“If one wants to establish a new program or spiritual undertaking for Klal Yisrael it must only be done on the foundation of the advice of Gedolei Yisrael. In addition to the haskama of the Gedolim, the underpinnings of any worthwhile program or endeavor for Klal Yisrael must also have their enthusiastic input and backing.” These words were said by Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, at a meeting with the Modzhitzer Rebbe, shlita, in the Rebbe’s Bnei Brak home. 

While in Bnei Brak, Rav Hofstedter together with senior members of Hanhalas Dirshu met with HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Rashbi, and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein, shlita, senior Posek and Rav of Western Bnei Brak.

In Yerushalayim, Rav Hofstedter met with HaGaon HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl, shlita, Rav of the Old City, and HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Bezalel, shlita, senior Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef.

In addition, there were meetings with HaGaon HaRav Aviezer Piltz, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Tifrach, and HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Freidman, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yesodot and founder of numerous other yeshivos.

The visit to the home of Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman was particularly inspiring. Rav Meir Tzvi, one of the shearei knesses hagedolah, one of the last remaining Gedolim of his era, who was a ben bayis by the Chazon Ish and a son-in-law of Rav Shach, received Rav Hofstedter and the delegation with remarkable warmth. 

During their exchange of brachos for the New Year, Rav Bergman related an electrifying Torah thought. He cited the well-known halacha that is learned from a passuk that we say daily in Kriyas Shema, “V’nasati eisav b’sadecha liv’hemtecha, v’achalta v’savata.” The Gemara learns from here that before eating, a person is obligated to first feed his animals. When citing this halacha, the Rambam in the ninth chapter of Hilchos Avadim appends a critical addition and writes, “The early chachamim would first give their servants from every food and also give their animals. Only after that would they themselves eat.” The Rambam concludes, “does not the [passuk] say like the eyes of a slave is turned towards its master and like the eyes of maidservant are turned towards her ‘gevirtah, owner’s wife’?”

Rav Meir Tzvi concluded, “we have a much deeper understanding of what we say every Rosh Hashanah in the tefillah of Hayom Haras Olam where we say, ‘Im kevanim, im ka’avadim, if we are like children, have mercy on us like a father has mercy on his children but if we are like slaves, eineinu lecha teluyos – our eyes are turned towards you, depending on You, until You will favor us.’” Rav Meir Tzvi concluded, “I understood from this that on Rosh Hashanah we are begging Hashem and saying, ‘If we are like slaves, still You are the biggest baal middos, it is Your gutskeit that knows that we have no one else to turn to and therefore You must help us, just as You help the slave …”

Indeed, after all the visits to the Gedolei Yisrael, Rabbi Avigdor Bernstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s Hanhala remarked, “The fact that so many Gedolei Yisrael value the tremendous role that Dirshu plays in the Torah world affords Dirshu the encouragement to continue further in strengthening the existing programs and devising new programs to be mezakeh es harabbim in the year 5785.”