha shiurim were delivered on the first amud in Brachos by Gedolei Yisrael from all over. HaGaon HaRav Hillel David, shlita, Yoshev Rosh of the Vaad Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Umesorah, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and Rav of Kehillas Yeshiva Shaarei Torah, gave a live, practical lesson on how one can learn the amud and simultaneously cite wonderful chiddushim from the rishonim and acharonim and seamlessly weave them into the amud.   At the conclusion of his shiur, Rav Hillel spoke about the unique maalos of Amud HaYomi. He explained that it goes without saying that an Amud HaYomi shiur should be given for the same amount of time as a daf yomi shiur. “A maggid shiur,” he explained, “can have the opportunity to point out the way Rashi learns the Gemara and cite the opinion of Tosafos that differs with Rashi. He has the luxury of being able to explain why Tosafos argues on Rashi. If he prepares well, he can truly convey the underpinnings of the sugya.   Rav Shlomo Eisenberger: “The Last Amud Hayomi Shiur That I Attended was Given by Rav Shach!”   Another pesicha shiur was given by the venerated Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Eisenberger, shlita. Rav Eisenberger reminisced that the last time he attended an Amud HaYomi shiur was in the Ponovezh Yeshiva and the maggid shiur was the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Shach! He said, “When I learned in Ponovezh many decades ago, Rav Shach delivered a blatt shiur. That zeman we were learning Masechta Kesubos. When the Ponovezher Rav, Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman suggested to Rav Shach that he learn five blatt a week in the blatt shiur, Rav Shach protested that it was too much. In the end they each compromised, and Rav Shach began delivering shiur on one amud a day.   “I think the Amud HaYomi is an amazing idea! Not everyone can do a full blatt. In an amud, there is so much more that the maggid shiur can speak about. I remember how much Rav Shach spoke about on each amud. It is a real toeles…”  The Rachmastrivka Rebbe: “The Amud HaYomi is a Wonderful Opportunity!”  The Rachmastrivka Rebbe, shlita, of Yerushalayim, was extremely pleased when informed of the establishment of the worldwide Amud HaYomi program. He said, “The fact that Dirshu has established a new daily learning program, the Amud HaYomi, is a wonderful opportunity.”  There are many who find it difficult to learn the daf yomi. There are others who would rather learn less every day but want to still have time to review the previous days’ learning.   To join Amud HaYomi or to find a shiur near you, please contact Dirshu at 1888-5Dirshu or [email protected]

By Chaim Gold  It is an eis tzarah l’Yaakov. The murderous barbaric attacks on Acheinu Bnei Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael have cast a pall of mourning upon Jews all over the world. As maaminim bnei maaminim we know that we who are not fighting at the front must do our part in this milchama. We know that Hashem is the ish milchama and the way to invoke rachamei shomayim is through Torah and tefilla. Whether it is taking on a new kabbalah to join the new worldwide Amud HaYomi program that begins on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan or to increase Torah learning in any other meaningful way, that is the response that is needed for Klal Yisrael. All Torah learning brings down a shefa of rachamei shomayim and indeed, on Motzoei Simchas Torah, the venerated senior posek, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, called on all yidden to increase their Torah learning.  The Launch of the Amud HaYomi Initiative  Rabbi Shalom Yachnes, one of Dirshu’s coordinators overseeing the opening of new Amud HaYomi shiurim, commented, “When I speak to rabbanim, and talmidei chachomim who have undertaken to deliver shiurim, there is a great sense of excitement and anticipation.”  Just in Florida alone eight shiurim have already been established. In Los Angeles, as well, several shiurim have been set up as well as shiurim in locales including Providence, Rhode Island; Dallas, Texas; Toronto and Montreal, Canada; Highland Park, NJ; and Philadelphia, PA!  This is of course in addition to the hundreds, yes, hundreds of shiurim established in major centers of Yiddishkeit in Eretz Yisrael and America, such as Brooklyn, Lakewood and Monsey.   