Thousands of yeshiva students who toiled in Torah during the Bein Hazmanim intersession in the dozens of branches of Yeshivas Chedvoso deKalla throughout the country, founded and headed by Rabbenu Dov Lando, filled to overflowing the halls of Armonot Chen this past Thursday to celebrate "The Conference of Kinyan HaTorah" designed to recharge them for the coming summer study session.
HaRav Moshe Mordechai Englard, the MC, called upon HaRav Shmuel Falk from "Ohz Nidberu" to give the opening address on the theme of the World of the Torah Student. He delved into the inner workings of the mind and conscience of a ben Torah.
In his talk, he expanded on the advice of each student pursuing the particular study within Torah of what especially appeals to him. Just as in the regular world, there are things appeal to a person, so too, in the sea of study, a student is drawn to special topics.
In the center of the event, the atmosphere became charged with the burning fervor of the Torah — Ritcha DeOraisa. It was enthralling to see the yeshiva heads, HaRav Yisrael Bunim Schreiber, HaRav Issamar Garbuz and HaRav Menachem Cohen grappling amongst themselves on the given subject, dealing as well with the source of the matter.
It was also amazing to see the immense respect these great scholars showed to one other all the while.
The climax of the event took place with the entrance of Maran HaRav Dov Lando shlita. His face lit up as he took in the scene of the thousands of young men who had devoted their free time of Bein Hazmanim to study. He was accompanied by the Mashgiach, HaRav Don Segal, who had also visited the Bein Hazmanim yeshivos of Chedvoso deKalla and delivered a shiur in the Neveh Yaakov branch.
The remarks of HaRav Dov Lando shlita
Rabbenu opened his words of the assembly very succinctly: "Fortunate are you for having studied in depth and devotion during the intercession. Your Torah study served as a protection for the entire nation living in Zion."
He continued by describing the desired form of study. "One must know what is the preferred way to study. One must primarily seek the truth, be engrossed in study and be in search of understanding the entire subject matter, while shunning clever insights. One must study in order to know and to understand, as the Chazon Ish wrote: 'The Kesef Mishna did not innovate. He knew that the truth lies in the Torah and that was what he was seeking.'
"One must be thoroughly immersed in profundity, to study well and be surrounded in it, not superficially. There are all kinds of ways and approaches to study but primarily, one must be seeking the truth and be thankful for it. If one hears a difficult question, he should delve into it, pursue it and think about it. There are many things. One can think about any subject but refrain from learn it casually, only on the surface. Nothing is accomplished by speed as well, but only through depth.
"One should intensify one's study again and again. It should be the only thing that interests a student, that occupies his mind. I saw something marvelous in my study today and that is why I am smiling, that alone is exclusively on my mind.
"The Chazon Ish wrote to someone in a letter that he had difficulty in admitting the truth. 'I am forever full of errors, either in the logic of the gemara or otherwise but the mistake does not dull the honor of the study itself.' One who admits the truth sometimes thinks more profoundly than one who has discovered the truth right away, who may have found it arbitrarily, blindly, or who might have heard it in the past but forgotten about it."
He also sharpened this thought and said, "A very basic rule is to avoid street mannerisms, be they in form of speech or of conduct, but surely in all things from the street and the outside world.
"In addition, one must maximize the times of Friday and Shabbos especially in the long summer days lest 'if you leave Me for a day, I will distance Myself from you for two days.' "
He concluded his message with a blessing: "May Hashem assist you and us all in studying Torah through intensity and depth, through devotion and investment. For know, may Hashem spare us from all those who persecute us and are persecuting the Torah so that we can study Torah freely."
