“While everyone is out on unemployment, there’s no vacation by us. That’s what distinguishes us from the world.”

While everyone is home and on leave from work, there’s no break for the Kollel * Avreichim describe their learning schedule at home and the immense impact it has on the entire family. “My kids say that they see the walls themselves absorbing limud Torah!” * “From the very start, we understood that what’s right and works for the world is not right for us,” explains Harav Elchanan Weisbord, founder and director of the Yissachar B’Ohalecha Kollel Network, “because we, unlike companies and factories, literally sustain the world.”

While millions around the world are holed up in their houses under the national lockdown that put a halt to the global economy and shut down shuls, batei medrash and yeshivos, the Yissachar B’Ohalecha Kollel Network hasn’t paused its learning schedule for a moment. Since the initial outbreak of coronavirus in Israel and the subsequent enforcement of government restrictions, Yissachar B’Ohalecha’s dedicated avreichim have been strictly maintaining their learning sedarim, and the Kollels are up and running round-the-clock on porches and parking lots, on roofs of buildings and across phone lines. In every branch of the vast Kollel Network, avreichim are in constant communication and continue learning uninterrupted.

Immediately after Pesach, Yissachar B’Ohalecha announced the start of the summer zman, and despite the fact that thousands of avreichim commenced the zman from their living rooms or porches, they dove headfirst into their learning with trademark enthusiasm and zeal. Unwilling to forfeit even one minute of learning, they maintain their regular chavrusos and the rischa d’Oraysa continues, in many cases, stronger than ever.

“The fact is that while corona spreads wildly, and most of the Israeli workforce is on ‘chalat,’ (temporary unpaid leave in which national insurance pays 70% of the salary as unemployment benefit), we avreichim know that there is no such thing as vacation or ‘leave’ from limud Torah. This is our pride and joy and what distinguishes us from the rest of the world,” declares a prominent member of one of the Kollel’s branches in Bnei Brak. “As it says, ‘Anu ratzim, v’heim ratzim.’ They run and don’t receive reward—they’re on leave—and we run and receive eternal reward.”

Despite initial reservations, the unique structure of home-based learning promoted by Yissachar B’Ohalecha proved extraordinarily successful. The Kollel’s avreichim describe the elevated atmosphere that their learning has fostered in their respective homes.

An avreich from Modi’in Illit describes: “My kids say that they see the walls themselves absorbing limud Torah! The little ones hear me learning on the phone all day long with my chavrusah; they see me learning in the dining room surrounded by sefarim. They’re awed by it, excited by it. The learning uplifts and permeates the entire house.”

“My children say that they actually feel how the learning is affecting them,” another avreich expresses emotionally.

At the start of the coronavirus outbreak in Israel, adhering to the rulings of gedolei Yisrael shlit”a, the directors of the Yissachar B’Ohalecha Kollel Network announced that learning would continue and the summer zman would commence as usual while accounting for requisite health restrictions.

“As soon as we began to grasp in which direction things were headed, and that we’d have no choice but to close the batei medrash, we understood that what’s right and works for the world in terms of halting the economy and locking down businesses and commerce is not right for us,” explains Harav Elchanan Weisbord, founder and director of the Yissachar B’Ohalecha Kollel Network. “Because we, unlike companies and factories, literally sustain the world. Even when the world is sunk in crisis, the kol haTorah cannot pause for even a second.

“The enthusiastic response and feedback from our avreichim was incredible, because they believe in this exactly as we do. Throughout the year, they subsist on the bare minimum, sacrificing for the zechus of numbering among our yoshvei beis hamedrash, and specifically now during these times, they appreciate that the challenge—and responsibility—is inestimably greater.”

Yissachar B’Ohalecha Kollel Network was established by Rav Weisbord in 5765 at the urging of Maran Rosh Hayeshivah Hagaon Harav Aharon Leib Steinman zt”l, who escorted it from its fledgling years, endorsed it publicly and actively endeavored to support it. Since the Rosh Yeshivah’s passing, Maran Sar HaTorah Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky shlit”a has taken the Kollel Network under his wing.

On erev Pesach, when the situation seemed at its worst, Rav Chaim shlit”a took pen to paper and inscribed personal appeals to philanthropists worldwide. In his letters, he extended his heartfelt request to support the Kollels during these tragic times when the dreaded coronavirus has struck the masses, instigating a worldwide economic crisis.

“As a result of the situation, many avreichim in the Yissachar B’Ohalecha Kollel Network in Eretz Yisrael have no means of supporting themselves, chas v’shalom, and if your honor shall help to rescue and revive them, then you and your family shall merit to be saved, measure for measure, from all illness and ailment,” inscribed Maran Sar HaTorah to a patron of the Kollel who joined the effort to support the Kollel Network and along with several others, covered the avreichim’s stipends for the month of Nissan.

Throughout fifteen years, Rav Weisbord has traveled the world with inordinate mesirus nefesh, raising huge sums of money from the Kollel’s friend and patrons across the globe who support the learning of thousands of avreichim. Yet even now, with all international flights cancelled, Rav Weisbord refuses to despair.

“I am sure that our friends around the world who support us always will continue doing their utmost,” he asserts confidently. “We need their help now more than ever, and they likewise appreciate the paramount significance of maintaining our network of Kollel in its current framework. I am certain that the merits of the Torah learned with mesirus nefesh and with all the surrounding hardships shall safeguard all tomchei Torah and help them emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.”