Kinloss, London. 12th March 2019
Event Planner and Coordinated by Duddy’s Events http://duddys.co.uk
Energy. Energy. Energy. Boruch Levine said: “I’ve never seen such energy before!” Rabbi Newman, founder of VHaarev Na was astounded: “I didn’t know that such energy existed!” Rabbi Halberstadt commented: “Never, in our wildest dreams, did we think that the event would be as good as this!” ‘Spectacular’ was an understatement.
The whole energy of the evening can be summarised by what Josh Morhaim said to the crowds as he was mesayem Mascehes Chagigah; “Rabbosai, it’s real.” There was a feeling amongst all those who have been taking part in VHaarev Na and Kinyan HaMasechta chaburos, that Torah is real; they learn the material and chazer it until it becomes part of them, until they become living masechtos. The Gemara becomes so integral to their lives that stories one would think only happen to the Gedolim, were commonplace amongst the crowds last night. But the chaburos have been working all alone; each chaburah of 10 baalei batim or 15 bochrim, without recognition of the heights they have achieved. Last night, the collective energy and passion of all the chaburos came together and exploded as everyone realised what they were part of and the tremendous chashivus of what they were doing.
As the chaburos arrived at 6:30pm, Rabbi Newman drew to a close a discussion he was having with many local Rabbonim; Rabbi Bixenspanner of Hendon Addas and Rabbi Dovid Roberts of Netzach Yisroel, Edgware, to name a few, discussing the implementation of Kinyan HaMasechta into our shuls. This had followed an even larger discussion, of about 35 mechanchim, who had joined Rabbi Newman and Reb Yitzchok Wagner to learn the secrets of VHaarev Na for Bochrim. The mechanchim left awe-inspired by the Rabbi Newman’s dedication and care for every bochur in his programme, determined to start new chaburos and improve the existing ones.
As the chaburos finished davening maariv, the excitement to do “chazara, chazara and noch a mol chazara” was palpable. The Deal Halls was simply too small to contain the over 250 participants and their Rebbeim learning together; those who couldn’t sit, stood with their chavrusos, the deafening noise, the kol Torah echoing round the room. The retzifus ended with a siyum from a 15 year old who completed Maseches Megillah for the fifteenth time! All together, people joined hands, dancing, smiling and singing “מה אהבתי תורתיך”. Each person in the room had an understanding of everyone else’s hard work to do chazora and achieve what they had done in their chaburah and so the achdus in the room was tangible. Boys danced with their gemaras held aloft, this was a Simchas HaTorah in the fullest sense of the word.
Downstairs, the buffet was in full swing and the chaburos were joined by all the members of the public who wanted to join in this event. The hall was packed, standing room only as Reb Yehoshua Hartman addressed the crowds, explaining, via a Maharal, that only through doing chazora and knowing one’s learning, will one be able to shake the hands of the Chofeitz Chaim and Vilna Gaon in the next world. He said; “if you don’t even know even one masechta clearly, you’ll be too petrified to go near them!”
Rabbi Newman too passionately spoke about how the Torah itself is sweet – what a chutzpah we have to ask Hashem to make the Torah sweet for us! Imagine going up to the best ice cream manufacturer and asking him to make his ice cream sweet – it would be such a chutzpah! So how is it that we can ask Hashem, the creator of Heaven and Earth and request – can You make Your Torah sweet? The key word in our morning brochos is “bfinu”, make it sweet ‘in our mouths’, help us be able to appreciate the Torah’s sweetness! The only way for us to get to the sweetness of Torah is to know it clearly, inside out, not to pass through and leave a shiur without internalising it or getting clear the numerous questions we have. This can only be achieved through chazora.
Effy Klein then conducted his Nashir BeYachad choir, all dressed in white shirts and red ties, singing the VHaarev Na single with Boruch Levine – it was the moment the crowds had been waiting for – it was so beautiful, Boruch Levine, like many in the crowd, began tearing up. The evening proceeded with a kumzitz; everyone crowded around the stage, sitting on the floor, on chairs, arms round shoulders. This then progressed into simchadik music to once again celebrate the achievements of everyone participating. In the middle, it was announced that tonight’s inspiration would not be complete without people committing to some more chazora – over 140 people signed up to do 5 mins of extra chazora every night until Rosh Chodesh Nissan, including last night, following the event. On the spot, Rav Yitzchok Wagner then selected one of the names at random and pledged them to return flights to Israel!
