Ahead of Chanukah, leading gedolim and roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel issued a powerful and unified letter calling on yungeleit and bochurim to significantly increase their limud haTorah throughout the days of Chanukah — all the more so this year, which they describe as a time “when many seek to interfere with Bnei Torah in their learning.”
The letter carries the signatures of Rav Dov Landau, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rav Berel Povarsky, Rav Don Segal, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, Rav Aviezer Piltz others.
Addressed to “our brothers, the House of Yisroel , wherever they are,” the gedolim recall that in the era of the Chashmonaim, there was extraordinary siyata diShmaya that overturned the gezeiros and allowed Klal Yisroel to return to learning and mitzvos because they were willing to give up everything for Torah. They reference the teaching of the Ramchal that every spiritual light revealed at a certain time in history reappears annually when that time returns, offering renewed kochos to those who tap into it. Therefore, every Chanukah carries with it a fresh outpouring of hashpa’ah for hatzlachah in limud haTorah and in avodas Hashem.
Because the yeshuah of Chanukah specifically restored the ability to learn Torah, the gedolim write that these days naturally obligate even greater hasmadah. They quote the Shelah HaKadosh, who taught that “these holy days are especially fitting for continuous Torah learning more than other days.” Every moment wasted during Chanukah, they stress, is a real loss.
They note with urgency that this message applies even more forcefully this year. “And certainly in this year, when many seek to disturb Bnei Torah from their learning — may it not be — it is necessary to increase merits and to add more hours of learning during Chanukah,” the letter states. They call on all mosdos haTorah to maintain full seder as usual and to strengthen it even further. Kehillos, they write, should ensure that the botei medrash remain vibrant with limud haTorah, “so that in their zechus, all decrees will be annulled.” They also remember that Rav Gershon Edelstein zt”l invested immense personal effort year after year to increase Torah learning during Chanukah in the yeshivos.
The gedolim add that throughout the winter — and not only on Chanukah — kehillos should implement structured learning sedarim for both bochurim and avreichim on the long Friday nights, long Erev Shabbos afternoons, and long Motzaei Shabbos evenings.
They warn sharply against wasting precious time on events that are not fitting for anyone — “and certainly not for Bnei Torah.” Especially in these elevated days, they write, our avodah is to add and add again in Torah, not chas v’shalom the opposite.
{Matzav.com}