In Lakewood there all already more than ten Amud HaYomi shiurim that will begin on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan including shiurim given by such prominent maggidei shiur as Rav Chaim Weg, Dayan at the Beis Havaad, who will be giving the shiur in the vibrant Torah center of Lutzk and Rav Eliezer Ralbag, Rav of the Lakewood Courtyard and Rav Abish Zelishovsky who will be delivering a shiur in Khal Zichron Yaakov.   As of this writing, over twenty shiurim have been established in Brooklyn with many more to come. A sampling of the maggidei shiurim in Flatbush are Rav Michel Spitzer in Khal Tiferes Tzvi, Rav Elliot Jemal at Congregation Ketter Torah and Rav Shlomo Cynamon at Kollel Bnei Torah. In Boro Park, some of the maggidei shiur are Rav Yitzchok Zalman Gips, Rav of Khal Birkas Avrohom, Rav Sender Rechinitzer, Belzer Dayan, Rav Chaim Meir Friedman in Klausenberg, Rav Gershon Fleishman in Rachmastrivka and Rav Yechezkel Landau in Williamsburg.   In Monsey, Rav Daniel Field will be delivering a shiur at Khal Mevaser Tov, Rav Yeshaya Zelig Shapiro at Beis Tefillah, Rav Gabi Fried will be delivering two shiurim one at Chayei Olam Community Kollel and one at Kehillas Ateres Rosh, Rav Chaim Meir Tabak will say a shiur at Vizhnitz on Francis Place, and Rav Mordechai Stresser at Klausenberg.   According to Rav Avigdor Berenstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s hanhala, Dirshu’s offices has already signed up some 6,000 new learners of Amud HaYomi in Eretz Yisrael alone. In addition, hundreds of shiurim have already been established across the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael, ready to begin daf beis amud aleph of Masechta Brachos this coming Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan.   Numerous Gedolei

The new Amud HaYomi program that will begin its first machzor this coming Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan/October 16, will gift Klal Yisrael with a unique opportunity to learn an amud every single day, seven days a week. This will enable those who do not learn the Daf HaYomi to participate in a limud that will enable them to complete Shas in fifteen years while learning at a slower pace and with more depth. For those currently learning the Daf HaYomi, it will serve as an amazing chazarah tool to review what they have learned during the last three years since the beginning of the current machzor of Daf HaYomi. Lomdei Amud HaYomi will also have the opportunity to take tests on what they have learned and receive stipends for excellent results. The inspiring, grand launch of the program will take place at the same historic hall, the Sofiensale Hall in Vienna, where the original Daf HaYomi was launched one-hundred years ago by Rav Meir Shapiro at the first Knessiah Gedolah. It is scheduled to take place on motzoei Shabbos Parshas Bereishis in conjunction with a siyum marking the completion of half of Shas in the current Daf HaYomi machzor. Leading Gedolei Yisrael to Grace Event  The melave malka will be graced by leading Gedolei Yisrael from all over the world including HaGaon HaRav Hillel David, shlita, Yoshev Rosh of the Vaad Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Umesorah, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and Rav of Kehillas Yeshiva Shaarei Torah; HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Eretz Yisrael; HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita; HaGaon HaRav Messoud Ben Shimon, shlita, Sephardic Rav of Bnei Brak and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ohr Elitzur; HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Meor Torah and member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah; HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Eisenberger, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Telshe; HaGaon HaRav Binyomin Finkel, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Mir; and HaGaon HaRav Nissan Kaplan, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Daas Aharon, amongst others. “There is a tremendous amount of excitement among the public and also among the many talmidei chachamim who have committed to delivering a daily shiur. Multiple shiurim will be starting in Lakewood, Boro Park, Monsey, Williamsburg, and Flatbush. In addition, new shiurim will be opening in Toronto, Philadelphia, Miami