The senior Gedolei Hador from Bnei Brak, the Sar HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita, deemed the learning of daily halacha so important that they each hosted events last week celebrating the completion of hilchos Shabbos, Chelek Gimel of Mishnah Berurah, in their humble homes.

At the home of Rav Chaim Kanievsky and in Rav Chaim’s presence, Rav Chaim’s words of bracha were transmitted by his chavrusah, Rav Elya Mann, shlita. The siyum on Chelek Gimel was made by Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, shlita, Rav of Western Bnei Brak and a talmid muvhak of Rav Shmuel Wosner, zt”l. Chelek Daled was begun by Rav Sariel Rosenberg, son-in-law of HaGaon HaRav Nissim Karelitz, shlita, a member of Rav Nissim’s Bais Din as well as a Daf HaYomi B’Halacha maggid shiur.

Rav Mann said in the name of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, “Shabbos Kodesh is the foundation of our nation, the foundation of Torah…! The Chofetz Chaim writes that it is impossible to keep Shabbos without learning the halachos of Shabbos. Aside from the mitzvah of learning Torah, when one learns hilchos Shabbos, the learning itself is shemiras Shabbos.”

“The second thing,” Rav Chaim added, “is that learning about a mitzvah gives taam to the mitzvah. When a person learns hilchos Shabbos, Shabbos itself has a different taam. You taste the Shabbos. What do you taste on Shabbos – cholent?! Certainly, the taste of cholent is also a good thing and a mitzvah but the main thing is that when you learn hilchos Shabbos you taste the taste of Shabbos!”

Drashos at the siyum in the home of Rav Chaim were also given by Rav Yaakov Meir Stern and Rav Dovid Hofstedter.

At the event in Rav Gershon’s home attended by luminaries such as the Roshei Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Feinstein, shlita, and Rav Boruch Dov Diskin, Rav Gershon said, “It is a tremendous zechus to learn halacha l’maaseh. The learning of halacha is the learning that is actualized in day-to-day life. That is why everyone has an obligation to learn halacha each day… It is particularly important to learn and know hilchos Shabbos in which a person can easily transgress Torah mandated prohibitions. That is why we must thank and bless Dirshu, which has had the zechus to ensure that the multitudes from the entire cross-section of our nation are learning halacha.

After the event, Rav Edelstein called Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Dirshu’s Nasi into his room and told him that when he addresses the siyum on Chelek Gimel at the Grand Melave Malka of Dirshu’s International Convention this coming Shabbos Parshas Bo he should tell the participants, “It is impossible to be a Yid without learning halacha. Halacha is the aleph bais of Yiddishkeit!”

Dirshu will be holding its siyum on Chelek Gimel and haschalah on Chelek Daled this Motzoei Shabbos at the Grand Melava Malka of the Dirshu International Convention to be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stamford Connecticut.