By Chaim Gold
Last week, one of the most moving moments transpired on the hallowed earth where the holy Chofetz Chaim is buried in Radin. Venerated rabbanim and poskim walked slowly, heads bent in hachna’ah as they approached the admaskodesh, the holy soil, where the Rabban shel kol bnei ha’golah ad sof kol ha’doros, the great Kohen, the Chofetz Chaim, is buried.
These rabbanim and poskim wept unabashedly as the mashgiach, HaRav Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky, shlita, stood in front of the kever, hand raised to shamayim, eyes tightly closed, saying, “How many tears have poured forth at this holy place begging Hashem that in your z’chus, heiligerRebbe, Yidden should experience yeshuos?” Rav Mishkovsky continued, “HeiligerRebbe, may your z’chus be a meilitzyosher on all Yidden and on all lomdeiDirshu, and in your z’chus may Dirshu continue to facilitate so much limudhaTorah. Please grant them the siyattadiShmaya to help so many Yidden learn the sefarim of the Chofetz Chaim and spread his Torah. We beg Hashem, halevai!”
Indeed, the deeply inspiring moment at the kever also featured heartfelt tefillos and Tehillim led by HaRav Binyomin Finkel, shlita, mashgiach of the Mir Yeshiva, as well as a potent tefillah to be said at the Chofetz Chaim’s kever especially written for the occasion by the well-known mekubal and roshyeshiva of Ahavat Shalom, HaRav Yaakov Hillel, shlita.
The Dirshu delegation arrived in Radin on Monday, 13 Shevat/February 2. The trip was undertaken in advance of the siyum of the first machzor of Dirshu’s daf hayomi b’halacha program. Dirshu’s daf hayomi b’halacha, the popular daily halacha program, features the learning of a daily daf of MishnahBerurah along with a short daily portion of mussar from one of the Chofetz Chaim’s numerous mussarsefarim.
“Rebbe,” Rav Mishkovsky exclaimed, “this is what you wanted! That Yidden across the world should live their daily lives in accordance with halacha by learning your MishnahBerurah; that Yidden should live their lives in accordance with your Sefer Chofetz Chaim and Shmiras Halashon on the laws of lashonha’ra and your other mussarsefarim. In this z’chus, please may Hashem grant all lomdei daf hayomi b’halacha–those currently in the program and those who have undertaken to join the program–hatzlachah in all of their endeavors, nachas from their children, yeshuos, refuos, and parnassah!”
Upon arriving in Radin, the delegation entered the building that housed the great Radiner Yeshiva. Who can forget that powerful Monday morning tefillasShacharis within the walls that housed the beismidrash of Radin.
After Shacharis, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Dirshu’s nasi, delivered the daily daf hayomi b’halacha shiur from the sefer Mishnah Berurah written by the Chofetz Chaim in front of the beismedrash founded by the Chofetz Chaim. The symbolism was not lost on anyone.
The ultimate purpose of the trip was on behalf of the daf hayomi b’halacha program. Over the last few weeks Dirshu presented an enticing offer to all of KlalYisrael. The offer was that anyone currently learning the daf hayomi b’halacha or anyone who accepts upon himself to start the program, whether this week as the program embarks on the relevant halachos of Purim or for the next machzor in the month of Nissan when the program will again begin chelek aleph, will be inscribed in a special sefer entitled SeferHaGibborim.
One of the moving moments at the kever was when the beautiful leather-bound Sefer HaGibborim was placed for posterity in a secure place in the special ohel built around the kever of the Chofetz Chaim.
Then came the focal point of the trip–the visit to the kever of the Chofetz Chaim which aroused a heartfelt outpouring of tefillos accompanied by copious shedding of tears.
As the group of talmideichachamim finished saying the Tehillim, something absolutely remarkable transpired. One of the rabbanim started mentioning the names of the many people who had asked him to daven for them at the kever. This one desperately needed a refuah, another had difficulties with a wayward child, the other had not yet been blessed with children, and another desperately needed a shidduch. Within moments, the others joined in, mentioning the myriad Yidden who had begged them to daven for yeshuos … and the floodgates opened.
Tears started flowing, hot tears reflecting the pain and torment plaguing so many Yidden throughout the world. The fountains of tears poured straight from the hearts of each individual present as they unburdened Klal Yisrael’s pain onto the great oheiv Yisrael, the great defender and advocate of KlalYisrael, the Chofetz Chaim.
HaRav Aharon Toisig, one of the great mashpi’im in EretzYisrael, spontaneously rose to speak. In front of the kever of the holy Chofetz Chaim he gave voice to the deep feelings that so many were feeling. He said, “Rebbe, Yidden have started learning your Mishnah Berurah daily in great numbers. Yeshiva bachurim, kollel avreichim, ba’alei batim, and even children in seventh and eighth grades are all learning the MishnahBerurah …”
Rav Toisig burst into tears, “Am Yisrael needs rachmeiShamayim. Hashem from upon high, look at us! In the z’chus of the heilige Chofetz Chaim see how every house in KlalYisrael is suffering, people are crying, the malachha’mashchis is everywhere! The MishnahBerurah tells us that if we properly observe Shabbos we will be saved from tzaros. If we learn Torah, the Chofetz Chaim tells us, the koachhaTorah will help us. We beg Hashem give berachah to KlalYisrael, both in ruchniyus and gashmiyus. Yidden need good health. So many are suffering! Yidden need parnassah, Yidden need hatzlacha in chinuch. So many are falling, r’l!”
Rabbi Avigdor Bernstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s hanhala, said, “I can’t describe to you the quiet that reigned as we left the beisha’kevaros. Everyone was silent. No one could talk. No words could describe the depth of emotion felt by all. The silence reflected the emotion, an emotion so powerful, so tangible, it could practically be cut with a knife.”
That berachah and that special z’chus of the Chofetz Chaim is available and ready to access for anyone who accepts upon himself to begin learning the daf hayomi b’halacha. Yidden are joining by the thousands. It’s time you joined, too!”
To join daf hayomi b’halacha, please call, 1-888-5-Dirshu or e-mail info@kollelDirshu.org. v
