Torah

Imagine you are on a train, traveling toward your destination. You look to your right and see a fellow passenger. Attempting to be friendly, you ask him where he’s heading. He shrugs his shoulders and says, “I don’t know.” Confused, you ask again. He repeats, “I’m just riding the train. I don’t know where I’m going.” At this point, you begin to wonder if this guy is out of his mind. Who goes on a train without a destination in mind?

HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, Shlita, in Video Address, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Shlita, and HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, Shlita, Give Powerful Practical Guidance

It was an unforgettable scene. Thousands of bachurim, all the same age, converged on the Armanot Chen Halls in Bnei Brak to hear guidance from senior Gedolim at Dirshu’s annual “Seder Hachana” event. The upstairs floor of the hall, the downstairs floor of the hall, the streets and all the environs around the hall were full of bachurim. Those who could not get in, watched the addresses on screens. The bachurim, who are concluding yeshiva ketana and will be attending yeshiva gedolah this coming Elul, came in droves, anxious to quench their thirst for guidance, at this pivotal stage in their lives.

Program Designed with the Guidance of Poskei Hador, of Previous Generation, Rav Elyashiv, Rav Wosner and Rav Nissim Karelitz

It hasn’t happened in five years, but now it is happening. Dirshu is again opening registration for its highly successful Kinyan Halacha program, a five-year structured program wherein avreichim learn and are comprehensively tested on all the material in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah required to obtain semicha along with select parts of Shulchan Orach Chaim. Those aspiring to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the sugyos and halachos learned for semicha, both in America and Eretz Yisrael, are applying for permission to enroll in the coveted program.

In addition to gaining sage advice from the Gedolim of Eretz Yisrael, the thousands of bachurim at the kinnus merited to hear words of chizuk and guidance from senior American roshei yeshiva as well. They heard from the zekan roshei yeshiva in America, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, who delivered an audio recording specifically for this event, and from HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, shlita, who gave over divrei chizuk via video.

He had been controlling himself for so long, had come so far, but he just couldn’t hold himself back anymore. Everyone else was asleep, so no one else would even have to know. Internally, he was struggling, pulled in every direction, unable to make a decision. On the one hand, there was a convincing and confident voice persuading him to do it, to give in to the urge: “If you eat it, it will feel so good!” On the other hand, there was a quieter, more subtle voice attempting to use reason and judgment. “But this is ridiculous. It’s wrong, destructive, childish, just foolish. You’ve done this before, and hated yourself afterwards; you felt disgusted, ashamed. You know that you’ll feel the very same way in about five minutes if you do it again. This has never ended well for you.” As a bead of sweat drips down the side of his cheek and he stares at the chocolate cake, he tries to weigh his options.

Imagine you wake up one morning with $86,400 in your bank account. You can’t invest or save this money, and whatever is left over at the end of the day disappears. What would you do with your $86,400? Would you leave a single penny unspent? Of course not!