Mifal HaTorah Exams ○ Highlights from the Lesson ○ Gifts Presented to Outstanding Participants

Photos: Keren HaTzaddik Institute

With the beginning of Tractate Nazir on the 3rd of Shevat, “Mifal HaTorah,” under the auspices of our holy community, launched a special initiative to strengthen the learning of Daf Yomi. Anyone who would persevere in taking the Daf Yomi exams—beyond the stipends given for the tests—would merit to enter “into the inner sanctum” for a special lesson from The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

And indeed, thank Hashem, more than forty avreichim—Torah scholars—merited to be tested and to know Tractate Nazir through the end of the testing period, on Erev Pesach 5783. Therefore, the examinees of “Mifal HaTorah” merited to enter “into the inner sanctum” for a special lesson on Wednesday night, the eve of the 29th of Nissan, at the home of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

The Rav shlit"a opened the lesson by speaking about the importance of Emunah in the Tzaddik. After that, he spoke about many topics, including: the subduing of the serpent with its seven heads; and Yehoshua bin Nun, who stopped the sun—saying that every person can stop the sun, like Abba Techinah Chasida as brought in the Midrash. He then spoke about the greatness of “the Saba,” Rabbi Yisrael Ber Odesser zy"a. He also spoke about spreading the light of Rebbe Nachman, and about the emissaries who must go out to bring people back in teshuvah and to give classes in “cities of teshuvah” such as Eilat and the like. In the continuation of the lesson, he spoke about an Aggadah from Tractate Bava Basra concerning Miriam the Chashmona’is, who was the last one left because the rule was not from the House of Yehudah, and he mentioned the Ramban on this in Parshas Vayechi. He also spoke about the matter of gilgulim (reincarnations of souls)—the souls of Rachav and HaTzlelponis, Lemech and Shaul—and explained that Shaul did not wait for Shmuel HaNavi, saying that the entire point is to merit self-nullification to the Tzaddik. Toward the end of the lesson, he spoke about the greatness of the zemiros of Shabbos, saying that zemiros are like Shemoneh Esrei—one must not miss a single word or a single letter. At the conclusion of the lesson, he spoke about “Shimon and Levi are brothers,” and about the dispute between the Ramban and the Rambam regarding the people of Shechem, while revealing wondrous new insights on the subject. After the lesson, he recited Kaddish with melodies, and distributed a gift to the persevering avreichim who completed all the exams with great success—a sefer from the teachings of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, published by the “Shvivei Or” Institute. “Mifal HaTorah” asked to remind everyone that learning tracks with stipends and various prizes are held at all times to encourage and strengthen the study of the holy Torah, and it is worthwhile for everyone to follow the various announcements regarding the above!