They couldn’t believe their eyes! They couldn’t even believe their ears! Was it really possible that this bachur standing before them had once been just like them?! Had this bachur really been an Israeli kid from a non-religious home, wearing jeans and a necklace?! And now?! Now he was being tested on Shas by HaGaon HaRav Shraga Shteinman, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Orchos Torah!!

Yes, recently in Eretz Yisrael, Acheinu, the kiruv arm of Dirshu, held a unique event graced by Rav Shraga Shteinman as well as the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter.

First a bit of background. Acheinu is involved in many areas of kiruv rechokim. In that capacity, they have yeshivos, yeshivos for bachurim with very little background in learning and yeshivos for bachurim who will eventually be mainstreamed into some of the most distinguished yeshiva gedolos in Eretz Yisrael. 

Where, however, do these bachurim come from? How do these boys from irreligious backgrounds come to be accepted into such stellar yeshivos? The answer is Midrashiyot. Midrashiyot are drop-in centers where local youth can come to hear a shiur, learn Torah or schmooze with a mashpia who will teach them a bit about Yiddishkeit. Most of the teens who come know very little about authentic Yiddishkeit, but the Midrashiya is such a warm, welcoming place that they come and are drawn in. The boys are taught basics of Torah and some of them really take to Torah learning. When a bachur has potential, the Acheinu pe’ilim do all they can to try teaching him more and more, eventually encouraging him to attend one of their affiliated yeshivos. 

Earlier this month, a unique event happened at an Acheinu Midrashiya. Rav Shraga Shteinman and Rav Dovid Hofstedter visited the Medrashiya and addressed the bachurim. Perhaps even equally inspiring, however, is what transpired right afterwards. The head of the Medrashiya stood and spoke to the talmidim. “My dear boys,” he said, “I want to introduce you to a bachur sitting here named Shlomo Yair. Today, this bachur looks like a yeshiva bachur who spent his entire life in the yeshiva but in truth, just a few years ago, he was exactly like you! One day, he wandered from the street into the Medrashiya and asked what Torah is. He had no idea. Slowly we taught him Torah. He had a quick grasp and enjoyed learning. We encouraged him to go to yeshiva, but his mother would not let. She said, ‘With his intellect, he can become a doctor or lawyer! Why should I send him to a yeshiva?’ It was very difficult but ultimately, we succeeded and he went to a yeshiva. Do you know that today, this bachur, this Shloimy, a bachur just like you, is a baki in the entire Shas, the entire Talmud Bavli by heart! Now he is also learning Yerushalmi. He learns approximately eighteen hours every day!” 

Rav Shteinman and Rav Hofstedter were then asked to test Shloimy on Shas. They didn’t make it easy. They asked complex questions, but Shloimy was up to the task. The bachurim in the Medrashiya couldn’t believe it! Rav Shraga Shteinman, a gadol hador and Rav Dovid Hofstedter, a tremendous talmid chacham and author of in-depth sefarim, could not catch him. Every question they threw at him, he answered!