It was surreal, a scene that will never be forgotten by the thousands who merited to be in the Prudential Center Arena on Sunday night before Shavuos. The Gaon and Tzaddik, HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita, who had come especially from Eretz Yisrael to address the Dirshu Kinnus Olam HaTorah Kabbolas Shabbos maamad, was about to complete his inspiring drasha… when he suddenly changed tones. Instead of ending the drasha with the traditional, “May we be zocheh to the coming of Moshiach,” he began singing!

Yes, Rav Shimon Galei stood there, a beatific smile on his face, microphone in hand, enthusiastically singing the famous song, “Shaarei shomyaim pesach.” He was calling on Hashem to open the gates of Heaven and open His treasure trove for us…

He then explained, “I feel that at this moment is a tremendous eis ratzon, an opportune time when the gates of Heaven are wide open and we can beg Hashem for all our needs, for all Klal Yisrael’s needs!”

He then began singing the niggun again, unshed tears glistening in his eyes as the nearly 15,000 people filling the stadium joined in a thunderous outpouring of emotion. The entire stadium was on their feet singing “Shaarei shomyaim pesach.”!

Watching Rav Shimon singing, you could see how the worry lines and wrinkles on his face temporarily disappeared. He glowed with simcha, leading the assemblage in song and explaining to them how the zechus of Shabbos itself was opening the gates of Heaven; how Shabbos has the power to save Klal Yisrael from its enemies from within and without; and how this wonderful assemblage that gathered to strengthen themselves in shemiras Shabbos by undertaking to learn hilchos Shabbos daily and comprehensively, was the conduit for rachmei shomayim to permeate the entire Klal Yisrael.

The climax of Rav Shimon Galei’s drasha was one of the main highlights and emotional highpoints of a unique, remarkable event experienced by Klal Yisrael this past Sunday, the first day of the Sheloshes Yemei Hagbalah, when Dirshu held its massive Kinnus Olam HaTorah Kabbolas Shabbos event at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Traditionally, Dirshu’s large stadium events have been held to mark milestone siyumim. This event, however, was unique in that it was made to celebrate not a siyum, but a kabbalah, a kabbalah of hundreds of thousands of lomdim the world over accepting upon themselves to learn hilchos Shabbos in Dirshu’s popular Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program that will embark on Chelek Gimel of hilchos Shabbos on Erev Shavuos. It is certainly not coincidental that this kabbalah to learn hilchos Shabbos coincides with the Yom Tov of Kabbolas HaTorah as Chazal teach us that shemiras Shabbos is equivalent to keeping the entire Torah!

It is also not coincidental that the very popular Dirshu Amud HaYomi program is also currently in the middle of learning Masechta Shabbos. Those who participate in both programs thus have the unique opportunity to learn the sugyos in the masechta followed by the practical halacha that emanates from these sugyos.

The Kabbolas Shabbos event was attended by numerous prominent Roshei Yeshiva, Poskim, Admorim and Rabbanim aside from those who addressed the crowd including Hagaonim HaRav Malkiel Kotler, shlita, HaRav Dovid Schustal, shlita, HaRav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, Harav Hillel David, shlita, HaRav Yaakov Horowitz, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Meir, HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Tiferes Yerachmiel, Rav Osher Dovid May, shlita, Rosh Kollel of the Passaic Yeshiva, Kollel, HaRav Yerachmiel Ungarischer, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon of Bnei Brak, the Verdaner Rebbe, shlita,, Rav Meir Meyers, shlita, Belzer Dayan in Boro Park, Rav Shlomo Leizer, shlita, Sanzer Dayan, Rav Avrohom Spitzer, shlita, Skverer Dayan of Lakewood, Rav Shmuel Lichtenstein, shlita, Krasna, Dayan, Rav Yitzchok Zalman Gips, shlita, Rav of Khal Birkas Avrohom HaRav Moshe Chaim Kahan, shlita, Dayan, Beis Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, HaRav Moshe Zev Feldman, shlita Dayan, Beis Medrash Govoha, Lakewood.

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Tens of Thousands Are Mekabel Shabbos at Dirshu Kinnus Olam HaTorah in Prudential Center