Dei'ah Vedibur - Information &
Insight
  

A Window into the Chareidi World

18 Shvat, 5780 - February 13, 2020 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

OBSERVATIONS

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

POPULAR EDITORIALS

HOMEPAGE

 

Produced and housed by
chareidi.org
chareidi.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS
The 20th annual Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah of Agudath Israel of America

by Dei'ah Vedibur Staff

The temporary Beis Medrash in the hotel
3

Glimpses of greatness set the tone for the week as participants in the 20th annual Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah spent a breathless Sunday on a journey that spanned the continents and the centuries, inspiring them to reach for the highest heights in limud haTorah.

Buoyed by the inspiration that reached unprecedented levels 46 days ago at the Siyum HaShas, hundreds left their day-to-day lives and businesses behind to join Agudath Israel of America's Torah Projects Commission at the Yarchei Kallah, to plumb the depths of the sugya dekallah, which this year delves into inyanei tefillah. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and businessmen from all across the globe cast aside their regular schedules, arriving in Yerushalayim to take advantage of a pre-Yarchei Kallah visit to the Israel Museum in Givat Ram where they took in a display of antiquities dating back to both the first and second Batei Mikdosh.

HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch
3

An early evening reception at the Ganei HaDekel Hall hosted by the city of Bnei Brak gave participants an opportunity to hear from HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Slabodka and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, who spoke in English on the traits of humility and gayva, and the often insidious ways that negative middos can creep into our daily existence. The assembled were also greeted by Rabbi Yitzchok Pindrus, Secretary of Degel HaTorah, on behalf of the city of Bnei Brak.

Then it was a short walk to the Lederman shul on Rechov Rashbam for the next segment of the program which was livestreamed to allow participants from all over the world to join the Yarchei Kallah program. Rabbi Shlomo Gottesman, co-chairman of the Torah Projects Commission, introduced the evening and noted that the chiyuv of understanding hilchos tefillah is greater than that of other limudim.

HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein and HaRav Chaim Kanievsky
1

An aura of reverence enveloped the bais medrash as the Sar HaTorah, Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievsky shlita, was brought into the room, with participants awed by the rare opportunity to be in close proximity to the revered godol hador. As in previous years, HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, Rosh Kollel Bais Dovid in Cholon and Rav of Ramat Elchonon in Bnei Brak lit up the room with his hadras ponim as he spoke warmly about the power of Torah to create unbreakable bonds within Klal Yisroel. Rav Chaim extended his brochos to the members of the Yarchei Kallah, who left Bnei Brak inspired, ready to get a good night's sleep to prepare them for a full day of learning at the Ramada Jerusalem Hotel on Monday morning.

The Yarchei Kallah was instituted in 2001 during the first intifadah at the direction of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt'l as a demonstration of chizuk for those living in Eretz Yisroel under trying circumstances. The program has grown with every passing year in length and breadth and now incorporates both Yiddish and English tracks as well as a full women's program.

Far from being just a five-day event, the Yarchei Kallah has grown into a year-round phenomenon, with chavrusas spending months exploring the sugya dekallah in advance. Shiurim and teleconferences throughout the year give participants an opportunity to grasp the vast quantity of material in entirety so that they can make the most of every precious moment of the Yarchei Kallah.

"It is incredible to see the momentum generated 6,000 miles away at MetLife Stadium and at all of the siyumim worldwide continuing to build here at the Yarchei Kallah," said Rabbi Labish Becker, executive director of the Agudah. "The excitement in the air is so strong that you can touch it with your hands. We have no doubt that the passion for limud Torah that we saw exploding at the Siyum HaShas will burn brighter than ever before as the Yarchei Kallah gets underway."

It was an unbelievable transformation.

What hours earlier had been a typical hotel ballroom in the heart of Yerushalayim had become a full-fledged bais medrash, with the kol Torah bouncing vigorously off the walls. Chavrusas of all ages pulled out their seforim and mareh mekomos as preparation for the first of many shiurim of the long awaited 20th annual Agudah Yarchei Kallah got underway.

