Tens of individuals gathered in the Anshei Moshe Hall for a seudas mitzva Melave Malka, celebrating the completion of the study of Rambam by the participants of Rabbi Mendel Yusewitz’s daily shiur.
Motzei Shabbos, Gimmel Tammuz, in the outskirts of Crown Heights, festive music could be heard from afar. Those who gathered were celebrating a major achievement, along with thousands of other Jews around the world.
After over 11 months of study, they have completed learning the entire Torah as presented by the Rambam. Tens of individuals gathered in the Anshei Moshe Hall to celebrate with a seudas mitzva Melave Malka.
“In the air was pure simcha,” one participant shared. “We were all the chasanim of the evening. It was a simcha you could only experience if you toiled through the learning yourself.”
The event began with the final shiur of the cycle in hilchos melochim, given by the magid shiur of this chaburah, Rabbi Mendel Yusewitz. The 25 minute shiur, which covered the laws of Bnei Noach and continued with the laws of Melech HaMoshiach, was a powerful sneak-peek for those who have not yet joined the forces of lomdei hoRambam, giving them a taste of this limud which includes every halachic scenario brought in the entire Talmud bavli, and in any other mishna in mishnayos – all in a clear language that leads to a halachic ruling.
After concluding the final shiur, the participants wished each other mazal tov, and broke into joyous dancing.
The director of ‘Irgun Torah’, Rabbi Avrohom Rutban, who started this shiur along with tens of other Rambam shiurim, shared his experiences of learning and joining in the shiurim.
He then introduced Rabbi Shlomi Greenwald who himself completed the Yad Hachazoka. He described the effort it took to learn the 3 perokim properly every day, and on the other hand, how rewarding it was to live with Torah and with the Rebbe’s takona, and receive his brochos. He concluded by thanking Rabbi Yusewitz for his well prepared and clearly delivered daily shiur.
Reb Shlomi introduced the Sgan Rosh Kolel l’Horaah Maasis, Rabbi Shraga Homnick, who gave a detailed and masterful overview on the halachic concept of “Asra D’Rav” which was first termed by the various Rishonim in regard to the Rambam. He also explained how the Mechaber in his Shulchan Aruch was impacted by the language and approach of the Rambam.
Rabbi Dovid Palace, one of the pillars of the Rambam chaburah, was honored with beginning the new cycle of Rambam. Reb Leizer Avtzon, a rov in Crown Heights, relayed the events and ‘behind the scenes’ details which led up to the Rebbe establishing takonas hoRambam on Acharon Shel Pesach 5744.
Next to speak was Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Wilhelm, director of Oholei Torah Mechina and a close friend of Rabbi Yusewitz. He elaborated on how all of us can and must strive higher and shared stories in honor of Motzei Shabbos.
As the event concluded, Rabbi Yusewitz emotionally thanked the Rebbe for establishing this seder halimud, for the gift of shlosha perokim which leads to living as a Yid with one’s mind occupied in learning and covering Kol Hatorah Kulah!
“This is not merely a celebration of staunch dedication to daily Torah study,” he declared. “It is not only a masterful achievement of yedias haTorah, covering every area of a Yid’s life in all times, including zman haBayis and yemos haMoshiach. It is not only the achdus of thousands of Yidden learning Rambam, whether in cycles of 3 perokim, 1 perek or Sefer Hamitzvos. It is the gift of a key to any door of chadrei haTorah. The gift of being familiar with every sugya, daf and concept brought in all of Shas.”
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