Community Magazine August 2017

50 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE W alking through the hallowed alleyways of the Old City in Yerushalayim is always inspiring. When that walk culminates in a visit to the storied home of HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen, shlit”a , Nasi of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah and longtime Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Porat Yosef, the flagship Sephardic Yeshiva in Israel, it is transformative. That was the feeling that permeated the special meeting between Sephardic Roshei Yeshiva and the leaders of the Torah organization Dirshu, held in mid-July at HaRav Cohen’s apartment. At the meeting the venerated Rosh Yeshiva enthusiastically encouraged the daily learning of the laws of Shabbat in Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program. Currently, nearly 100,000 people worldwide are already learning a daily page of Mishnah Berurah - the six-volume magnum opus on daily halacha written by the Chafetz Chaim. HaRav Cohen is no stranger to Dirshu and its many efforts to incentivize Torah study throughout the globe. In fact, just over two years ago, HaRav Cohen troubled himself to journey from Israel to Paris, France to serve as the keynote speaker at Dirshu’s first Daf HaYomi B’Halacha siyum in Mishnah Berurah , attended by thousands of French Jews. A large group of prominent Rabbis and Roshei Yeshiva gathered around HaRav Cohen’s table as he gave a short talk expressing his feelings about the importance of the daily study of halacha . The Rabbis included HaRav Yosef Peretz, Rosh Yeshivat Pnei Yehoshua, HaRav Shimon Lavie, distinguished Dayan from Yerushalayim, HaRav Baruch Racktowski, Rosh Yeshivat Zichron Eliezer, HaRav Michael Pedida, Mashigah Yeshivat Tiferet Halevyim, HaRav Shlomo Yashar, Mashigah Yeshiva Yismah Moshe, HaRav Yoram Maimon, Rosh Yeshivat Torat Moshe, HaRav Yaakov Cohen, Rosh Yeshivat Nezer Hatalmud, and HaRav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu. “How Can Any Jew Go Through Life Without AcquiringaBasicWorkingKnowledgeof Halacha?” In his powerful and sometimes emotional address, HaRav Cohen explained that the reason Daf HaYomi B’Halacha is so effective is because it is a set program with a specific allotment to be learned every day. This enables a person to incrementally learn the entire body of the Orach Chaim order of Shulchan Aruch that governs all of the halachot relevant to a person’s daily life, both during the week and on Shabbat and holidays. “How can any Jew go through life without acquiring a basic working knowledge of halacha ? HaRav Cohen wondered. “This is especially applicable to the laws of Shabbat that are very stringent and detailed.” “Peace Means Everything Has Its Proper Place” Rav Dovid Hofstedter also addressed those assembled. He asked a question on the weekly Parasha . The Torah tells us that as a result of his zealotry, Pinchas was rewarded with the covenant of peace. “The question,” asked Rabbi Hofstedter, “is how is shalom, peace, a reward for zealotry? We usually view peace as something calm and serene, not zealous. There is another pasuk that says, “ Hashem oz l’amo yiten , Hashem yevarech et amo bashalom - Gd gives strength to His people, He blesses them with peace. Again, ‘strength’ seems to be the opposite of peace.” Rav Hofstedter answered his question by citing the well-known Gemara ’Torah scholars bring peace to the world.’ “How exactly do they do that?” asked the Rav. “What does Torah knowledge and scholarship have to do with peace?” RavHofstedter explained, “Torah scholars increasepeacebecause they show us the proper path upon which we must embark. They CHAIM COHEN HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen Encourages All to Study Daily Halacha Historic Meeting Held at HaRav Cohen’s Home as Dirshu’s Daily Halacha Program Begins the Study of the Laws of Shabbat