Each morning begins with limud bechavrusa as well as a hachanah shiur by Rabbi Shlomo Gottesman, helping participants prepare for the day to come.

HaRav Asher Weiss
3

A long-awaited hakdamah shiur was delivered by HaRav Asher Weiss, Av Beis Din of Darchei Hora'ah, who spoke extensively and without any notes on the concepts of tefillah and avoda. Rav Weiss cited numerous sources in an in-depth discussion of tefillah as avoda shebalev and discussing its status as a chiyuv derabanan or a chiyuv deOraisa.

HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi
1

HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshiva Ateres Yisroel, Yerushalayim, delivered a shiur iyun for the Yiddish track. Despite being in his mid-nineties, Rabbi Ezrachi's delivery was extremely energetic, his stature creating an excitement for limud haTorah and a feeling of connection to the previous generations. The concurrent English shiur was given by HaRav Meir Tzvi Spitzer, R"M Yeshivas Mir, Yerushalayim, who spoke eloquently and engagingly on proper hanhagos and kavanos in Shemoneh Esrei, especially the first paragraph of Avos, advising listeners to take gradual steps in their quest to infuse their tefillos with proper kavonoh.

The afternoon sessions concluded with a special address by HaRav Yaakov Hillel, Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshivat Chevrat Ahavat Shalom. Speaking with his signature wit and charm, HaRav Hillel offered fascinating insights into using tefillah, emunah and bitachon as tools to become close to the Ribono Shel Olam and discussed kavonoh and its related ramifications.

HaRav Yaakov Hillel
3

There was a packed house for the final component of Monday's program, an audio-visual presentation of "The influence of Kabboloh and the Nusach of the Arizal in our Tefillos," given by Rabbi Daniel Travis, Rosh Kollel Toras Chaim, Yerushalayim. Delving into the intricacies of the different nuschaos of davening, Rabbi Travis shed light on how each one evolved into the versions we have in our siddurim today and offered insights on the influence of the Arizal on tefillah.

The women of the Yarchei Kallah enjoyed an equally fulfilling day. It included a dynamic lecture given by the highly regarded Rebbetzin Rena Tarshish, menaheles of the Masores Rochel Seminary, whose annual address is always a highlight of the ladies' program. Speaking to an audience that included many outsiders who came to be uplifted, Rebbetzin Tarshish held her audience spellbound as she expounded on the power of tefillah in relation to the upcoming yom tov of Purim.

Participants also took advantage of a golden opportunity to visit Kever Rochel and to pour their hearts out in poignant prayer, knowing that their bakashos were being heard at a mokom tefillah whose emotional properties and inherent kedushoh holds special meaning, especially for Jewish mothers.

Rabbi Avrohom Nisan Perl, director of the Torah Projects Commission of Agudath Israel of America, noted that while each year's Yarchei Kallah has its own special personality, there is an unparalleled sense of achdus and hislahavus this year.

"The bais medrash is filled to capacity and every shiur has been packed," said Rabbi Perl. "It's hard not to be amazed by the diligence and bonding that has already taken place. The million dollar smiles that you see as sugyos become clear are a reflection of the incredible love for Torah that is already making this year's Yarchei Kallah one that will long be remembered."

*

It is a timeless ma'amar chazal that is familiar to all, but participants at the Agudah's Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah saw the words avira de'Eretz Yisroel machkim coming to life on Tuesday as they began day two of their learning.

Inhaling Torah with their every breath of Yerushalmi air, participants have already found their davening transformed by Monday's shiurim, and by 6:30 AM, the main ballroom at the Ramada Jerusalem Hotel was already buzzing as the day began with the Daf Yomi shiur given by the Agudah's Daf Yomi Commission chairman, Rabbi Gedalia Weinberger, daf yomi maggid shiur at Agudath Israel Zichron Chaim Tzvi of Madison.

HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky
1

The day's shiurei iyun delved deeply into the sugya dekallah, with HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh speaking in Yiddish and HaRav Yosef Chevroni, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Chevron, addressing the Yarchei Kallah's English track. The senior Rosh Yeshiva of the prestigious Ponovezh yeshiva spoke warmly, offering clear explanations on various circumstances pertaining to the zmanim for Mincha.

