If one wants to get an inkling of how much the Gedolei Hador value the new Amud HaYomi program that is completing Masechta Eruvin this week, and beginning Masechta Pesachim, one only should look at which Gedolei Yisrael have agreed to open their homes to host siyumim on Masechta Eruvin this coming week. 

Siyumim will be held at the homes of senior Gedolei Yisrael, Roshei Yeshiva, Poskim, Admorim and Rabbanim spanning the entire cross-section of Jewry. 

There will be siyumim (in chronological order) at the homes of the senior Posek of the generation, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, the senior Roshei Yeshiva of the Slabodka Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, shlita and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, the senior Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, the senior Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Me’or HaTorah HaGaon Rav Avraham Salim, shlita, and the Boyaner Rebbe. The Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, will participate in all of the siyumim. 

At the home of Rav Landau, maggidei shiur from Bnei Brak, many of whom are Rav Dov’s talmidim, will gather. The main address will be given by Rav Dov’s confidant, HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky, shlita, Mashgiach of Yeshiva Orchos Torah. Rav Mishkovsky is no stranger to the Amud HaYomi. He attended and addressed the inaugural Amud HaYomi siyum on Masechta Brachos in Vienna. His words said there, are still so relevant today.

In Vienna, he asked, “Why are we making celebrations in such difficult times, times of unrest and war?” He answered that, “When the Ponovezher Rav established the Ponovezh Yeshiva here in Bnei Brak, Nazi General Erwin Romell was already in Alexandria, Egypt and was poised to conquer Eretz Yisrael. The Ponovezher Rav himself was very ill and could barely talk. It was precisely then that he decided, ‘We are going to establish the Ponovezh Yeshiva here in Bnei Brak.’ He too was asked, ‘Now?! Is NOW a time to establish a yeshiva?!’

“The Ponovezher Rav answered with an emphatic ‘YES!’ He then explained, ‘I learned this from the haftara of that week’s parsha. Yirmiyahu Hanavi teaches us that when the Kasdim conquered Eretz Yisrael, and came with the sword, famine and pestilence, Hashem told Yirmiyahu, “NOW is the time to build.” 

“When there is destruction,” Rav Mishkovsky exclaimed, “our task is to show our bitachon in Hashem and begin to build. This bitachon has the power to bring the yeshua. It is clear,” Rav Mishkovsky passionately announced, “that everything done by Dirshu, by increasing the learning of Torah and the observance of halacha, are the greatest shields for Klal Yisrael during these precarious times.” 

Rabbi Avigdor Berenstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s hanhala, put it succinctly when he said, “Clearly the Gedolim are urging Yidden, each at his level, to join the Amud HaYomi. There are those who learn it with iyun kal, others with Rashi and Tosafos and others just with Rashi. The main thing is that now, as we embark on Pesachim, now is the time to join Amud HaYomi!”