Beach, Jackson, Toms River, Staten Island, Chicago and Los Angeles,” said Rabbi Moshe Fisher, Dirshu’s North American Co-Director. A comprehensive and marvelous kuntress called Iyun Ha’Amud, compiled by great talmidei chachomim, will be published and disseminated among the lomdim of Amud HaYomi throughout the world. The kuntress, which includes the pages of the Gemara, explanations and supplements, marei mekomos and practical applications of the halachah, is intended to assist the lomdim of Amud HaYomi with their learning and it will be part of the curriculum for the advanced tracks. The historic launch of the Amud HaYomi is almost upon us. Now is the time to make a kabbalah to join. You won’t regret it! For more information or to establish or access a shiur in your community please contact Dirshu at [email protected] or 732-987-3948 x 106

Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 5784/October 15, 2023, will be a date that will go down in history as a day that transformed Klal Yisroel. It is the day when the new Amud HaYomi will begin Masechta Brachos. One hundred years ago, this month, Daf HaYomi was established and changed Klal Yisroel. The new Amud HaYomi will almost certainly have a similar impact. When the senior members of Dirshu’s hanhalla told HaGaon HaRav Berel Povarsky, shlita, senior Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, about the idea at his home in Bnei Brak, the smile that wreathed his face from ear to ear said it more than anything else. “Moredig, gevaldig, gevaldig!” he exclaimed. “An excellent idea! Amud HaYomi is something that each person can learn in accordance with his own level of learning.” HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Tiferes Yerachmiel in Lakewood, displayed great simcha when he heard about the new Amud HaYomi program. His primary joy was aroused by the realization that this program would increase limud haTorah and the numbers of lomdei Torah. “The Torah needs yodei Torah, people who don’t just learn Torah but understand and know what they learned.’ I think therefore that the Torah is makir tov to you. The Torah wants people to be busy with learning Torah, to encourage limud haTorah. I think that, without a doubt, you Rav Hofstedter and Dirshu are shelucha d’rachmana, emissaries of Hashem to ensure that the Torah always has customers…” The official launch of the Amud HaYomi will take place motzoei Shabbos Bereishis, at the historic Sofiensäle Hall in Vienna, the same concert hall where the groundbreaking, world-changing concept of the Daf HaYomi was proposed at the first Knessiah Gedolah. The launch will be held in conjunction with a siyum on seder Nashim and half of Shas in the Daf HaYomi machzor and will be graced by leading Gedolei Yisrael from America, Eretz Yisrael and Europe. HaGaon HaRav Hillel David, shlita, Yoshev Rosh of the Vaad Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Umesorah, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and Rav of Kehillas Yeshiva Shaarei Torah, will lead the delegation of Rabbanim coming from America. The very distinguished delegation of Gedolei Yisrael from Eretz Yisrael who will be participating in the historic launch will include HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Meir Stern, shlita, talmid muvhak of Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Wosner and one of Eretz Yisrael’s leading poskim and dayanim; HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Peretz Berman, shlita, a Rosh Yeshiva at the Ponevezh Yeshiva. The European delegation will be led by HaGaon HaRav Gavriel Knopfler, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Manchester. For further information or to join, please contact Dirshu at 1-888-5-Dirshu or e-mail, [email protected] 

