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By Rabbi Eliezer Sandler It was so appropriate that in the City of Royalty, London, there should be a distinguished and exciting gathering honoring true Jewish Malchus (royalty). The Yesodei Hatorah Hall in Stamford Hill was bedecked in finery fit for a monarch accompanied by courtiers and an entourage of nobility. The royalty that night was the Talmud, and the courtiers were 16 avreichim geonim of Shas Yiden, each of these scholars was celebrating a siyum (conclusion) of the study of the Talmud in its entirety. This gathering celebrated the glory and wisdom of the Torah. The nobles present were Rabbis, Dayonim, and Rosh Yeshivos from the UK, as well as special guests - leading talmidei chachomim from Eretz Yisroel. This night was the first collective celebration of the London branch of Shas Yiden, which has been acclaimed as the first Torah network of its kind ever. Each of its scholars completes the study of the Talmud from beginning to end, annually! London has never experienced such a Torah gathering. SHAS YIDEN - PHENOMENON OF THE TORAH WORLD For centuries, the yeshiva world focused on certain tractates. However, a Talmid chochom who developed a thorough knowledge of the entire Talmud was known by the honorific of a Shas Yid, but such scholarship was a rarity. In 2009, the Pozna Rov of Flatbush, NY, had a vision of establishing a kollel in Eretz Yisroel, where each avreich would complete the entire Talmud, annually, and would work to mastering it all by heart. Rav Eisen persevered and Shas Yiden began in Bet Shemesh with 6 avreichim. The Sar Hatorah, ‘Rav Chaim’, was asked to test their mettle, and he became enthused about the project. With the establishment of the 3rd kollel, ‘Rav Chaim’ agreed to serve as the Nasi of the Shas Yiden Network. In just 13 years, there are now 6 Shas Yiden Kollelim with 98 avreichim geonim, with a kollel in London, UK. The incredible success of Shas Yiden has been acclaimed by the Gedolei Torah across the Yeshiva World and Torah spectrum – Ashkenazim, Sefardim and Chassidim. THE TOUGHEST REGIMEN PROVES ITSELF – AGAIN AND AGAIN The prowess of Shas Yiden as true masters of Talmud has been shown again and again. During the course of a year, 2-4 farhers (public and collective oral examinations) are held. Those most impressed by the all-encompassing knowledge of every page of the entire Talmud have been the examiners themselves. Each is a recognized gaon and leading talmid chochom, and each has been lavish in his praise of the Shas Yiden knowledge, penning letters of approbation. The Shas Yiden website (www.shasyiden.com) has video recordings of the farhers, which are watched again and again, and are reviewed by Torah scholars and yeshiva students across the world. The total number of blatt per year is 13,555 each. Every month they undergo a detailed written exam on 225 blatt. There are also no semester breaks. This remarkable and demanding workload has propelled the Shas Yiden avreichim geonim into the forefront of Talmud learning. Gedolei Torah, among them the mekubal, Maran Hagaon Harav David Abuchatzira saying: “The geulah (redemption) of the Jewish people, rests on the Torah study of Shas Yiden.” A UNIQUE BROCHA FOR SHAS YIDEN SUPPORTERS ‘Rav Chaim’ was represented at the London Siyum Dinner by his long-time chavrusa Hagaon Harav Yisroel Meir Druk, who read out a letter from ‘Rav Chaim’ to the gathering. ‘Rav Chaim’ expressed his warm regard for Shas Yiden and that at Shas Yiden-London, “there are incredible talmidei chachomim who toil in the study of Gemara, Rashi and Tosfos in depth, diligence, and constant repetition.” And he ended with a special brocha for the supporters of Shas Yiden: “Praised be they who merit to enter a Yissachar-Zevulun partnership with these kollelim as they will surely merit in the World to Come to be heralded (like the scholars themselves): “Praised be he who enters here accompanied by his Talmud.” (Pesachim 50a) TOTAL MIND-FOCUS ON TORAH The main speaker of the evening was Hagaon Hatzadik Yechezkel Shraga Boruch Halberstam, shlit”a, Rav Hatzo’ir of Kiryat Sanz, Netanya. He had witnessed the outstanding success of Shas Yiden and he felt it his duty to travel to this historic gathering in honor of the establishment and glorification of Torah scholarship in London. LONDON SHAS YIDEN The launching of the London Shas Yiden kollel was during the Covid epidemic. Nevertheless, , the avreichim pursued their daunting regimen and their results have been stellar. The patron of Shas Yiden-London, and who recited the kaddish at the siyum, is Harav Hachosid Yisroel Moskowitz. His son-in-law, Hagaon Harav Avrohom Dovid Olevsky, shlit”a, was one of the outstanding avreichm of Shas Yiden-Yerushalayim, now serves as the Rosh Kollel of Shas Yiden-London. For More Info https://shasyiden.com Call: 718-702-1528 Mail: 1274 49th Street #562, Brooklyn, NY 11219 London: UK Registered Charity # 1191225 - 2 Timberwharf Road, London N16 6DB, England
