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 about the future. It was about how many more people are going to incorporate meaningful and consistent limud haTorah into their lives.”