As Elul is upon us, and the blasts of the shofar awaken us, Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Queens is zoiche to be the first Tomchei Tmimim in America to begin the new zman. To the smell of fresh paint and new furniture, the Temimim arrived with seforim and meforshim on Maseches Pesachim.

The new zman began with a hisorerus talk by the menahel, Rabbi Yosef HaCohen Hendel, inspiring the Temimim to diligently throw themselves into Torah and avoda with the chayus of this special tekufa.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel HaCohen Hendel of the Vaad then introduced the Chief Rabbi of Be’er Sheva and Av Beis Din in Be’er Sheva, Rabbi Avrohom Deri, who inspired the bochurim to approach limud haTorah with a koch and geshmak, with fire and zest.

Rabbi Mendel Yusewitz of the Vaad Hapoel translated the chidushei Torah and broke them down for the bochurim. Rabbi Deri then shared the special zechus his family has in its connection to the Rebbe and Tomchei Tmimim.

When the Rebbe’s shliach to Morocco, Rabbi Michoel Lipsker, was preparing to embark on his shlichus, the Frierdiker Rebbe asked the leader of Moroccan Jewry in Meknes, Rabbi Boruch Yitzchok Tolidano, to see that a yungerman assist the shliach’s initiatives. Rabbi Deri’s grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchok Tolidano, was chosen.

He took his dowry, which consisted of expensive equipment intended to establish a printing press, and used it to fund the first Tomchei Tmimim in Morocco.

“We feel it is in that zechus that our grandfather bore so many talmidei chachamim, including a son-in-law of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef,” Rabbi Deri said.

He inspired the Temimim in their avoda as “Chayolei Beis Dovid,” and as the ultimate “Bnei Maron,” bringing Moshiach now.