Some locations are so historic that they defy the imagination. One such place is the historic Sofiensäle Hall in Vienna, a concert hall where, during the month of Elul one-hundred years ago the groundbreaking, world-changing concept of the Daf HaYomi was proposed by the young Rav of the Polish town of Sonik. This year on motzoei Shabbos Bereishis, history will once again be made in that very hall in Vienna. That same hall will be filled to capacity once more, graced and led by leading Gedolei Yisrael and leading Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbanim, and maggidei shiur, as they celebrate a siyum on Seder Nashim and half of the present Daf HaYomi cycle. Even more exciting, a new Klal Yisrael learning initiative that promises to have a transformative impact on Yidden and Torah learning the world-over will be proposed in that very location where Rav Meir Shapiro with his booming voice and optimism launched the Daf HaYomi. The siyum will be the climax of a Historic Mission spearheaded by Dirshu and led by Gedolei Yisrael that will begin with a visit and special tefillos on behalf of Klal Yisrael at the kever of the Chasam Sofer in Pressburg within three days of his yahrtzeit, and continue with Dirshu’s International Shabbos Convention in Pressburg. The climax will be the celebration, the siyum, will be held at the historic Sofiensäle Hall in Vienna where the first Knessia Gedolah was held in Elul of 1923, when Rav Meir Shapiro proposed the Daf HaYomi. Among the leading Gedolei Yisrael who will grace the Shabbos and the siyum will be HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Meir Stern, shlita, talmid muvhak of Rav Shmuel Wosner and one of Eretz Yisrael’s leading poskim and dayanim; HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita; HaGaon HaRav Chaim Peretz Berman, shlita, a Rosh Yeshiva at the Ponevezh Yeshiva; HaGaon HaRav Gavriel Knopfler, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Manchester, and numerous other Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshiva from Eretz Yisrael and abroad. Leading the delegation of Gedolim from America will be HaGaon HaRav Hillel David, shlita, Yoshev Rosh of the Vaad Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Umesorah, member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and Rav of Kehillas Yeshiva Shaarei Torah. The inspirational pinnacle of erev Shabbos will be the special maamad tefillah on behalf of lomdei Daf HaYomi and Klal Yisrael led by Gedolei Yisrael at the kever of the Chasam Sofer. Klal Yisrael is so in need of shemirah, in ruchniyus and in gashmiyus, in yeshuos, refuos and shidduchim, and at the makom Kadosh the burial place of the Chasam Sofer, around the time of his yartzeit is the opportune time to invoke rachamei shomayim. At this year’s European International Dirshu Convention there will be a return to history; but perhaps even more importantly new history will be made. Stay tuned.

Both Europe and America will be celebrating an incredible milestone this coming week with two major siyumim that promise to have a transformative impact on the future halachic observance of their respective communities.  The first of the momentous milestone events will be the Dirshu Kinyan Halacha siyum in London on Sunday, 8 Teves/January 1 at the prestigious Hall of the Aviation Suite, Thistle London, Heathrow. The special guest speakers at the exclusive event in London will be HaGaon HaRav Aharon Schiff, shlita, Rav of the Machzikei HaDas community of Antwerp and HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Meir Stern, shlita, talmid muvhak of Rav Shmuel Wosner, a member of Rav Wosner’s Beis Din and Rav of the Kehillas Yaakov kehillah of Bnei Brak.  The following day, on motzoei Asara B’Teves, the American event will be held in the Eminence Hall in Boro Park. That event will feature special drashos from among America’s most preeminent poskim, HaGaon HaRav Yechiel Mechel Steinmentz, shlita, Skverer Dayan of Boro Park and HaGaon HaRav Hillel David, shlita, Rav of Khal Shaarei Orah of Boro Park and a member of the Vaad Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Umesorah, and HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Meir Stern, shlita, talmid muvhak of Rav Shmuel Wosner, a member of Rav Wosner’s Beis Din and Rav of the Kehillas Yaakov kehillah of Bnei Brak.  These two siyumim will be coming in the wake of a gala Kinyan Halacha siyum in the Binyanei Haumah Convention Center in Yerushalayim.  Kinyan Halacha is a rigorous program to which 3,000 avreichim applied more than five-and-a-half years ago. From among the 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.  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.” The upcoming siyumim in three continents, Eretz Yisroel, Europe and America, will be outstanding demonstrations of kavod haTorah, as Klal Yisroel, led by the Gedolei Yisroel welcome a cadre of Klal Yisroel’s future morei horaah and poskim to the fold.