The Chanukah issue of the COLlive Magazine, published this past month, once again included the “8 Nights, 8 Lights” feature. This time it profiled 8 maggidei shiurim dedicated to teaching Torah, Halacha and Chassidus in Crown Heights. The project was done in conjunction with the Irgun Torah organization.
Chanukah #4:
Rabbi Zalman Hertzel
A year and a half ago, Rabbi Avrohom Rotban of Irgun Torah approached me and asked me to give a Shiur in Rambam. I agreed and have since been giving it on a daily basis and there is nice participation of people.
Sometimes, one of the participants will comment: “I never understood these laws in Rambam. I would read it like Tehillim. Today I understood them for the first time.” Preparing for a lesson is not always easy, but hearing such a comment gives pleasure and satisfaction.
There is a passuk in Gemara Yerushalmi (Brachos 14:4) that says: “If you leave me one day, I will leave you two days.” This means that if you leave something and move away from it, do not expect it to stay in place and wait for you. The distance will also be on its part, and returning afterward will be doubly difficult.
This is why the continuous study is required. Do not neglect a lesson even for one day. Torah lessons are the essence of our lives. It brings satisfaction and blessing in physicality and spirituality. Especially studying Torah lessons that the Rebbe instructed us, like Rambam and Chitas.
From personal experience: if you study properly, it brings health and livelihood in abundance (parnossa b’harchava). The Rebbe wants us to feel good physically and spiritually. We have won such a great gift that he has given to our generation. It is worth joining the shiur!
