Goal Reached – Torah completed!
Motzei Shabbos, Gimmel Tammuz, a siyum Rambam was celebrated in Crown Heights with inspiring speeches, a delicious melaveh Malkah and festive music. With unique joy, those who gathered celebrated a huge goal reached.
Following over eleven months, on this day we have completed the entire torah as presented in the most organized and structured format inscribed by the “Nesher Hagodol” [great eagle] Rabeinu Moshe Ben Maimon! Tens of yidden, chassidim and non-chassidim alike gather in the Anshei Moshe – Hall washing for a seudas mitzva melave Malka. In the air was pure simchas torah, tens of yidden rejoice with each other. We all are the chasanim of this evening. A simcha you cannot imagine if you did not toil through it yourself.
The seudas mitzva began with the final shiur of the cycle in hilchos melochim, given by the magid shiur of this chaburah Rabbi Mendel Yusewitz in this swift shiur of 25 minutes covering the dinim of Bnei Noach, and the cases in which they are chayav, continuing with dinei Melech Hamoshiach a window into the end of days. A powerful sneak-peek for those gearing up to start and join the force of Lomdei HoRambam – getting the feel of this limud which Includes every halachic scenario brought in the entire shas bavli, and in any other mishne in shas mishnayos – all in a clear cut loshon and leading down to a halachic ruling.
All wished eachother mazal tov, and broke into leibedike dancing which continued for a while!
Then Rabbi Avrohom Rotban of ‘Irgun Torah,’ who started this shiur along with other local Rambam Shiurim, shared his experience learning and joining the shiurim, a true inspirational boost for all the lomdim!
He then introduced Rabbi Shloimy Greenwald, who himself completed the ‘Yad Hachazoka’ – the mighty hand of the rambam! He described the Yegia which goes with learning the 3 perokim properly every day. But on the other end, how rewarding it is – living with Torah and with the Rebbe’s Takona, and receiving his brochos. He concluded by thanking Rabbi Yusewitz for his daily toiling in preparing not only the material but into clear delivery of the shiur.
Reb Shlomi introduced the Sgan Rosh Kolel l’horaah Maasis Rabbi Shraga Homnick, who gave a detailed and masterful overview on the concept of “Asra D’Rav” which was first termed by the various Rishonim in regard to the Rambam. And how the Mechaber in his Shulchan Aruch was impacted by the loshon and approach of the Rambam.
With the haschala of the new cycle was Mechubad Rabbi Dovid Palace, one of the pillars of the Rambam Chaburah Reb Leizer Avtzon, a Rav in Crown Heights relayed the events and ‘behind the schenes’ which led up to Acharon Shel Pesach 5744 when the Rebbe announced and established Takonas Horambam.
Next Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Wilhelm, the Menahel of Oholei Torah Mechina, and a close friend of Rabbi Yusewitz, spoke. He elaborated on how all of us can and must strive to higher. He shared stories in honor of Motzei Shabbos.
The event concluded with tremendious hakoras hatov as rabbi Yusewitz emotionally thanked the Rebbe for establishing this seder halimud, “a day with shlosha perokim – is a yid involved in torah” “the gift of living as a yid with mind accupied in learning and covering Kol Hatorah Kulah!”
“This is not merely a celebration of staunch daily dedication to torah, not only a masterful achievement of yedias hatorah – covering every area in a yid’s life (in all times, including Zman Habayis, and yemos hamoshiach!) and not only the achdus with 1000’s of yidden learning rambam in cycles of 1 perek or sefer hamitzvos! It is the gift of a key into any door of “Chadrei Hatorah”. The gift of being familiar with EVERY sugia, Daf and concept brought in all of Shas and the entire Torah,” said Rabbi Yusewitz.
Participants of the shiur attending the recent siyum, shared some of their personal benefits they gained by thru the shiurim.
One of those coming on a regular basis said, “it’s simply therapeutic to go at night to listen to the shiur, even after a tough hard day it simply melts away most of my stress.”
Another one shared, “after a long day which I’m tired and feel overwhelmed it clears my mind.. it’s like mental flossing for my brain.”
One of the attendees said, “I have finally really started learning Rambam in a serious way.. really understanding it and making it part of my schedule daily.” Another person said, “it has added so much to my knowledge of Torah.. and truly added a lot of meaning and purpose to my day.”
Start Your New Day With Rambam – Another important aspect is that most shiurim are at night, already into the next day, and this most shiurim actually learning the following day Rambam.
what better way to start your day, knowing you already learned that day’s Rambam in a clear, concise and well understood manner and ‘berabim’ as the Rebbe requested.
May the learning of the daily Rambam bring much brachos to all and with the ultimate bracha..ומלאה הארץ דעה את ה’.
