You just had to see the smile on the face of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, to appreciate the magnitude of the historical accomplishment of the more than 1,000 yeshiva bachurim. 

You had to hear the enthusiasm in the voice of HaGaon HaRav Isamar Garbuz, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Orchos Torah as he asked one deep, probing question after another and his delight as he listened to the bachurim answering with lightning speed and profound depth to appreciate the revolution in the making. 

You had to see HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Me’or HaTorah, who could barely walk to the podium, become infused with new life and vigor as he asked one deep question after another with the bachurim jumping to answer like arrows jumping out of their bows.

You had to observe the look of surprise and simcha on the face of the Modzhitzer Rebbe, shlita, to appreciate what was transpiring in that large hall in Elad on Thursday night, Erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz.

The sight of the koras ruach, the deep satisfaction on the faces of the Gedolei Roshei Hayeshiva said it all! The lesson was clear. Bachurim in yeshivos can cover the entire masechta being learned in the yeshiva that year and even know the masechta with depth and deep havana, not at the expense of their learning of iyun but on the contrary, in a way that only compliments their iyun learning. 

The event was a truly historic event. Some 1,000 bachurim were tested on 160 blatt Gemara that they have learned in the eight months since Simchas Torah in the aftermath of the terrible massacre that took place at that time. 

These 1,000 bachurim were chosen from among a group of some 5,000 bachurim who participate in one of Dirshu’s most exciting, transformative programs, Dirshu’s Bachurei Yeshiva Program. 

At the event held at the large auditorium in Elad, tens of Roshei Yeshiva from the elite yeshivos of Eretz Yisrael came to participate and test the bachurim. 

The Groundbreaking Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos Program

What is the Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos Program and how did it start? Some two decades ago, Dirshu sought HaGaon HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz’s advice on which programs would be important for Klal Yisrael. Rav Michel Yehuda’s answer took them by surprise. It was not what they had expected to hear. He said, “We must do something to return bekius to the place that it occupied in the great yeshivos of yesteryear. Today’s bachurim do not realize that in order to acquire proper iyun skills it is imperative to have a serious bekius seder.”

Rav Michel Yehuda related that when he had learned in the Chevron Yeshiva in his youth, they would learn one blatt every day with Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos. “Only when a bachur has a knowledge of all the sugyos in the masechta can he properly understand the depth of the iyun and the Rishonim,” he concluded. 

Rav Michel Yehuda therefore encouraged the hanhala of Dirshu to design a learning program for yeshivos where bachurim would be encouraged to learn the entire masechta that their yeshiva was learning that year with multiple reviews and ultimately be tested on them. The rest is history.

The Dirshu limud provides a structure for second seder. The yeshiva masechta is learned at a pace of an amud a day, Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos. Additionally, they are designed to utilize “free time” such as Friday afternoon, Shabbos, Motzoei Shabbos and other such pockets of time. 

The Dirshu programs can be found in many of the most prominent yeshivos throughout Eretz Yisrael such as Ponovezh, Chevron, Orchos Torah, Ateres Shlomo, Me’or HaTorah, Vizhnitz, Nesivos Chochma (Wolfson), Beis Medrash Elyon, Kamenitz, Mir, Beis Mattisyahu, Daas Aharon (Kaplan) and many others. 

At the public test, questions were asked by Gedolei Rosh Yeshivos. Among them HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Peretz Berman, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh, HaGaon HaRav Messoud Ben Shimon, shlita, Sephardic Rav of Bnei Brak, the Modzhitzer Rebbe, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Daniel Wolfson, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Nesivos Chochma, HaGaon HaRav Boruch Dov Diskin, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Orchos Torah, HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Me’or HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Chizkiyahu Mishkovsky, shlita, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi Dirshu and numerous others.

After the test, siyumim on Masechtos Kesubos and Gitten were made by HaGaon HaRav Menachem Ernster, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Vizhnitz and HaGaon HaRav Yerachmiel Ungarischer, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon.

Today, more than 5,000 bachurim across the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael participate in the Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos Program. Dirshu works hand in hand with the Roshei Yeshiva and the hanhalah of each yeshiva. Thus, every bachur in the program is participating with the bracha and encouragement of his yeshiva’s hanhalah. 

Rav Chaim Feinstein: “We Need All Bnei Yeshivos to Follow in Your Ways!”

When Rav Chaim Feinstein concluded his questions, he took a few minutes to address the bachurim expressing his profound admiration and surprise by their depth of knowledge. With a beaming smile, he told the bachurim, “Beautiful! I must tell you this gave me great pleasure. The Iglei Tal in his introduction to his sefer writes that it is permitted and recommended to enjoy divrei Torah and I have enjoyed the way all of you answered, quickly, clearly and comprehensively. This shows how much yegiah, how you have toiled in Torah to reach this level of knowledge and understanding. The main thing that Hashem wants from Klal Yisrael is yegias haTorah, toiling in Torah, that is the purpose of the world. I must tell all of you bachurim, Ashreichem! We need all bnei yeshivos to follow in your ways! In the zechus of your ameilus b’Torah, Hashem will certainly protect all of you, all bnei Torah and all of Klal Yisrael!”

“What a Nachas Ruach!”

Rav Dovid Hofstedter, the Nasi of Dirshu also asked very difficult, pointed questions. Upon concluding a series of questions, Rav Hofstedter could not contain his simcha. “Gevaldig!” he exclaimed, “What a nachas ruach it is to witness this kiddush Hashem!” 

Rav Hofstedter than expressed his tremendous feelings of gratitude to the Ribbono Shel Olam for enabling him to witness this momentous maamad. “Who would have believed,” he wondered aloud, “that after the Holocaust where virtually all the Gedolei Torah and bnei yeshivos were wiped out, that we would merit to see how Hashem is restoring the crown of Torah to its original glory?! Who would have believed that such a large group of bachurim are able to answer questions on Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos, rishonim and acharonim on so many difficult masechtos?! Who would have believed that after the destruction of Volozhin, Mir, Slabodka, and all the Chassidishe yeshivos and chatzeiros that the Torah world would grow and blossom like it is today.!”

What we Saw Tonight Was Pure Simcha!

Rav Yisrael Layush, one of the prominent Dirshu Rabbanim overseeing the program, related, “When I observed the expressions on the faces of each bachur after he merited answering a question posed by one of the Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva, I saw pure simcha. It was the simcha of knowing that one’s hard work paid off. It was the simcha of knowing that the yegiah that a bachur invested over the course of an entire winter and summer zeman has borne fruit. It was the simcha of acquiring a true kinyan in Torah! 

“But perhaps equal to that simcha and maybe even greater was the expression on the countenances of the Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva themselves who participated in the farher and saw from up close how these budding talmidei chachomim are growing into the next generation’s Torah leaders.”