It was a siyum not on one, not on two but on all three “Bavas” – Bava Kama, Bava Metziah and Bava Basra that have recently been completed in the Dirshu Chaburas Shas Iyun Program. The siyum was held at the home of the venerated Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, and was attended by choice maggidei shiur in the program. 

“Once a person gains a comprehensive knowledge of Bava Kama, Bava Metziah and Bava Basra,” Rav Cohen said, “he comes with a hekef of the entire Seder Nezikin at his fingertips. All the foundational sugyos in Nezikin are contained in the three Bavas: kinyanim, nizkei mammon, geneiva, gezeilah, yerushos, it is all there. When someone learns iyun and says a sevara with all three Bavas at his fingertips, it is a different chiddush, a different iyun. The Torah is one big puzzle,” Rav Cohen continued, “You can’t just learn one small part and figure out how everything fits in. You must have knowledge of sugyos throughout Shas. Not just by learning them quickly and perfunctorily, but through learning them the way this wonderful Chaburas Shas program learns, day in and day out, Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos, and the main rishonim. That is the true tzurah of a talmid chacham.” 

In Bnei Brak, there is a large shul called Beis Medrash Beis Hashem led by its distinguished Rav, HaGaon HaRav, Rav Yitzchok Kolodetzky, shlita, a son-in-law of the Sar HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l 

Hundreds of shul members learned all three Bavas and took tests on them. Their accomplishments were also celebrated with a beautiful siyum attended by the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedster, shlita. 

In Rav Dovid Hofstedter’s address, he spoke about the ketores. “There are seeming contradictions regarding the ketores,” he began, “We know that when Korach and his men brought the ketores, they died as a result. On the other hand, we know that that very ketores is what stopped the plague. What then is the ketores, a killer or a savior?

After putting forth a brilliant explanation based on the words of the Shem M’Shmuel, the essence of Rav Hofstedter’s answer was that when there is unity, when the entire Klal Yisrael is together as one, the ketores can stop a plague. When it is each man for himself, such as by Korach and his people, however, then the ketores causes death and destruction. 

Focusing his full gaze on the members of Kehillas Beis Hashem, Rav Dovid exclaimed, “In this elevated, wonderful tzibbur of talmidei chachamim there is the special quality of the learning that each of you do on your own. What you should know, however, is that you are not individuals who happen to be learning. You are a part of a tzibbur. When you are part of Chaburas Shas or any of Dirshu’s learning programs, you are not alone. You are joined together collectively by thousands of fellow lomdim all over the world. What you do doesn’t just positively impact you, your chavrusah and your own families. Rather your learning goes far beyond the yachid effecting a positive impact on the entire Olam HaTorah thereby elevating all of Klal Yisrael!”