By Chaim Gold 

It was surreal, a scene that will never be forgotten by the thousands who merited to be in the Prudential Center Arena on Sunday night before Shavuos. The Gaon and Tzaddik, HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita, who had come especially from Eretz Yisrael to address the Dirshu Kinnus Olam HaTorah Kabbolas Shabbos maamad, was about to complete his inspiring drasha… when he suddenly changed tones. Instead of ending the drasha with the traditional, “May we be zocheh to the coming of Moshiach,” he began singing!

Yes, Rav Shimon Galei stood there, a beatific smile on his face, microphone in hand, enthusiastically singing the famous song, “Shaarei shomyaim pesach.” He was calling on Hashem to open the gates of Heaven and open His treasure trove for us… 

He then explained, “I feel that at this moment is a tremendous eis ratzon, an opportune time when the gates of Heaven are wide open and we can beg Hashem for all our needs, for all Klal Yisrael’s needs!”

He then began singing the niggun again, unshed tears glistening in his eyes as the nearly 15,000 people filling the stadium joined in a thunderous outpouring of emotion. The entire stadium was on their feet singing “Shaarei shomyaim pesach.”! 

Watching Rav Shimon singing, you could see how the worry lines and wrinkles on his face temporarily disappeared. He glowed with simcha, leading the assemblage in song and explaining to them how the zechus of Shabbos itself was opening the gates of Heaven; how Shabbos has the power to save Klal Yisrael from its enemies from within and without; and how this wonderful assemblage that gathered to strengthen themselves in shemiras Shabbos by undertaking to learn hilchos Shabbos daily and comprehensively, was the conduit for rachmei shomayim to permeate the entire Klal Yisrael. 

The climax of Rav Shimon Galei’s drasha was one of the main highlights and emotional highpoints of a unique, remarkable event experienced by Klal Yisrael this past Sunday, the first day of the Sheloshes Yemei Hagbalah, when Dirshu held its massive Kinnus Olam HaTorah Kabbolas Shabbos event at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. 

Traditionally, Dirshu’s large stadium events have been held to mark milestone siyumim. This event, however, was unique in that it was made to celebrate not a siyum, but a kabbalah, a kabbalah of hundreds of thousands of lomdim the world over accepting upon themselves to learn hilchos Shabbos in Dirshu’s popular Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program that will embark on Chelek Gimel of hilchos Shabbos on Erev Shavuos. It is certainly not coincidental that this kabbalah to learn hilchos Shabbos coincides with the Yom Tov of Kabbolas HaTorah as Chazal teach us that shemiras Shabbos is equivalent to keeping the entire Torah! 

It is also not coincidental that the very popular Dirshu Amud HaYomi program is also currently in the middle of learning Masechta Shabbos. Those who participate in both programs thus have the unique opportunity to learn the sugyos in the masechta followed by the practical halacha that emanates from these sugyos. 

The Kabbolas Shabbos event was attended by numerous prominent Roshei Yeshiva, Poskim, Admorim and Rabbanim aside from those who addressed the crowd including Hagaonim HaRav Malkiel Kotler, shlita, HaRav Dovid Schustal, shlita, HaRav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, Harav Hillel David, shlita, HaRav Yaakov Horowitz, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Meir, HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Tiferes Yerachmiel, Rav Osher Dovid May, shlita, Rosh Kollel of the Passaic Yeshiva, Kollel,  HaRav Yerachmiel Ungarischer, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon of Bnei Brak, the Verdaner Rebbe, shlita,, Rav Meir Meyers, shlita, Belzer Dayan in Boro Park, Rav Shlomo Leizer, shlita,  Sanzer Dayan, Rav Avrohom Spitzer, shlita, Skverer Dayan of Lakewood, Rav Shmuel Lichtenstein, shlita, Krasna, Dayan, Rav Yitzchok Zalman Gips, shlita, Rav of Khal Birkas Avrohom HaRav Moshe Chaim Kahan, shlita, Dayan, Beis Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, HaRav Moshe Zev Feldman, shlita Dayan, Beis Medrash Govoha, Lakewood. 

Inspiration in Harmony

In addition to being an evening of kabbalos, the evening was also suffused with niggunim of chizuk and hisorerus beginning with a new niggun “Boi Besholom” sung by the Shira choir. Some of the most talented baalei menagnim inspired the crowd to greater heights in ahavas Torah and shemiras Shabbos. Whether it was R’ Baruch Levine singing the words of the beautiful tefillah said by every woman before lighting the candles when she begs Hashem to grant her children who will illuminate the world with their Torah, mitzvos and maasim tovim, or R’ Hershy Weinberger together with a wunderkind soloist singing the new song “Tanu Rabbanan,” full of ahavas haTorah. 

