Following Eretz HaKodesh, “Mechudadim” for those studying the daf yomi is now available to those living in the Diaspora.

A brief summary of the daf yomi using the Mechudadim method via email or an audio transcription available by telephone * in a special letter of gedolei Yisrael Shlita: “In order to fulfill the mitzvah of Talmud Torah in its entirety, one must review what one learns.”

There is no beis medrash that does not come out with chidushim, however such chidushim must be channeled by gedolei Yisrael: The project Mechudadim, which is a review of the learning of the daf yomi, enables one who learns daf yomi to review his learning at any time and thereby to fulfill the essence of the mitzvah of Talmud Torah. This important project was designed in the Holy Land in addition to the multitude of other activities and organizations whose goals are to increase learning in our generation Baruch Hashem. The reason for this project is explained in a special letter distributed by gedolei Yisrael Shlita which states that review of what is learned is among the main responsibilities in the mitzvah of Talmud Torah.

The story behind the establishment of this project is both stimulating and touching: One of the leading, well known talmidei chachamim of our generation who until recently disseminated Torah to thousands of students in one of the important yeshivos in the holy city of Jerusalem, and whose shiurim are known to be rich with content, unfortunately took ill with the difficult disease and is now on bedrest.

However, with great resourcefulness, he decided that this is also divinely designed and so he would affect those who wish to study even from his sick bed, despite his ongoing medical treatments for the disease. With his transition to the sick bed, this talmid chacham said one must strengthen and sharpen the idea of review of daily learning and a summary of the daf yomi and he has therefore produced an exact and clear halachic explanation to the satisfaction of Gedolei Yisrael headed by HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita who also wrote this on the back of his writings – that one cannot fulfill one’s responsibilities of Talmud Torah if the learning is not sharp and clear in one’s mouth.

The above mentioned talmid chacham arrived at the conclusion that since one must review one’s learning to fulfill the mitzvah of Talmud Torah, this must be done as halacha l’ma’aseh. He therefore began this journey into translating the topics and even found a solution to this challenge that has captured the hearts: short summaries of the daf that help the public that studies daf yomi to easily review their learning and thereby remember it well. In a short period of time, close to 10,000 subscribers in the Holy Land are already receiving daily emails of these summaries in addition to the hundreds of individuals who phone in hourly for the audio transcription using the Mechudadim method. All those who listen to these recordings leave with a clear and sharpened understanding of what was learned and it remains clearly embedded in one’s mind.

Due to the current success of our program and the large number of requests, it will now be possible to listen to all of the Mechudadim summaries in English on a daily basis!

The new number for English summaries is:

• 02081917000 ext. 10 in the UK

• 7189066400 ext. 10 in the USA

It is important to note that this wonderful initiative was privileged to receive a special bracha from all of Gedolei Yisrael Shlita who wished to encourage and stimulate this supreme duty. They also issued a special letter in which they first praise and bless all those who study the daf yomi. “We are blessed and how good is or portion, let us be grateful to those are appoint set times for study and toil in Torah study day in and day out, especially those who study stand guard every day and study daf yomi, a new page each day.”

“This obligation, to clarify and refine one’s learning,” says Rav Kanievsky, “is a part of the essence of the learning itself, for without such review and clarity the basic mitzvah of Talmud Torah is absent.”

Gedolei Yisrael, and at their head Rav Kanievsky Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Nissim Karelitz Shlita, added a lengthy bracha to this letter for all those who participate in this review and memorizing project based on the summaries of the daf yomi. “Those who greatly increase their review their studies daily will discover that their learning will remain with them; they will have the mitzvah of Talmud Torah for the sake of Heaven; they will see bracha in their labor and the privilege of Torah will stand for them and their loved ones and it will serve as a protection and savior both during their actual time engaged in study as well as the remainder of their time.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)