“There is nothing more important that we can do before the Yamim Noraim than to try fixing and rectifying our klei hadibbur, our mouths and our tongues that enable us to speak!”

These were the powerful words of Rav Yissocher Frand, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva Ner Yisrael in Baltimore and one of the prime mashpiim of our time. Rav Frand’s words were said during a drasha that was seen by untold multitudes throughout the globe on Dirshu’s groundbreaking pre-Rosh Hashana videocast in conjunction with Dirshu’s ninth annual Yom Limud and Tefilla. The Yom Limud and Tefilla was designed to bring chizuk and hisrorerus to Klal Yisrael in advance of the Yamim Noraim, through the message of the Chofetz Chaim on his yahrzeit.

On this year’s Yom Limud and Tefilla, hundreds of thousands of Yidden throughout the world said perakim of Tehillim for Klal Yisrael and learned halachos from the Mishnah Berurah and the mussar sefarim of the Chofetz Chaim to mark the yahrtzeit.

In addition to the compelling drasha of Rav Yissocher Frand, the videocast featured never-before-seen footage of HaGaon Harav Yitzchok Scheiner, zt”l, , said many years ago at an Acheinu event. Acheinu is the kiruv arm of Dirshu.

Other drashos were given by HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita, well-known mashpia and Rosh Kollel; HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Berkowitz, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Aish HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Reuven Elbaz, shlita, Rosh Yeshivat Ohr Hachaim; and Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi, Dirshu. The chairman of the event was Rav Zev Smith, shlita, Maggid Shiur Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and Irgun Shiurei Torah.

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

Just seeing the image of Rav Yitzchok Scheiner, zt”l, as he passionately and eloquently spoke, brought chizuk to those who merited to know him. He related a powerful story that showed the extent that a great man went to be granted mechilah, from someone whom he had mistakenly wronged.

He related the famous story of when the Rashash mistakenly thought that a tailor did not repay a loan and the man therefore was ostracized by Vilna Jewry as a result and he was forced to move out of Vilna to a small town as a penniless refugee. The Rashash later realized that he had made a mistake and the person did pay the loan and the only way to ensure that everyone would realize that the tailor was right was by marrying off his daughter to the son of the tailor.

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 over 500 schools!