Celebrating Learning

Worldwide celebration marks 11th cycle of Talmud study.

SUSAN TAWIL

Special to the Jewish News

U

nited technically by satellite hook-up
from across the world and spiritually by
devotion to Talmud study, more than
120,000 Jews rejoiced together March 1 at the
celebration of the 11th Siyum HaShas (comple-
tion of the Talmud).
Participants in cities from Moscow to
Melbourne, from Santiago to Sydney, were con-
nected via live satellite hook-up to the central
assemblies in Madison Square Garden in New
York City and the Continental Airlines Arena
(formerly the Meadowlands) in New Jersey.
Locally, nearly 1,000 packed the Shriner's Hall
and Conference Center in Southfield (the for-
mer B'nai David synagogue) to participate in
this historic event.
The video hook-up enabled all to hear
addresses by distinguished Torah sages, including
Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman of New York; Rabbi
Yaakov Perlow, the Novominsker Rebbe of New
ded the zrz
eo presentation
Mai? tivOMODetroiter
York; and Rabbi Yissocher Frand of Baltimore.
S
Hall and Conference
oifitirkyiNIMigration at hriners
The final section of the Talmud was learned,
Center in Southfield.'
followed by the hadran, the special blessings
recited upon completing a mesechta (Talmudic
bility. "Dial-A-Daf" phone classes and daily Talmud
tractate). Cries of "mazel tov!" mixed with jubilant
instruction on CDs and DVDs are now available.
singing, tears of joy and spontaneous dancing in the
ArtScroll publishers just released the last (73rd) volume
aisles occurred at all 70 participating cities throughout
of its Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud with English
North America and around the world.
translation and commentary.
While some learn individually or with a study part-
DafYomi
ner, most attend Daf Yomi classes. Locally, classes meet
The Talmud is also known as the Gemorah or Shas. It
at nine different synagogues in Oak Park and
is the orally transmitted Torah, as opposed to the
Southfield, often held in the early hours before work.
"Written Torah," which we know as the Five Books of
Itzy Weisberg of Southfield gets up at 4:30 a.m. to
Moses and the prophetic writings. The intricacies of
attend a 5:30 class each day. This is the third cycle he
the Torah are fleshed out in the Talmud through analy-
has gone through. His wife, Ruchie, says, "I'm very
sis, commentary and discussion. The Talmud is the
proud of him. It's an amazing commitment."
main focus of Torah study throughout the Jewish
Weisberg was one of 60 local men who completed
world.
this cycle of Talmud. A special festive meal, held in
An in-depth study of the 2,711 pages comprising
their honor Saturday night, March 5, at Congregation
the 73 tractates of Talmud is a daunting life's work,
Dovid Ben Nuchim in Oak Park, was attended by 150
achievable only to few. But in 1923, at the First World
family members and well-wishers.
Congress of Agudath Israel, Rabbi Meir Shapiro of
Yossi Heber of Oak Park was chairman of the
Lublin, Poland, proposed the DafYomi system of learn- Detroit Siyum HaShas program. His committee coor-
ing, opening up the world of talmudic fluency to the
dinated the program with other cities and attended to
masses. The program entails learning one daf(folio
all the details, from advertising the event to renting the
page, or blast both front and back) a day, every day
hall and selling tickets. Heber was pleased with the out-
(yomi means "daily").
come.
Every participant around the world learns the same
Heber was among those who completed the Daf
page each day — every day — not necessarily in depth.
Yomi this cycle. He found it "very satisfying. You gain a
In most cases, it's about an hour's worth of learning.
wide perspective of Jewish law," he said. "It's a unifying
But the reward of maintaining this schedule is consid-
force for everyone."
erable: the incredible accomplishment of completing
the entire Talmud in 7V2 years.
Powerful Experience
With each cycle — the 12th has just begun — the
A number of Detroiters traveled to the East Coast
popularity of the program increases, as does its accessi-

to be part of the main event. Dr. Neil and Dr. Lynn
Blavin of Oak Park were part of the crowd of 30,000 at
the Continental Airlines Arena.
Said Lynn: "It was so powerful — you can't imagine
what it's like to hear all these voices raised together in
prayer."
Neil, who just completed his second cycle of
Talmud, agrees: "It was an electric experience," he said.
"It was worth it to go just to daven mincha (pray the
afternoon service) there."
The learning was dedicated to the memory of the
Six Million martyrs slaughtered during the Holocaust.
Rabbi Mattisyahu Solomon of New Jersey asked the
crowd to imagine how totally different the world
would be if they had survived, and called the siyum
"a living testament that they didn't die in vain."
Dr. Henry Baum of Southfield was at Madison
Square Garden with his wife, Rosie, to celebrate his
completion of the Daf Yomi. Rosie, born in
Germany, described the feeling of being part of such
a gathering.
"I looked out at the crowd and cried for about an
hour," she said. "It's unimaginable; all of these thou-
sands of Yidden (Jews) who learn Torah. I said:
`Hitler, you didn't win!'" 0

To join a Daf Yomi program, call Rabbi Dov
Loketch of Agudas Yisroel Mogen Avraham,
(248) 968-8417.

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