FIVE YEARS OLD FOR SCRIPTURE • A Chumash Party for the Precious Children with

Reading the verses of 'Vayikra' with the pure children ○ A fiery lesson from our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ○ Distribution of the Chumash by our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a to the Tinokos Shel Beis Rabban (pure school-aged children) ○ Let the pure ones come

With a thumping and excited heart, the first-grade children of the 'Nechamat Zion' Talmud Torah (elementary school) merited to fulfill the saying "Ben Chamesh LaMikra" (five years old for the study of Scripture) and to become part of the unending chain of generations, passing the Torah from one to the next upon receiving their Chumash (Five Books of Moses). The Chumash party took place on Thursday, the 10th of Tammuz, in the Sanhedrin Auditorium on Minchat Yitzchak Street in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Already at 11:00 AM, over sixty Tinokos Shel Beis Rabban (pure school-aged children), may no evil eye harm them, arrived at the gates of the auditorium looking heart-warming, their heads adorned with Torah crowns. With song and joy, they entered the magnificent hall. One could not miss the splendor and glory of this well-invested event organized by the 'Shuvu Banim - Nechamat Zion' institutions under the leadership of the Chassid, Rabbi Natan Chananya shlit"a. This was fitting for the occasion of beginning the study of the Chumash, which represents the start of every Jewish child's path in the study of the Holy Torah; throughout his years, as the Book of Torah shall not depart from his mouth, he will surely never forget the day he began learning the Chumash.

At 1:00 PM, the event began as crowds of excited parents arrived, and the educators spoke about the greatness of Tinokos Shel Beis Rabban. Our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, arrived to participate in the Chumash party at 1:50 PM. Upon the Rav's entry, the Nechamat Zion children's choir began singing 'Or Zarua LaTzaddik' (Light is sown for the Tzaddik), followed by several songs of joy and thanksgiving to Hashem. After the Rav took his seat, they began to sing 'In Breslov brennt a feuer...' (In Breslov a fire burns) and several other soul-stirring songs. Afterward, the educator asked the precious children: "What did the Jewish people answer when the Holy One, Blessed be He, asked them if they wanted to receive the Torah?" With a roar of pure breath from children who have not tasted the taste of sin, they answered: 'Na'aseh V'Nishmah' (We will do and we will hear)! Now came the peak moments, and amidst the singing of 'Veyehi Noam Hashem Elokeinu...' (May the pleasantness of Hashem our G-d be upon us), our teacher the Rav shlit"a began in his clear voice: "Vayikra - and Hashem called." He read the first verses of the book of Vayikra together with the 'Teitsch' (traditional translation), with all the dozens of children repeating after him for the first time in their lives the holy letters of the Torah. How magnificent was this sight, to see the voices of the pure children blending with the clear and pure voice of the Tzaddik. Upon finishing the verses, singing broke out with immense excitement, and all the precious children sang with great joy and gladness: 'Blessed is He, our G-d, Who created us for His glory and separated us from those who stray, and gave us the Torah of Truth...' For long minutes, they sang in gratitude to Hashem for meriting to begin the Holy Torah from the mouth of the one who transmits the Torah—the Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation, our teacher the Rav shlit"a. After the singing, the children's representative, Meir Nes, spoke in gratitude to Hashem, to our teacher the Rav shlit"a, to the entire staff, and to the parents for bringing the children to this point.

Afterward, the main address began. Our teacher the Rav shlit"a opened his words regarding the weekly Torah portion—Balak. He emphasized why Balak is called "Ben Tzippor" (son of a bird), explaining that he had a bird through which he performed all his sorcery. He mentioned that Balaam was a reincarnation of Laban the Aramean. The Rav also shared a Chiddush (Torah innovation) that the most important blessings in the Torah came specifically through Balaam, because "the kisses of an enemy are profuse"—since the ministering angel of the nations is the one reciting these blessings, no one can ever cancel them. Later in the lesson, he spoke on several other topics, including strengthening the children, noting that even as they grow, they must be supervised; otherwise, Heaven forbid, they might stray into a bad culture and deteriorate toward 'tamei' (impure) vessels (smartphones/internet), eventually wasting their lives in this world because they want to stand out, and Heaven protect us, they are killed in motorcycle accidents and the like. May Hashem save us.

Continuing the lesson, he returned several times to the matter of Parshat Balak, speaking from the Midrashim. He focused mainly on how Balak told Balaam, "I want to destroy this nation," because he saw that a "Pereh Adam" (wild/powerful man)—namely King David—was destined to descend from him and would destroy all of Moab. Our teacher the Rav shlit"a explained the verse "Moab is my washpot; over Edom I will cast my shoe," saying that Balaam advised Balak to hide a barrel with a thousand snakes (which represent very terrible forces of impurity) under the Even HaShetiyah (Foundation Stone) so that the moment the Holy Temple was established, it would fall due to the forces of impurity hidden in that barrel. David sought this out by digging the 'Amot HaShitin' (foundation shafts), and from there he removed that barrel. In that merit, the Holy Temple was built and did not fall. So too, may we merit the building of the Holy Temple and the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen!

After the uplifting lesson—words of the Living G-d for about twenty minutes from the mouth of the Tzaddik—the great moment arrived. The moment that every Jewish child treasures in his heart until his final day: the time he receives the Chumash into his hands. The children merited to receive the Chumash from the pure hands of our teacher the Rav shlit"a, as the Rav blessed each and every child that "pumiah lo yifsok mipitgama d'Oraisa" (his mouth should not cease from words of Torah). The children's choir, accompanied by the orchestra, escorted each child back to his place with the song 'May it be the will before Hashem, that he should grow in Torah and fear of Hashem...'. After the distribution of the Chumashim was completed, our teacher the Rav shlit"a left the hall amidst singing and dancing, as the excited parents, with the 'Chumash grooms' on their shoulders, danced in stormy circles with feelings of joy and gratitude for the honor of the Torah, with immense happiness and excitement. How fortunate are we that we have merited this!!

Before you is a magnificent photo gallery from the event: