Distinguished Rabbonim to Daven on Behalf of Klal Yisrael at Kever of Chofetz Chaim

By Chaim Gold

The yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim is a special eis ratzon, a remarkably opportune time to�invoke rachamei shomayim. This year, on Tuesday, 24 Elul/September 27, Klal Yisroel will�utilize this eis ratzon by engaging in an International Yom Limud and Tefillah. Jews from all�over the world will recite specific chapters of Tehillim and learn segments from the two seminal�seforim written by the Chofetz Chaim, the Mishnah Berurah and the Sefer Chofetz Chaim.

The Yom Limud and Tefillah, being held under the auspices of Dirshu and its kiruv arm,�Acheinu, is designed to reach out with a message of achdus to all Jews from across the spectrum�and at all levels of observance, promoting Torah learning and tefillah. There is so much strife in�the world, so much polarization and heated rhetoric. Combining sur meirah with aseh tov the�Yom Limud and Tefillah has been designated as a day when all Jews are urged to make a special�effort to avoid discord, lashon hara as well as any form of gossip and learn the seforim of the�Chofetz Chaim.

The Optimum Hakaras Hatov: Perpetuating the Legacy

Indeed, Yidden the world over owe a profound sense of hakaras hatov to the Chofetz Chaim for�bestowing two gifts, the Mishnah Berurah and the Sefer Chofetz Chaim, upon us. Last year,�Hagaon HaRav Shlomo Kanievsky, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Kiryas Melech and a son of HaGaon�HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, addressed this issue in the aftermath of the visit to Radin, by a�large group of Gedolei Yisroel. From Radin the delegation went to the Volozhiner yeshiva. In�front of the Volozhiner yeshiva, Rav Kanievsky said, �The feeling that we must have as we�approach the holy kever of Rav Chaim Volozhiner is an overwhelming one of hakaras hatov.�The greatest way to express that hakaras hatov is to continue his legacy by perpetuating the�derech of the yeshivos begun with Volozhin, educating our bachurim in that derech and�supporting the yeshivos hakedoshos.� We can extrapolate from Rav Kanievsky�s message that�the optimum expression of our hakoras hatov to the Chofetz Chaim for gifting Klal Yisrael with�his seforim – such integral parts of our lives – would be to follow in his ways, learn his Mishnah�Berurah and become familiar with the laws of lashon hara and permitted speech and be�constantly cognizant of what comes out of our mouths. This is truly the essence of the Yom�Limud and Tefillah, a day to bring the Chofetz Chaim�s Torah, tefillah and message of Ahavas�Yisroel and achdus to us all.

Visits to Radin, Mir and Kovno

The climax of the Yom Limud and Tefillah will be a visit by a group of Gedolei Rabbanim to�Radin who will daven at the kever of the Chofetz Chaim and at the Yeshiva of Radin on behalf�of Klal Yisrael. Rabbanim slated to attend include HaGaon HaRav Chizkiyahu Yosef�Mishkovsky, shlita, a close talmid of the Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib�Shteinman, shlita, and menahel ruchani of Yeshiva Orchos Torah, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel�Eliezer Stern, shlita, Rav of Western Bnei Brak and a close talmid of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel�Wosner, zt�l, HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Me�or HaTorah, HaGaon�HaRav Aryeh Zilberstein, shlita, Rav of the Gerer Community in Bnei Brak, HaGaon HaRav�Simcha Hakohen Kook, shlita, Rav of Rechovot, and HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita, Rav�of the Osem Complex in Bnei Brak.

The distinguished delegation will also journey to the town of Mir where they will daven at the�kevarim of the great Mirer Mashgiach, HaGaon HaRav Yeruchem Levovitz, zt�l, and the Rav of�Mir, HaGaon HaRav Tzvi Hirsch Kamai, zt�l. Tefillos will also be recited at the kever achim at�the Ninth Fort in Kovno, where HaGaon HaRav Elchonon Wasserman, hy�d, was murdered al�kiddush Hashem.

Without a doubt the climax of the journey will be the tefillos and words of hisorerus at the kever�of the Chofetz Chaim to be delivered by Rav Aryeh Zilberstein, Rav Avraham Salim and the�ne�ilah shmuess by Rav Mishkovsky.

