20 Year Old Completes Shas

Photos: Shalom Matuf/COLlive

Central Yeshiva Chovevei Torah celebrated a Siyum Hashas this past Sunday with a full program and Seudas Mitzvah.

Graduating student Hatomim Menachem Mendel Adelman, of Hadley, Massachusetts, humbly made the Siyum in the presence of his family and Anash of Crown Heights who joined the Mesivta and Beis Medrash for the celebration.

The Siyum was graced with the attendance of the crown heights Rabbonim, Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba and Rabbi Yosef Braun .

Rabbi Osdoba saluted Mendel Adelman on reaching such an achievement at the young age of 20 and also provided practical ideas how more and more people can reach great heights in Torah study by making small yet consistent commitments.

Rabbi Braun expounded on the essence of the joy shared by everyone partaking in the Siyum, and mentioned that there are opinions which hold no Tachnun is recited when a Siyum is made. Rabbi Braun also shared his personal joy to attend the second Siyum in two years and expressed his hope that this becomes a common phenomenon.

Mesivta New Haven Menahel Rabbi Yosef Lustig, and Beis Medrash Menahel Rabbi Meir Chaim Posner, made a special trip from New Haven to partake in the Siyum of Mendel, who studied at Yeshivas Beis Dovid Shlomo for his Mesivta and early Beis Medrash years.

Rabbi Lustig delivered a captivating Shiur that preceded the Siyum on the use of a blech on Shabbos. Rabbi Posner spoke warmly on the importance of setting goals to master large portions of Penimyus Hatorah.

Rabbi Mendel Yuzevitch, who serves as principal at Cheder Ohr Menachem, brought two classes of young students so that they can witness first-hand the honor and celebration of learning Torah and to be inspired from a young age to aspire to follow with strong Torah goals.

The Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zushe Winner further encouraged the students to not just “honor” Mendel, but rather to “emulate” him, by setting goals especially as the summer approaches and they have more free time that can be used productively by “acquiring” Torah.

Rabbi Yosef Paltiel who is a senior Mashpia at the Yeshiva shared stories underlining that true greatness in Lubavitch is one that is great in Torah, yet not self-aware of his own greatness. He concluded by saying that he may attend another 100 Siyumei Hashas, but this one will always be unique for the humility that Mendel carries.

At the end of the Siyum there was another highlight when the Yeshiva honored three star students with the “Butzin Butzin” award. The recipients were Chaim Polter, who has composed over 200 pages of beautiful Chiddushei Torah in many areas not usually studied, Menachem Yosef Zirkind who at 17 has articulately composed a Sefer on the Nusach and Halachos of Tefilah, and Mendel Adelman on the completion of Shas.

This was all accomplished in addition to strongly succeeding in the regular high level Yeshiva studies.

Those attending agreed that the Siyum followed the Rebbe’s request in the sicha of Purim 5722 to honor and advertise Torah achievements.