Thousands Storm the Heavens on Behalf of Ukrainian Jewry at Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Halacha World Siyum in New Jersey
PHOTOS: https://www.dirshu.co.il/gallery/%d7%a1%d7%99%d7%95%d7%9d-%d7%9e%d7%a9%d7%a0%d7%94-%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%94-%d7%91%d7%90%d7%a8%d7%a6%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%94%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa-%d7%a6%d7%a4%d7%95-%d7%91%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%a8%d7%99/
Motty Steinmetz singing ‘Acheinu’ last night, at the Dirshu Halacha Siyum. Tens of thousands of Jews in NJ sang together with hundreds of members all around the world, including those in Ukraine (‘Hanisunim Batzarah’). May ‘Hamakom’ remove them from this ‘Tzarah’ speedily!
עם פתיחת מעמד הסיום שנערך ביום חמישי בניו ג’רזי נעמדו הרבבות לאמירת פרק תהילים יחד למענם של בני דרשו הנצורים באוקראינה ונמצאים בסכנת חיים ממשית ^ לאחר מכן מוטי שטיינמץ ריגש את הנוכחים בשירתו “אחינו כל בית ישראל” כאשר הרבבות קורעים שערי שמים בתפילה למען הצלתם השתא בעגלא ובזמן קריב
A full-fledged, blood-soaked war is taking place in Approximately 150,000 Jews, our brethren – men, women and children, are stuck in the areas under attack. 100,000 Jews have managed to flee the war, but another 150,000 are still in mortal, immediate danger. It is truly a time of “Acheinu Kol Yisrael, haneshunim ba’tzara u’bashivya!
The question plaguing all of Jewry around the war is what can we do to help? What zechus can arouse heavenly mercy for our brethren? How can we invoke Hashem’s mercy, “Hamakom Yerachem Aleihem v’yotziem, m’tzarah l’rvacha.
This past Thursday, Rosh Chodesh Adar II/March 3, Dirshu which was celebrating a massive Siyum on the six chalakim of Mishnah Berurah, undertook to harness the koach haTorah of the thousands of Dirshu lomdim to storm the heavens. The Siyum, held in the Cure Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, thus began with the many thousands of participants standing to recite an emotional kappital of Tehillim, beseeching Hakadosh Boruch Hu to have mercy on His beleaguered children.
The Tehillim was led by one of Dirshu’s prominent maggidei shiur, in Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and a distinguished Rav, Rav Shmuel Choueka, shlita, Rav of Congregation Ohel Simha in Deal, New Jersey. It was followed by Motty Steinmetz rousing the crowd with a heartfelt rendition of the song “Acheinu kol Bais Yisrael”. The poignant words “henusenim batzarah u’vashivya, Hamakom yeracheim… may Hashem have mercy on them and bring them from darkness to light, from enslavement to redemption speedily,” resounded throughout the arena, as the thousands joined in heartfelt supplication. The message penetrated to the hearts of all present as they pictured their brethren suffering in a war zone where so many are being killed every single day. Indeed, Dirshu called in its “reserves,” its bnei Torah with their koach haTorah to do whatever in their power to help.
Ukraine is not some far flung unknown territory to Dirshu. Some of Dirshu’s most successful undertakings in Eastern Europe have taken place in Ukraine. There are Dirshu shiurim in Daf HaYomi B’Halacha in Odessa and elsewhere in Ukraine and many test takers that are moser nefesh to learn and review and take tests every month, despite the fact that almost all of them are baalei teshuva without a strong background in learning Torah.
Dirshu’s maggid shiur in Odessa, Rav Aharon Motosz managed to escape Odessa during the first days of the war with a large group from among his Kehilla in Odessa, related, that he is still in touch with the members of the kehilla that remained behind in the war zone. “I try to keep connected and infuse them with chizuk but it is not always possible to keep in touch due to the constantly changing war situation.”
Dirshu’s Rav Motoz concludes, “We are all begging Hashem to help them and take them out “mafeilah l’orah, u’mishibud l’geulah, from darkness to light from bondage to redemption, may it be very soon!”
#MottySteinmetz #Dirshu #DirshuSiyum
