By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Maran Sar HaTorah Rav Chaim zatzal held that a siyum is actually preferable to fasting on Erev Pesach.  Why is that?  Because a Siyum is actually a seudas Mitzvah, while the firstborn fasting on this day is a Minhag – a strong minhag, but nonetheless a Minhag.

Rav Chaim zatzal would conduct his siyum on the entire Bavli each year at the Lederman shul.  He would then go home and make his siyum on the entire Yerushalmi.

This year, the congregants and the Gabbai of the Lederman shul had requested that Rav Chaim’s eldest son, the b’chor, conduct the siyum in his father’s stead.  Those in attendance heard the words of the Siyum Kaddish and could not help thinking that Rav Chaim zatzal would no longer be conducting the annual siyum on Shas, but were consoled by the fact that his son, yblct”v Rav Avrohom Yishayahu Kanievsky shlita would continue the tradition.

It did involve a change, however.  Rav Avrohom Yishayahu Kanievsky shlita would always conduct the siyum on the yartzeit of his grandmother, the Steipler’s Rebbitzen and sister of the Chazon Ish – Rebbitzen Pesha Miriam Kanievsky a”h, on the second of Nissan.  In deference to the needs of the Mispallelim, he made the siyum on Shas and the Tosefta on Erev Pesach and then immediately began Meseches Brachos. Beside him at the siyum was the list of those who had sent in their names as for brachos and as a z’chus. Rav Avrohom Yishayahu shlita completed the Yerushalmi siyum at home.

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