For nearly three years, Shonei Halachos has been quietly
revolutionizing the study of halacha by introducing and
encouraging HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner's proposal to study
the amud yomi — a daily page — in the
Mishnah Berurah.
The further we are from the light of the Beis Hamikdash,
the more Am Yisroel comes to realize that "we have
no remnant, except this Torah," because Am Yisroel
exists solely in the merit of Torah. As a result, the
botei midroshim are crowded with lomdei Torah,
and more and more Jews are setting aside fixed times for
Torah study.
Eighty-two years ago, when the first Knessia Gedola convened,
the gedolim of that generation concluded that the time
had come to proclaim that all Jews of that generation and of
all future generations should try to study the Daf Yomi.
With the recent awareness of the pressing need to study
halacha lema'aseh, HaRav Shmuel Wosner, av beis din
in Zichron Meir, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin
and a close disciple of HaRav Meir Shapiro, added an
additional takonoh to the Daf Yomi. Entitled "amud
yomi," it consists of a daily study session of one page
in of the Chofetz Chaim's Mishnah Berurah. Shonei
Halachos was founded with HaRav Wosner's blessing to
encourage the study of the amud yomi.
HaRav Wosner wrote:
"It's wonderful; renewing public study of halacha through
studying the amud yomi in the Mishnah Berurah.
This limud is obtainable and therefore obligatory
since, simply enough, without understanding the fine points
and details of halacha it's impossible to achieve shleimus
in avodas Hashem. Our teacher the Chofetz Chaim
was privileged to have his monumental work, the Mishnah
Berurah, accepted immediately and for all generations. It
is essential that the limud [of amud yomi] be
regular and consistent. Our teacher HaRav Meir Shapiro urged
the study of daf yomi, but it's beneficial to study
both [daf yomi and amud yomi], to know the
right path and to take the correct actions. Our Chachomim
determined that a person who studies halacha is privileged to
become a ben Olom Habo. Happy is the one who has
suggested this and the one who is particular in this."
HaRav Wosner repeated this idea in a letter that he sent to a
gathering of maggidei shiur who teach the Daf Yomi.
"I want to point out that it is worthwhile to add, at the
conclusion of the [Daf Yomi] shiur, a session consisting of
the amud yomi in the Mishnah Berurah, as Chazal
state, "He is assured that he will be a ben Olom Habo,
that he will have a place in the Next World."
In both Eretz Yisroel and throughout the world, Shonei
Halachos has introduced hundreds of shiurim in the
amud yomi. Thousands of Jews are taking part in these
shiurim, enriching the Jewish world with their
knowledge of relevant halachos. In addition, Shonei Halachos
joined forces with other organizations, such as Mifal
Hahalacha Ha'artzi. Hundreds have joined the expanding circle
of lomdei Torah who review halachos through weekly
tests taken in the privacy of their own homes.
To promote study of the amud yomi, Shonei Halachos
distributes to every shul in Eretz Yisroel special calendars
containing, in addition to zman krias Shema, the page
of Mishnah Berurah that is learned on that day. The
organization also published a new edition of the Mishnah
Berurah with the dates when each page is to be studied.
These seforim are distributed free of charge to shuls
and sold at a subsidized price to individuals. The
organization also published a pocket size edition of the
Mishnah Berurah. Despite its compact size, the page
numbering remains the same as in the larger edition, making
it practical for learning the amud yomi.
At Shonei Halachos initiative, at the end of each shiur
in daf yomi, Kol Hadaf automatically transfers its
listeners to a taped shiur of the amud yomi. In
honor of the twelfth cycle of Daf Yomi, Shonei Halachos is
publishing a new edition of the gemora, containing, in
addition to the text of the gemora, the text of the
Mishnah Berurah studied concurrently with the
masechta.
The beis medrash established by Shonei Halachos
publishes "Leket Halacha" to encourage the study of amud
yomi and to expand on the practical halacha. In addition,
a team of rabbis and poskim man a Halacha Hotline that
is open from nine o'clock in the morning until one o'clock at
night.
*
Many people purchase insurance policies, convincing
themselves that with these policies they have secured their
future. These policies, however, only cover financial
security, while an insurance policy for the Next World is
readily available and guaranteed by none other than Eliyahu
Hanovi, who promised that anyone who studies halacha daily,
will be called a ben Olom Habo.
Now that the thousands of Jews studying the amud yomi
have completed the first three sections of the Mishnah
Berurah, we can see the benefits. Many emphasize the
advantage of studying just one page per day, and that through
consistently studying a small amount of material it is
possible to fulfill their dream of studying all the relevant
halachos.
HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein, a dayan in Rav Wosner's beis
din, wrote that he is calling upon all marbitzei Torah
to devote a few minutes at the end of each shiur
to learning the amud yomi. He added that "I am
also among those who have joined, and I feel the importance
of this fixed study session."
Even Rabbis and poskim, who have devoted years of
their lives to studying the halacha found that they have
benefited from learning the amud yomi. Educators have
found that learning the amud yomi has had a tremendous
influence on their students.
HaRav Mordechai Zuckerman zt"l, a talmid of the
Chofetz Chaim, noted, "If the younger generation would be
educated to understand that the Shulchan Oruch is
Kodesh kodoshim and not to move away from it, most of
the problems facing this generation would be solved."
Through studying halacha we are not only promised Olom Habo,
but also success in Olom Hazeh.
*
Now that the thousands of people studying Daf Yomi have
concluded Shas, and thousands more will be
participating in the next cycle, it is fitting to publicize
Rabbi Wosner's takonoh, so that each person studying
the Daf Yomi will also realize the importance of learning the
amud yomi.
Just a few days ago, thousands of lomdei Daf Yomi
recited the concluding words of Shas, "Tana devei Eliyahu,
kol hashoneh halachos bechol yom muvtach lo shehu ben Olom
Habo — Eliyahu taught: One who reviews halacha each
day is promised to have a part in the Next World." It is up
to each individual to take these words to heart and make a
set time to study the amud yomi, as an integral part
of his daily limud.
Now that the masechta being learned in Daf Yomi is
maseches Brochos, it is a good time to add a daily
shiur in amud yomi. The amud yomi
presently being learned is the fourth section of
Mishnah Berurah, which contains the difficult halachos
of eruvin and techumim. Many people are not
familiar with the basic concepts of these halachos. In
another seven months, the people learning Daf Yomi will begin
studying maseches Eruvin. Those who studied the
amud yomi and learned the halachos of eruvin
and techumim will have an easier time
understanding maseches Eruvin
It is worth mentioning that Machon Oz Vehadar published an
illustrated edition of the fourth section of the Mishnah
Berurah, with explanations to clarify the material.
We must never forget that in this long and bitter Exile,
Hashem is consoled through shearim hametzuyonim
behalacha since, "from the day that the Beis Hamikdash
was destroyed, Hashem has but the four ells of halacha."
Our holy Torah is our only consolation, and it is what
sustains us in these bitter times. May we experience the
Geula Shleima quickly and bezman kariv.
Anyone interested in receiving a pocket calendar, please
call, ISRAEL: 03-5422941; U.S.A.: 718-4318140; U.K.:
(208)8025050
