Amid great splendor and grandeur, the Siyum of ‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’ (the Entire Torah) was celebrated. Hundreds of talmidei chachamim fully proficient in Shas and Poskim had toiled for a full year, studying the entire Torah in all its parts. They all participated in a Yissachar-Zevulun partnership with the philanthropist Reb Shlomo Perl of Lawrence, NY. To celebrate the simcha, Mr. and Mrs. Perl were accompanied by their family and many guests from America to be part of this unique celebration in the festively adorned hall.
The Perls’ ‘partners’ in the celebration are all brilliant talmidei chachamim who studied every page of ‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’ in the names of Mr. and Mrs. Perl.
The renowned Mashpia Hagadol Harav Hagaon Elimelech Biderman, shlit”a, electrified the gathering with his address. He declared that the ongoing ‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’ projects, instituted by Harav Hagaon Avrohom Eisen, shlit”a, the Pozna Rov, is a remarkable innovation, ‘unprecedented in this generation’. The Yissachar-Zevulun agreement, under which the ‘Yissachars’ study ‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’ in the merit of the ‘Zevulun’ who supports their learning. Harav Chaim Kanievsky, not only prepared the list of all the sefarim to be included in the learning program, but also paskened (ruled) that the Konei Torah (Torah-learning sponsors) are ‘bona fide partners’ in the learning itself – meaning that all the learning is attributed as if they learned it themselves, too!
This amazing initiative and its zechus, endorsed by the Sar Hatorah, is what encourages individuals who are blessed with the means to do so, to seek this unique Torah partnership. The zechus of the current cycle of ‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’ is that of Reb Shlomo Perl, sheyicheh, from America, with the entire cycle of learning named after him and his wife Mrs. Ruth Perl, shetichyeh.
Maranan v’Rabbanan
The audience stood with great excitement to welcome Maran Hagaon Hagadol Harav Moshe Sternbuch, shlit”a. He was full of great praise of the idea of the unique learning and the completing ‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’.
The renowned Maggid, Harav Hagaon Baruch Rosenblum, shlit”a, delivered an inspiring drashah in praise of the lomdei Torah and konei Torah. He highlighted the words of the Chofetz Chaim in Ahavas Chesed regarding limiting giving tzedakah to one-fifth of one’s wealth when giving to the poor or similar causes. However, a Yissachar-Zevulun partnership is considered as a business venture, an investment in acquiring Torah learning and, similarly therefore, there is no limit as to what one is permitted to invest in a business, even if he invests all his money!
The Admor Harav Refael Abuchatzeira, shlit”a, was warmly received and graced the event with his presence, and delivered wonderful words in praise of the lomdei Torah and konei Torah.
The Skverer Rebbe, shlit”a, sent a letter of divrei brachah to the gathering and which was read on behalf of the Rebbe by his trusted aide Rabbi Shalom Ber Fishel. The Toldos Aharon Rebbe, shlit”a, also attended the Siyum.
‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’
The guests listened to the moving words of the mesayem, Reb Shlomo Perl, who described the sequence of events of his involvement in the project:
“A year ago, in the days leading up to Shavuos, I heard about the wonderful idea and opportunity offered by the Pozna Rov. Namely, the possibility of acquiring the learning of the entire Shas through the ‘Yissachar-Zevulun’ arrangement. I immediately knew – ‘I’m in.’ Within a week, the Pozna Rov arrived at my office with a ‘Yissachar-Zevulun’ contract, and I was extremely happy with the investment. However, a few days later, I learned that there was also an option to purchase the learning of ‘Kol Hatorah Kulah’ through a similar arrangement, and which would count, like with the Shas, as if I had learned all of it myself! Moreover, as is recorded in the shtar confirmed by Maran Harav Chaim, after arichus yamim v’shanum, when I come to olam ha’emes, I will have the zechus to sit and learn in the yeshiva shel ma’alah, not only with the Sar Hatorah, but also with the Tannaim and Amoraim, the Rishonim and the Acharonim. I told the Pozna Rov, ‘I want the whole Torah, not just Shas.’ And indeed, the Pozna Rov arrived with a special ‘Yissachar-Zevulun’ document written according to the text dictated by Sar HaTorah Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.
