“We would pay any money in the world and do just about anything to get a bracha from the holy Chofetz Chaim, the Rabban Shel Kol Yisroel in advance of Rosh Hashanah, right?! Well, the good news is that we CAN receive a bracha from the Chofetz Chaim. When we learn the Chofetz Chaim’s sefarim, whether the Mishnah Berurah, the sefer Chofetz Chaim, Shemiras Halashon or the many other sefarim that he wrote, it is clear that the Chofetz Chaim will be our defendant on Rosh Hashanah. This can be seen from the Gemarah (Bava Metziah 85) that teaches about one of the Amoraim who was ill and prostrated himself at the kever of his rebbi, Rav Chiya, saying, ‘I learn your Torah!’ In that merit, he was healed.

“We see from here,” HaGaon HaRav Chaim Mordechai Ausband, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo, exclaimed, “that if one learns the Chofetz Chaim’s sefarim he has the right to ask the Chofetz Chaim for a bracha and it is clear from the Gemara that the bracha will be given.”

These passionate words of Rav Ausband were said on the pre-Rosh Hashana videocast in conjunction with Dirshu’s Eleventh Annual International Yom Limud and Tefillah held on the yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim, Wednesday, 24 Elul/September 17.

Other prominent speakers on the videocast were Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Eytan Feiner, Rav of Kehillas Knesses Yisrael of Far Rockaway-Lawrence, and Rav Zev Smith, Maggid Shiur, Daf HaYomi B’Halacha.

Another fascinating part of the videocast was the unique footage of HaGaon HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponovezh Yeshiva L’Tzeirim and one of the most insightful mechanchim of bachurim in his generation, answering questions about and discussing the rebbi-talmid relationship.

The Yom Limud and Tefillah was established to designate the yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim as a day to bring chizuk and hisorerus to Klal Yisrael in advance of the Yamim Noraim through the message of the Chofetz Chaim.

This year, perhaps more than in any previous year, the Yom Limud and Tefillah resonated in a more profound way – as Yidden are under attack both in Eretz Yisrael and around the world, just because they are Jews.

One of the especially notable aspects of the Chofetz Chaim’s yahrtzeit was the special Yom Limud and Tefilla programming for children which was created with the singular goal of connecting children to the teachings and life of the Chofetz Chaim. In North America alone, more than 100 schools held special sessions of learning from the legacy of the Chofetz Chaim while in Eretz Yisrael and Europe similar programming was held in many hundreds of schools!

The Yom Limud and Tefillah is another way that Dirshu is unifying young and old all over the world to invoke rachamei shomayim.