Generating a Tremendous Atmosphere of Goodwill and Achdus in Klal Yisrael

This year�s Yom Limud and Tefillah is the second such event. Last year�s event attracted some�500,000 Jews worldwide. This year, organizers hope to reach well past that goal, tapping into the�innate feeling of every Jewish neshamah, that extraordinary times such as the ones in which we�live, with threats from within and without call, for a concentrated effort in tefillah and achdus to�invoke rachamei shomayim in the zechus of the heiligeh Chofetz Chaim who was so moser�nefesh to promote these ideals among Klal Yisroel.

Hundreds of yeshivos, chadorim, schools, shuls and even individual businesses from across�America, Eretz Yisrael, Europe, South America, South Africa and Australia, have signed up to�participate in the yom tefillah on Tuesday 24 Elul/September 27. They will recite two chapters of�Tehillim and learn the daily limud of Daf HaYomi B�Halacha, as well as select halachos from�the sefer Chofetz Chaim.

The anticipated Yom Limud and Tefillah has already begun generating a tremendous atmosphere�of goodwill and achdus amongst Klal Yisrael. A peek into just a few of the institutions in�America that have signed up to participate and take advantage of the auspicious time to daven�with so many likeminded Yidden attests to that achdus.

The partial list includes Shaagas Aryeh � Lakewood, NJ, Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu � Los Angeles,�CA, Yeshiva Derech HaTorah � Cleveland, OH, Yeshiva Torat Emes � Houston, TX, Torah Day�School of�Phoenix, Torah Day School of Atlanta, Talmudical Academy – Baltimore, Yeshiva�High School of Arizona, Torah Day School of Dallas, Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael � Boston, Torah�Academy of Boston, Providence Hebrew Day School, New England Academy of Torah, and the�Providence Community Kollel. Some of the participating shuls are, Mevakshei Hashem ��Brooklyn, NY, Ahavas Yisrael � Cleveland, OH, Beis Medrash Kol Aryeh � Lakewood, NJ,�Satmar Beis Medrash � Lakewood, NJ, Zichron Schneur � Lakewood, NJ and Beis Medrash of�Westgate of Lakewood. These are in addition to the hundreds of similar institutions across the�length and breadth of Eretz Yisroel and many locales in Europe, the Former Soviet Union,�Mexico, South America, Canada, South Africa and Australia.

�The Nazis are Gone, the Communists are Gone, but the Chofetz Chaim and His Mishnah�Berurah are Eternal!�

Another closing of circles, as it were, will be the Daf HaYomi B�Halacha shiur in the Chofetz�Chaim�s sefer Mishnah Berurah delivered by Rav Dovid Hofstedter at the Radin Yeshiva�established by the Chofetz Chaim. A shiur in the seforim written by the Chofetz Chaim, in the�yeshiva founded by the Chofetz Chaim some 75 years after Radin�s Jews were killed by the�Nazi�s, embodies the ideal of ‘Netzach Yisroel lo yishaker’. Indeed, at a previous journey to the�Chofetz Chaim�s kever, Rav Hofstedter said, �Hitler destroyed so much of European Jewry. He�thought he could wipe them out, but he didn�t. The Communists tried to destroy the Jewish�religion. They caused a tremendous churban, but they still did not succeed. The Nazis are gone,�the Communists are gone, but the Chofetz Chaim and his Mishnah Berurah are eternal!�

Join Klal Yisrael This Tuesday, 24 Elul/September 27!

We are living in truly perilous times. Even in the United States there is a certain sense of�instability, as we are in the throes of a tumultuous and nasty presidential election. There is civil�unrest as well as the threat of terrorism at home and abroad that can have severe ramifications.�At this uncertain juncture we are in dire need of tremendous rachamei shomayim. Now is the�time to join together with untold numbers of Jews all over the world to daven for Klal Yisrael.�The yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim is a remarkably auspicious time to invoke Divine mercy.

Now is the time to Join with Klal Yisrael in the Yom Limud and Tefillah this Tuesday, 24�Elul/September 27 and tap into this unique eis ratzon!