Rabbi Chevroni began his shiur by showering praise on participants for leaving their everyday lives behind to spend their week at the Yarchei Kallah. He further engaged his audience with a discussion on determining precedence between tefillos when conflicts arise. HaRav Asher Weiss, Av Beis Din, Darchei Hora'ah, kept lomdim spellbound for almost two hours, offering halachic perspectives and answering dozens of questions on a wide range of tefilah-related topics including davening on an airplane and in various emergency situations.

As always, the day's schedule included time for learning bechavrusa and hachanah and chazara shiurim given by Rabbi Shlomo Gottesman, co-chair of Agudath Israel of America's Torah Projects Commission, and Rabbi Shlomo Cynamon, Rav of Khal Bnai Torah, Flatbush.

The already upbeat tenor of the Yarchei Kallah was further enhanced by Rabbi Shimon Lefkowitz's siyum on Maseches Brochos, made in memory of his parents, Rabbi Yisroel and Mrs. Shoshana Lefkowitz, patriarchs of the Agudah family, who devoted themselves to tzorchei tzibbur.

Following the siyum, HaRav Shragi Kallus, Rav Khal Imrei Pi in Ramat Shlomo and Rosh Kollel of Machon L'Horaah L'Rabbonim, launched into an energetic discussion of Chazaras HaShatz and its status as a crucial component of our tefillos, enhancing the individual's Shemoneh Esrei in multiple ways. Rabbi Kallus recalled how impressed he was to see balabatim dedicating themselves to an intense week of Torah study at his first Yarchei Kallah 20 years ago, adding that he never imagined that one day he would be returning to the annual event as a maggid shiur.

The final speaker of the evening was HaRav Mordechai Kuber, Rabbi of Ohel Avraham Nachlas Tzvi, Telz Stone, who addressed the differences between real time and shaos zemaniyos. Rabbi Kuber used an audio-visual presentation to guide listeners through a detailed discussion on calculating halachic hours, shedding light on complicated concepts that figure prominently into tefillah.

It was an equally full schedule for the Yarchei Kallah's ezras nashim, who left the Ramada at 8:45 AM and headed north for a full day of touring. A visit to Chatzor, the Middle East's largest historic site, provided an opportunity to see historical artifacts recovered from the city, which was burned to the ground by Yehoshuah and later rebuilt by Shlomo Hamelech.

After a stop at the nearby kever of Choni Hameagel, the women had lunch and heard Mrs. Tova Mordechai, a former evangelical minister, share how she found herself drawn to Yiddishkeit, becoming a giyores and committing to a life of Torah and mitzvos. Moving on to Tzfas, the women split into two groups, with some visiting the kevorim of the Arizal, Rav Yosef Karo, Reb Leib Baal Hayisurim and additional gedolim. Others took a guided tour through the Old City, taking in its historic shuls, narrow alleyways and colorful art galleries.

Despite the long day, participants seemed reluctant to see Tuesday draw to a close, marking the official halfway point of the Yarchei Kallah. Rabbi Eliyahu Simcha Bamberger, national director of the Agudah's Daf Yomi Commission, related that when one of the shiurim finished ahead of schedule and the maggid shiur was informed that there was still more time available, he returned to the podium, with participants bursting into simultaneous, spontaneous applause.

"They were thrilled by the opportunity to spend another 20 minutes soaking up divrei Torah from this esteemed Rov," said Rabbi Bamberger. "This is what the Yarchei Kallah is all about, seeing people leaving everything behind and spending a week basking in the glow of the illustrious rabbonim who grace us with their presence. The participants are truly taking advantage of every precious minute to live the words, 'Tov li Toras picha mei'alfei zahav vechesef."

A selection of photos from the Yarchei Kallah are at https://aiayk.org/gallery-2020/.

Watch or Listen to the Yarchei Kallah Sessions at https://aiayk.org/audio-2020/! Sessions are being put up as the events unfold.

 

All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.