Completion of the Chafetz Chaim Learning Program, through Mif’al HaTorah

Completion of the Study of Chafetz Chaim by The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ○ A shiur for those who were tested, in the home of The Rav shlit"a

About half a year ago, Mif’al HaTorah—run by our holy community—launched a campaign to strengthen learning and guarding one’s speech through the holy sefer Chafetz Chaim, authored by the Kohen Gadol of Radin. The learning took place according to the edition divided into a daily learning schedule, together with tests to sharpen and reinforce the learning.

Those who merited to be tested entered last night—on the night of the 10th of Tammuz—into the inner sanctum for a shiur from The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, in his home. The shiur took place before the Ma’ariv prayer. Below is a summary from the shiur delivered by The Rav shlit"a:

For most of the shiur, The Rav shlit"a dealt with the war between David and Goliath. In the first part, The Rav shlit"a focused on David’s bravery—how he did not want to take any sword or shield. Afterwards, he entered into an in-depth Torah discussion regarding David’s betrothal of Merav, since Shaul said that whoever would kill Goliath would receive his daughter, and how David could effect Kiddushin through the act of killing a non-Jew. He discussed the responsum of the Maharit on the matter, and also brought the words of the Ketzos HaChoshen and additional sefarim of the Rishonim and Acharonim on this topic. The Rav also addressed the question of how David could betroth two sisters.

Beyond this, The Rav shlit"a spoke about additional subjects during the shiur, among them the matter of “Eishes Lapidos,” saying she was called Eishes Lapidos because her lamp would never go out. The Rav also spoke about the importance of a firstborn son, meriting the mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen, and so on.

After about forty minutes of the shiur, The Rav shlit"a made the siyum on the sefer Chafetz Chaim, reading the final halachah in the holy sefer, and in the process The Rav shlit"a aroused everyone regarding the importance of guarding one’s speech.