Rav Gershon Edelstein is a man of few words, but when he does speak, every word carries weight.

In an unprecedented development, the venerated Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh gave an unexpected video message to the thousands of participants at the Grand Melava Malka expressing his joy over the fact that they were celebrating the completion of Chelek Gimel and beginning Chelek Daled of Mishnah Berurah.

When Rav Gershon was told about the multitudes of lomdei Dirshu who will be completing Shas next year with bechinos and that Dirshu would celebrate their accomplishments with massive siyumim in Eretz Yisroel, England, France and South Africa, culminating in an enormous siyum at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, in mid-February, 2020, the Rosh Yeshiva expressed his great joy. He pointed out that when a large, public siyum is made it encourages more people to learn. He brought proof to this concept from a passuk in Mishlei [1:20], “Wisdom sings out in the streets; it gives forth its voice in the public.” Rav Edelstein explained, “When wisdom is being praised in the street it gives forth a voice in public that influences others.”

When asked to give a bracha in honor of next year’s Siyum HaShas, the Rosh Yeshiva answered, “The bracha is min hashomayim! Hashem blesses those who learn Torah. My bracha is that you should have siyatta d’shmaya in everything that you do!”