Whether it was R’ Zanvil Weinberger singing the words of the Mishnah that, “He who engages in Torah is zocheh to so many things,” or the heartfelt singing of R’ Naftali Kempeh as he sang the famed moving Shavuos song, “Kad Yasvin” that describes how Hashem revels in seeing his beloved Nation forgetting about the difficulties in their own lives, and instead deeply engaging in toiling in Torah. The evening was one of chizuk, inspiration and most importantly, “kabbalah,” about truly making an unbreakable kabbalah to learn hilchos Shabbos and in general upgrade all matters related to Shabbos. 

Rav David Ozeri: “The Only Way to Win This War is Spiritually!”

One of the most powerful drashos of the evening was the drasha given by HaRav David Ozeri, shlita, Rav of the Yad Yosef Torah Center of Brooklyn. Rav Ozeri cited the words of the Mishnah Berurah in his introduction to hilchos Shabbos, where the Chofetz Chaim calls on every community to establish chaburos, groups of people learning hilchos Shabbos. The Chofetz Chaim adds that making groups and shiurim of people dedicated to learning hilchos Shabbos will bring the geulah closer! 

“Dirshu,” Rav Ozeri said, “is therefore actually engaged in bringing the geulah closer by ensuring that so many shiurim and so many groups of lomdim are getting together daily to learn hilchos Shabbos. This gathering here today is certainly a gathering that is bringing the geulah closer!” 

Rav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz: “We Are All Here to Collectively Say, ‘Naaseh V’Nishma!’” 

Rav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, Skverer Dayan of Boro Park and one of the senior Poskim of America, brought out the tremendous quality of achdus that he observed in the crowd. 

“We see here,” he said, “G-d fearing Yidden from all walks of life who have come together – Chassidim, Litivishe Yidden, Sefardic Jews, kollel yungeleit, baalei battim, a complete microcosm of Har Sinai about which Chazal teach, ‘The entire Klal Yisrael camped next to the mountain as one man with one heart, with remarkable achdus,’ to do what? To strengthen ourselves in hilchos Shabbos. I feel that today we are all here to collectively say, ‘Naaseh V’Nishma! 

The Call to Action by the Nasi of Dirshu

“Tayere Heiligeh Mishpachas Dirshu, shlita,” was the way, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi of Dirshu, began his remarks. One could feel the profound ahavah suffusing those words. It was clear that this was not some figurehead of an organization, detached from the people, addressing his constituents. Rather, he was a yedid, a father figure, and more importantly a family member addressing his wider family with ahavah. Every person in the cavernous Prudential Center could feel the love emanating from the words, “Tayere Heiligeh Mishpachas Dirshu, shlita.”

The seminal drasha that Rav Hofstedter delivered was not only a rousing speech, but it was also an earnest conversation among friends. It was a very serious, important drasha with a practical message that was delivered with pain and concern over the difficult situation in today’s world. 

Rav Hofstedter said, “On the one hand, look at this dor! It is such a beautiful generation! Perhaps in the history of our galus there has never been a generation where so much Torah is being learned. Torah is being learned across the entire world – In Eretz Yisrael from Dan until Be’er Sheva and outside of Eretz Yisrael, in cities and towns literally where until more recently the kol Torah has not been heard, there are kollelim. There are yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs in communities the world over, with tens and tens of thousands of talmidim. 

“All areas of Torah are being learned. In our entire history, there was never so much Talmud Yerushalmi being learned as today. Our generation is producing comprehensive sefarim covering virtually every area of Torah at the highest levels. It is absolutely wonderful! A blessed generation! 

“On the other hand… look at the terrible tzaros that we have experienced most recently. We are experiencing a difficult tekufah of hester panim. Is it possible that the tremendous shefah, the tremendous bounty that Hashem has bestowed upon us has distracted us from our ultimate mission in life? Is it possible that with all the Torah being learned and with all the wonderful, spiritual developments in our time, that we are missing something?”

With great passion and pathos, Rav Hofstedter exclaimed, “Our generation is such a generation of opportunity! There is so much Torah being learned, so much ruchnyius, so much good! We have the opportunity to soar in ruchniyus. Yet, there are serious challenges. 

