Argentina Bochurim Grilled on Bava Basra on Stage

Eight bochurim in the Buenos Aires yeshiva learned the entire Bava Basra by heart, and were tested over thirteen hours to recite it in one straight go. The yeshiva celebrated it with a grand melava malka and an on-stage Gemara chidon.

On Motzei Shabbos, 11 of Elul, the Anash community of Buenos Aires joined a public test, where prominent Rabbonim of the city tested 8 bochurim who learned and repeated Maseches Bava Basra B’al Peh b’vas achas.

Over the past year, in the yeshivah in B.A. Argentina, there has been a Mivtza Torah for the Gemara the bochurim were learning. The way that this mivtza was, was that the bochurim had to recite the whole shakla vitarya of the Gemara ba’al peh. They would be tested once or twice a week by the shluchim and meishivim, on one or two dapim at a time, without skipping anything.

The first part of the mivtza started in Teves and went through Shevat, with bochurim learning 5, 10 or 15 dapim, depending on which level they chose. At the end of the zman, some bochurim even got tested on all that they learned b’vas achas (in one go).

Throughout the whole year, the going force and the constant push came from the Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Shmuel Schtroks. He was always looking for ways to keep the bochurim involved and to keep them going. The Menahel of the Yeshivah, Rabbi Elimelech Raichik, was actively involved in every part of the mivtza, paying interest in every detail to make sure it would work out and continue to the end.

Originally, no one imagined that any of the bochurim would finish the whole mesechta ba’al peh, and definitely not to be able to recite it in one go. The original number that was being aimed for was 101 dapim, which was based on an answer of the Rebbe.

In 5729, on Shabbos parshas Shelach, the Rebbe asked in a sicha why the yeshivos weren’t reporting about the bochurim who were learning Gemara and Chassidus ba’al peh. After shabbos, the hanhala of 770 told the Rebbe that they were arranging that the bochurim would learn 100 daf of Gemara and 10 maamarim ba’al peh. They then asked if the idea was to say over word for word, or just to know the content. To that the Rebbe replied that the idea is to know the things which are discussed, according to the order of how they are in the Gemara. And about the 100 daf, the Rebbe added “v’achas” – (one hundred) and one.

Over the year, little by little, bochurim made progress, adding up to big numbers. This past week, there were some bochurim who amazed the whole yeshivah. Over the course of four days, totaling about 13 hours per bochur, they got tested on the whole Bava Basra b’vas achas – in one go! With others being tested on 50-101 dapim b’vas achas!

Last week the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Dovid Lau came to visit the community of B.A.. Over his trip, the yeshivah was honored to have him come and test the bochurim. He sat down for about a half hour and was shooting out questions to the bochurim, to which they immediately fired back answers, back and forth. Afterward, he said that he very much enjoyed it, and it was a shame that it was only for half an hour.

This past Motzei Shabbos the yeshivah invited the whole community to a melavah malka and to join them for a siyum and a grand test. The test consisted of several different parts. The first part of the test was led by the Rov of the Lubavitch community, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Feigelstock, together with the Moreh Tzedek of the community, Rabbi Efraim Halperin, and a Rosh Kollel from the community Yesod Hadat, Rabbi Ezra HaCohen Dwek. They asked all types of questions from anywhere in the mesechta.

After that, someone would open a Gemara to a random page and start reading, and the bochurim had to continue, one bochur after the next, from where the previous one left off. The final part of the test was from the Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Schtrocks, he would ask more general questions, like where is a certain topic discussed in the mesechta, or what are the machlokesin between Rav and Shmuel that are in this mesechta.

The room was packed to its limits, with more than 300 people participating. All those present were very excited and paying close attention, and after the bochurim proved themselves of knowing the Gemara inside out, everyone was very impressed.

The event was led by Rabbi Yoel Migdal and throughout the night a number of respected individuals addressed the crowd, among them were, Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt, Rabbi Osher Farkash, Rabbi Elimelech Raichik and Rabbi Shmuel Schtroks. Certificates were also given to all the bochurim who participated in the mivtzah during the year. One of the bochurim also made a siyum and said over a Hadrin. Whoever participated, walked away with a feeling of pride and joy that they are able to be part of such a community and to join the yeshivah in such an event.

A special thanks goes to the head shliach, Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt, who in addition to his continuous devotedness to both the gashmius and ruchnius of the Yeshivah, took a special interest and care in every step and stage, supporting it through the end. Also to the Menahel Gashmi, Rabbi Puli Levy for putting much time and effort to make sure the event worked out in the nicest and best possible way, and that everything should go smoothly. As well as to the Mashgiach, Rabbi Fitche Tawil, for always supporting the seder and bochurim.

The bochurim who were tested are;
Menachem Mendel Baumgarten
Shneur Zalmen Baumgarten
Chaim Tzvi Birman
Yosef Chein
Nissin Hecht
Shneur Zalmen Lapidus
Menachem Mendel Rozenberg
Menachem Mendel Srugo