To the thinking Torah Jew, everything that happens in the world is significant. Natural disasters, wars and societal upheavals are all reasons for reflection and spiritual introspection. When news of a Japanese earthquake in the early 1900s reached Radin, the Chofetz Chaim immediately gathered his talmidim to impress on them how the event needed to have impact on their own lives.
And the same is true when occurrences in our individual lives disrupt our personal peaces. At such times, too, we are charged to look deeply within and to try to divine clues about how we might improve ourselves.
Each year at Rosh Hashana, we implore Hashem that תכלה שנה וקללותיה…תחל שנה וברכותיה -“the past year with its curses end, and a new year with its blessings begin!”
As responsible Jews, though, we cannot just emerge from a passing year without actively trying to learn its lessons and how to apply what we have learned in the year to come.
Join thousands of Jews across the United States who will be gathering to do just that, with the help of rabbonim chashuvim, as part of Agudath Israel of America’s annual Yom Iyun program.
The program’s main event will take place Sunday evening, September 13th (following Marriv at 8:15 PM), at the the Night Seder Bais Medrash, 29 Parker Boulevard, Monsey, New York. Rabbi Shmuel Dishon, Menahel, Yad Yisroel Karlin Stolin; and Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Rav, Agudas Yisroel-Bais Binyomin of Avenue L, will be the featured speakers. The Monsey Night Seder Bais Medrash has become a major bais vaad for mevakshei Hashem in recent years, abounding with chaburos, chavrusos and special shiurim. As such it is a truly fitting site for the main Yom Iyun asifa, which will be broadcast live to locations nationwide.
This kinus, along with others to be held Monday, September 7th in conjunction with Hakhel in Brooklyn and Lakewood, will also be available upon request as an audio-visual presentation. Other gatherings will be addressed by Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, Rosh HaYeshiva, Yeshiva Gedola of Staten Island; Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, Rav of Agudath Israel Zichron Chaim Zvi of Madison; and Rabbi Avrohom Schorr, Rav of Khal Tiferes Yaakov.
Rabbi Avrohom Nisan Perl, director of Torah Projects for Agudath Israel of America, issued an invitation to shuls and communities nationwide to participate in the upcoming events by contacting him at 212-797-9000 ext. 267 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Says Rabbi Perl: “This is the 20th year that Agudas Yisroel’s Torah Projects division is organizing this event. That it has only become more popular with time says much about Klal Yisroel, about Jews caring to not just experience the Yomim Noro’im but truly enter a new year fortified with ruchniyus and determination.
“And in the zechus of our doing so, תחל שנה וברכותיה – may the new year indeed be filled with only the brochos for which we are mispallel.”
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