“Let us not look back at our lives with regret. Let us not one day regretfully look at the missed, unfulfilled potential! Let us not say we could have been bekiim in hilchos Shabbos, we could have kept Shabbos properly without inadvertently transgressing… but we didn’t avail ourselves of the opportunity. Let us not one day have the anguish and regret that ‘I could have been a Shas Yid…’ Let us not one day look back and say, ‘I COULD have brought the geulah, I missed the opportunity…’ Let us not r”l, be the generation that had so many tzaros and will one day have to answer the question, ‘Where were you? What were you doing when my children were being slaughtered? Where were you when so many children were being lost to Klal Yisrael? Were you too busy enjoying life when the umos ha’olam were disgracing My Torah?”

With a fiery spark of hope in his eyes, Rav Dovid continued, “Let us rather be the generation of Kinyan Torah! The generation of Kinyan Halacha, of Kinyan Shas, of Kinyan Yerushalmi, of Amud HaYomi and of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha!!

“Let us be the generation whose Father welcomes His children with open arms! Let us be the generation that will finally witness yeshuas Yisrael and welcome the Goel Tzedek!”

“Tattele Kum Shoin Aheim!” 

With that rousing ending, Rav Hofstedter was about to step down…

Until something stopped him. What happened next swept the whole crowd into electrified dveikus. Rav Shimon Galei quickly stepped up the podium next to Rav Dovid and, as an appropriate bookend to the entire theme of Rav Dovid’s drasha, grasped Rav Dovid’s hand and began to sing the famous words of the song composed by Rav Don Segal, begging Hashem to come back home to His children, “Tattele kum shoin aheim! Tattele kum shoin aheim!” 

It seemed as if the roof was going to blow off of the stadium as the entire khal rose to their feet as one, singing with tangible emotion, “Tattele kum shoin aheim! Our Dear Father, PLEASE COME HOME!”

Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin: “Connecting with Masechta Shabbos and Hilchos Shabbos Can Save Klal Yisrael” 

HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe and Mesivta of Lakewood, pointed out that in our times, when Klal Yisrael faces a tzarah we are often told that we need to strengthen ourselves in matters of shemiras halashon. “While there is no doubt that we should always be vigilant about shemiras halashon, Rav Mattisyohu Salomon commented that if you look at the letters written by the Chofetz Chaim during difficult times for Klal Yisrael during his lifetime, he almost always attributed the difficult times to deficiencies in shemiras Shabbos and in slacking off in limud haTorah. Certainly, in our times when Klal Yisrael is assailed from within and without by great difficulties, it is time to strengthen ourselves in Shabbos and Torah. 

Another highlight of the event were the video recordings of the Gedolei Eretz Yisrael and Gedolei America, urging Klal Yisrael to undertake learning hilchos Shabbos. A powerful message resonated from Eretz Yisrael during the recent nesius meeting of the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program with the Gedolei Yisrael of the Yeshiva, Chasssidic and Sefardic communities in Bnei Brak. 

“Shabbos Encompasses ALL the Mitzvos!” 

Another powerful speaker was the well-known Maggid, HaRav Shimon Spitzer, shlita, who cited the famous Gemara wherein a convert asked Hillel to teach him the entire Torah on one foot. Hillel’s answer was, “What you don’t want someone to do to you, don’t do to another.” 

“The question,” Rav Spitzer then asked, “is this the entire Torah?” He then explained, “There are foundational mitzvos that serve as conduits for all the mitzvos. This foundational mitzvah will lead to the others. The same applies to Shabbos. Shabbos is a mitzvah that encompasses ALL the other mitzvos. That is why a person who keeps Shabbos is considered as if he kept the entire Torah while a mechallel Shabbos, r”l, is considered a person who doesn’t believe in anything.”

Rav Spitzer similarly urged the assemblage to feel the taam of Shabbos, to feel the spiritual taanug that Shabbos brings, saying, “This taanug can be felt when someone devotes time to learning hilchos Shabbos.” 

Skulener Rebbe and Stutchiner Rebbe Lead Kabbolas Ol Malchus Shomayim

Another climax was at the very end of the maamad with the arrival of the venerated Skulener Rebbe of Boro Park, Rav Yeshaya Yaakov Portugal, shlita, and the Rebbe of Toldos Yehuda Stutchin, Rav Mordechai Zilber, shlita. When the Skulener Rebbe said, “Shema Yisrael,” being mekabel ol malchus shomayim, as the Stutchiner Rebbe looked on, the entire assemblage thundered after him, in a roaring acceptance of ol malchus shomayim. He then said, “Hashem Hu Elokim” seven times, declaring our emunah in Hashem. What an appropriate culmination to a night that was completely devoted to Shabbos, the foundation of our emunah! 

To join Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and/or Amud HaYomi, please contact Dirshu at [email protected] or at 1-888-5Dirshu.