Rosh Kollel Shares Shailos He Received During the War

Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin, Rosh Kollel of Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad and Lubavitcher Rov in Petach Tikva, delivered a shiur addressing halachic sha’alos he received during the war, all while air raid sirens wailed in the background.

On Thursday, Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin the Rosh Kollel of Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad and the Lubavitcher Rov in Petach Tikvah, conducted a Zoom shiur for the members of Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad. In this session, he addressed the myriad Halachic questions posed to him in light of the ongoing situation in Eretz Yisrael.

As the shiur progressed, the air raid sirens in the background served as an eerie reminder of the current turmoil, yet Rabbi Raskin remained undeterred in his commitment to provide guidance on these wartime Halacha inquiries.

Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad is a joint project between Merkos 302’s Beis Medrash L’Shluchim and Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad. It aims to empower current and aspiring Rabbanim with an advanced understanding of Halacha and Hora’ah.

Working under the auspices of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, Rabbi Betzalel Bassman and his team launched the Kollel ahead of Pesach 5783 to empower shluchim to become expert rabbonim. “Many shluchim now find themselves acting as their communities’ de facto halachic authority,” he says. “The Kollel gives them a path to gain the Halachic expertise they need to fill that role with confidence.”

“Chabad houses are sprouting fully-fledged Jewish communities that need a halachic authority on the ground,” says Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice-chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch. “ Giving shluchim the tools to become qualified rabbonim is a critical investment in a more robust Jewish future; this will pay dividends for future generations.”

Over 130 participating shluchim carve ten hours from their busy weekly schedules to study Gemara, Bais Yosef, and Shulchan Aruch and join online shiurim. Over the next eight years, Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad’s in-house curriculum will empower these active community leaders to receive semicha on Hilchos Niddah, Shabbos, Chupah v’Kiddushin, Eruvin, Smachos (Aveilus), and Issur v’Heter. 

Employing a systematic program centered on individual study and online learning, the Kollel caters to the unique needs of shluchim serving Jewish communities in far-flung locations. 

With a new cohort of shluchim entering the program after Sukkos, Rabbi Gedailia Oberlander and Rabbi Zushe Winner will join the Kollel’s faculty to deliver shiurim, provide individual guidance, and ensure each participant receives the careful attention they need. They join a team of maggidei shiur that includes Rosh Kollel Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin, Sgan Rosh Kollel Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov, Rabbi Shaul Yechezkel Schwartz, Rabbi Yekusiel Farkash, and Rabbi Mordechai Farkash. In addition to delivering shiurim.

The new additions bolster the Kollel’s first-of-its-kind model, which uses virtual learning to empower shluchim serving far flung communities. “Joining the Kollel has already benefited my shlichus tremendously,” says Rabbi Levi Blau of JRCC South Thornhill in Ontario, Canada.

“If you’re a shliach who can commit to eight or ten hours of high-level learning each week, I can’t recommend this enough,” he adds.

To learn more about Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad, visit: https://shop.merkos302.com/sites/kollel/preview

To join the Kollel, visit: https://merkos302.com/rabbonus