The 6 AM Activity in Miami Beach

An early morning Chassidus class in Miami Beach is keeping locals awake, learned and inspired.

“6:00 AM Torah Ohr with Gilad” is a class that began a few weeks ago and held on Monday to Friday at the Beis Menachem shul and led by R’ Gilad Weiss, accompanied by coffee and cake.

First published in 5597 (1837), Torah Ohr is one of the classic texts of Chabad chassidic philosophy. Since their publication, it has been the custom for chassidim to study the discourses which came to be affectionately known as the “Chassidishe Parsha.”

The shiur was established by R’ Ziv Tamir in memory of his nephew, Shneur Zalman ben Yomtov Ariel and Zohar, who passed away when he was still a baby under 2 and who happens to be named after the Alter Rebbe.

Tamir notes with excitement that their teacher, Gilad’s birthday is on 24 Teves which is the yartzeit of the Alter Rebbe and used as a day to rededicate commitments to learning his teachings.

Daily learning is done in merit of Rabbi Sholom Dov Ber Hertzel, former Rosh Yeshiva of Tzeirei Hashluchim in Tzfas who is in need of a speedy and full recovery.

“Rabbi Hertzel comes once a week to either give the shiur or add his insights to it,” Tamir says. “He has influenced the whole community here in a positive way. Because this shiur’s success, he established a Sunday morning 7:00 am chassidus shiur in Basi Legani.”

This past Friday, 24 Teves, Weiss traveled to. New York to be at the Rebbe’s Ohel on his birthday. He took with him personal letters “panim” to the Rebbe and reported about the new shiurim.

Filling in for him was Rabbi Leibel Schapiro, the community’s rabbi and Rosh of the Yeshiva Gedola in town, who also gives a class on Torah Ohr every Shabbos morning, at 9:00 AM.

“We invite everyone and anyone to join us at Bais Menachem every single morning,” Tamir adds. “Your day will be different and you can join for one class if you are visiting or busy, or you can join every day.”