Guard My Torah • Honor of the Torah Ceremony for the Students of Yeshivat

The 'Natzor Torasi' (Guard My Torah) Honor of the Torah Ceremony for Hundreds of Students of the 'Chochma V'Daat' Yeshiva ○ Song and Melodies ○ The Central Address from The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, on the Greatness of Studying Gemara (Talmud) in Depth ○ An Oral Examination on Hundreds of Pages of Gemara ○ Distribution of Certificates Signed by His Holy Hand

On the auspicious day of the New Year for Trees, the fifteenth of Shevat (Tu B'Shvat), hundreds of students from the "Breslov Chochma V'Daat" Yeshiva—under the "Shuvu Banim" institutions and the leadership of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a—gathered for a ceremony honoring the Torah. This event celebrated the hundreds of students who were tested on, studied, and memorized hundreds of pages of Gemara (Talmud) from the various tractates of the Shas (the complete Talmud) learned over the past two years. The ceremony took place in the 'Kinor David' halls in Har Hotzvim, in the Holy City of Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt and established.

Toward 5:00 PM, Rabbi Berland shlit"a entered the hall to the singing of 'Ki Orech Yamim' (For length of days), amidst immense joy for the merit of the Rav troubling himself to participate in the ceremony honoring these precious students. After the Rav shlit"a sat in his holy chair, the Shuvu Banim orchestra and student choir played melodies of soulfulness and awakening in honor of the moving occasion. After a few minutes, R' Itamar Raphael, the master of ceremonies, invited HaRav HaGaon R' Baruch Vidislavsky shlit"a—the Rosh Kollel (head of the institute for advanced study) of Gur in Kiryat Gat and one of the Gur rabbis in Ashdod—to deliver words of encouragement regarding the greatness of Torah study, specifically in these days when "the sword bereaves outside" and "terror within" refers to the spiritual damages of technology. He noted that the pure students of this holy Yeshiva merit to stand in the breach and immerse themselves in the world of Torah. Following these words of inspiration, we merited several more melodies, after which came the central address from Rabbi Berland shlit"a. Here is a summary of his words spoken during the event:

For most of the lesson, the Rav dealt with the importance of studying Gemara with iyun (depth), and he even began his holy discourse with Torah 31 (Tinyana) from Likutey Moharan, discussing how through music, one can recognize if a person has accepted the yoke of Torah. The Rav explained that it is only possible to truly sing and play music if one is studying Torah. Within these words, he discussed the matter of Queen Esther, who called Ahasuerus a "dog" and thereby sweetened the judgments that were upon him. He remarked that a person is forbidden from cursing anyone, no matter who they are or what they have done. He also mentioned the Haftarah (prophetic reading) of the weekly portion—the Song of Deborah, who was called "Eshet Lapidot" (Woman of Flames) because she was surrounded by fire, just as the Tanaim and Amoraim (Sages of the Mishna and Talmud) were surrounded by fire, such as Rabbi Zera and the Ten Martyrs.

Moving from one topic to another, he spoke of the greatness of Rabbi Akiva, whose flesh was combed with iron combs, saying that if a person studies and finds it difficult, yet overcomes the challenge, it is considered as if his flesh is being combed with iron combs! The Rav said that the verse 'No eye has seen, O God, besides You' was said regarding those killed for the sanctification of Hashem's name, and those killed in the war, Hy"d (may Hashem avenge their blood)—no creature can stand in their presence. He also spoke of the heroism of those who were martyred during the terrible years of the Holocaust, Hy"d, and those who were saved in a supernatural way. Through these words, he returned to strengthen the students to stand guard against the damages of technology.

After these words of fiery inspiration, he returned to the greatness of Torah study, primarily the in-depth study of Torah. He discussed the weekly portions regarding the Exodus from Egypt, stating that the entire reason the Jewish people left Egypt was solely for the sake of engaging in Torah. In the second part of the lesson, he dealt with two topics he speaks of frequently. The first is the disputes between the Rishonim (early commentators) and Acharonim (later commentators) on various issues, such as the *Ben Pekuah* (an embryo found in a slaughtered animal) and the sale of the handmaids' sons. Regarding these issues, ink has been spilled like an endless sea; the Rav clarified that these were essentially the disputes between the brothers and Joseph the Tzaddik. He discussed the sale of Joseph, who was sold for shoes, which relates to the concept of "sewing shoes for the Shechinah (Divine Presence)"—ensuring there is a place for the Shechinah even in the lowest places. He reiterated that when a student learns Gemara in depth, he creates "shoes" for the Shechinah.

The second topic was the bitul (nullification) to the Tzaddik regarding Eliezer, who went to find a match for Rebecca. Despite all the difficulties, he cried out to Hashem, as brought in Torah 46, where the initials of "Shema Hashem Koli Ekra" (Hear Hashem my voice I call) spell 'Kashya' (difficulty/question). Because he merited to cry out to Hashem, he merited to see that from Rebecca would come Jacob our Forefather, and he understood why Abraham sent him specifically there. During his words, the Rav repeatedly strengthened the importance of Gemara study and the utilization of time. He mentioned the "Prince of Torah," Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt"l, who once made a Siyum HaShas (completion of the Talmud) in five minutes, explaining that while waiting at weddings, he had five-minute intervals which he utilized for a special order of Shas study. The Rav concluded the central address with the greatness of the day—the fifteenth of Shevat—which is a New Year in every respect, saying that whatever a person requests on Tu B'Shvat, he will certainly receive in the merit of this holy and exalted day.

After more than half an hour of fiery words of Torah from Sinai, Rabbi Berland shlit"a finished the central address and began to sing 'V're'eh Banim L'vanecha' (May you see children to your children), leading into a medley of joyful songs and dancing over the merit of being part of this holy ceremony honoring the Torah, "Who has separated us from those who stray and gave us the Torah of Truth!" After minutes of dancing, a silence fell over the hall as R' Itamar Raphael asked the Rav shlit"a for his blessing for the students. Indeed, the Rav shlit"a obliged and blessed the students that they should merit to finish the Shas yet this year, and those who merit it, even seven times.

Then came the most moving moment of the evening: the spiritual director of the Yeshiva, HaRav HaGaon R' Avraham Mordechai Ashlag shlit"a, stood before the hundreds of students and tested them on hundreds of pages of Gemara by heart from various tractates. For many long minutes, Rabbi Ashlag asked questions randomly from different tractates one after another. Hundreds of fingers were raised every time a question was asked, and from the mouth of the student chosen to answer, the response flowed like a stream of water flowing under a tree—with clarity and in a manner that perfectly reflected how well they mastered all the tractates studied within the 'Natzor Torasi' framework.

Upon the conclusion of the exam, hundreds of precious students of the 'Breslov Chochma V'Daat' Yeshiva approached the holy table of the Rav shlit"a to receive from his holy hands the certificate testifying to what was clear on their pure faces: they know the hundreds of pages of Gemara they reviewed so well, and if someone were to ask them, they would not stutter but answer immediately! Student after student passed by, and the Rav shlit"a, with the radiance of his face emitting a light like no other, signed with his holy hand before the eyes of the moved student. After many long minutes during which hundreds of students passed, the Rav shlit"a rose from his holy chair and departed to the sound of the singing: 'For length of days and years of life shall be added unto you'!!