You just had to see the smile on the face of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, to appreciate the magnitude of the historical accomplishment of the more than 1,000 yeshiva bachurim.

You had to hear the enthusiasm in the voice of HaGaon HaRav Isamar Garbuz, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Orchos Torah as he asked one deep, probing question after another and his delight as he listened to the bachurim answering with lightning speed and profound depth to appreciate the revolution in the making.

You had to see HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Me’or HaTorah, who could barely walk to the podium, become infused with new life and vigor as he asked one deep question after another with the bachurim jumping to answer like arrows jumping out of their bows.

You had to observe the look of surprise and simcha on the face of the Modzhitzer Rebbe, shlita, to appreciate what was transpiring in that large hall in Elad on Thursday night, Erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz.

The sight of the koras ruach, the deep satisfaction on the faces of the Gedolei Roshei Hayeshiva said it all! The lesson was clear. Bachurim in yeshivos can cover the entire masechta being learned in the yeshiva that year and even know the masechta with depth and deep havana, not at the expense of their learning of iyun but on the contrary, in a way that only compliments their iyun learning.

The event was a truly historic event. Some 1,000 bachurim were tested on 160 blatt Gemara that they have learned in the eight months since Simchas Torah in the aftermath of the terrible massacre that took place at that time.

These 1,000 bachurim were chosen from among a group of some 5,000 bachurim who participate in one of Dirshu’s most exciting, transformative programs, Dirshu’s Bachurei Yeshiva Program.

At the event held at the large auditorium in Elad, tens of Roshei Yeshiva from the elite yeshivos of Eretz Yisrael came to participate and test the bachurim. To see the simcha and deep satisfaction on their countenances as they ask question after question, probing deeper and deeper into every word of Rashi and Tosafos with the bachurim answering with alacrity, was to see true simchas haTorah.

The Groundbreaking Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos Program

What is the Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos Program? The Hanhala of Dirshu understands that every yeshiva has its unique path, and every Rosh Yeshiva has his own unique way of guiding his bachurim. Thus, they work together with each yeshiva individually to tailor make a program of learning the masechta that the yeshiva is learning and reviewing the masechtos learned in previous years. The bachurim can learn and chazer the masechta and be rewarded for excellent test results.

The Dirshu limud provides a structure for second seder. The yeshiva masechta is learned at a pace of an amud a day, Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos. Additionally, they are designed to utilize “free time” such as Friday afternoon, Shabbos, Motzoei Shabbos and other such pockets of time.

The Dirshu programs can be found in many of the most prominent yeshivos throughout Eretz Yisrael such as Ponovezh, Chevron, Orchos Torah, Ateres Shlomo, Me’or HaTorah, Vizhnitz, Nesivos Chochma (Wolfson), Beis Medrash Elyon, Kamenitz, Mir, Beis Mattisyahu, Daas Aharon (Kaplan) and many others.

At the public test, questions were asked by Gedolei Rosh Yeshivos. Among them HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Peretz Berman, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh, HaGaon HaRav Messoud Ben Shimon, shlita, Sephardic Rav of Bnei Brak, the Modzhitzer Rebbe, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Daniel Wolfson, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Nesivos Chochma, HaGaon HaRav Boruch Dov Diskin, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Orchos Torah, HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Me’or HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Chizkiyahu Mishkovsky, shlita, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi Dirshu and numerous others.

After the test, siyumim on Masechtos Kesubos and Gitten were made by HaGaon HaRav Menachem Ernster, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Vizhnitz and HaGaon HaRav Yerachmiel Ungarischer, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon.

Today, more than 5,000 bachurim across the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael participate in the Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos Program. Dirshu works hand in hand with the Roshei Yeshiva and the hanhalah of each yeshiva. Thus, every bachur in the program is participating with the bracha and encouragement of his yeshiva’s hanhalah.

The bachurim chosen to participate in the grand bechina were the bachurim who earned the highest marks on the monthly tests held in each yeshiva separately. This was the first public test held by Dirshu and all the questions were posed by the Roshei Yeshiva themselves.

Rav Chaim Feinstein: “We Need All Bnei Yeshivos to Follow in Your Ways!”

How does one ask some 1,000 bachurim questions while preserving a semblance of order? A system was devised wherein each bachur was given a sign with a number to hold up. When a question was asked, whoever knew the answer silently raised their sign and the MC, Rav Hillel Mann, R”M at Yeshiva Nesivos Chochma, looked at the raised signs and called a number emblazoned on any of the raised signs. This enabled the test to go smoothly while giving all bachurim an opportunity to answer.

Rav Avigdor Bernstein, a senior member of hanhalas Dirshu, explained that the uniqueness of this test was undoubtedly the depth of the questions asked. “When Rav Chaim Feinstein asked a question, he asked a question like a Brisker. The questions were designed to ascertain whether the bachurim had truly plumbed the depths of sugya and were not just relying on good memory skills. Rav Chaim didn’t forgo anything. He demanded comprehensive answers.”

When Rav Chaim concluded his questions, he took a few minutes to address the bachurim expressing his profound admiration and surprise by their depth of knowledge. With a beaming smile, he told the bachurim, “Beautiful! I must tell you this gave me great pleasure. The Iglei Tal in his introduction to his sefer writes that it is permitted and recommended to enjoy divrei Torah and I have enjoyed the way all of you answered, quickly, clearly and comprehensively. This shows how much yegiah, how you have toiled in Torah to reach this level of knowledge and understanding. The main thing that Hashem wants from Klal Yisrael is yegias haTorah, toiling in Torah, that is the purpose of the world. I must tell all of you bachurim, Ashreichem! Dear bnei Torah, you have all invested such effort into learning and reviewing and reviewing again and again until you have mastered these difficult masechtos, such as Gitten, Kesubos, Kiddushin, Bava Kama, Bava Metziah, Bava Basra, that were learned in the various participating yeshivos. However, we need all bnei yeshivos to follow in your ways! In the zechus of your ameilus b’Torah, Hashem will certainly protect all of you, all bnei Torah and all of Klal Yisrael!”

These powerful words of Rav Chaim left a deep impression on the entire assemblage.

Indeed, if one observed Rav Isamar Garbuz as he tested the bachurim one could see how he started with comprehensive, but relatively easy questions. As he moved along and began to recognize the depth and magnitude of the knowledge of the bachurim, he began to ask increasingly difficult questions. By the end, he was asking the bachurim to bring proofs from the Gemara to fundamental questions asked by the Rambam. He was amazed that as soon as he asked any question tens and often hundreds of signs would pop up signaling that so many bachurim had mastered the masechtos with profound understanding and depth.

When Pain Turned to Smiles

Rav Avraham Salim, Rosh Yeshiva of Me’or HaTorah and a member of the Shas Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, came with great mesiras nefesh, unwilling to forgo the bechina. Rav Avraham had been in America together with the senior Roshei Yeshiva led by HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, shlita, and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Roshei Yeshiva of the Slabodka Yeshiva in an effort to save the Olam HaTorah from the government budgetary cuts that came as a result of the Israeli Supreme Court ruling dictating that bachurei yeshivos be drafted into the army.

Rav Salim fell on that trip and was therefore having great difficulty with mobility. Nevertheless, despite his tremendous pain and great difficulty, he came. Then, as he asked one knotty question after the other and heard the bachurim answer them with such depth, one could visibly see how the pain that had previously been clearly etched on his face, just went away and he was wreathed in smiles. One of the beautiful coincidences was that one of the deep, comprehensive answers given was offered by his own grandson who participates in the program and whom Rav Hillel called on without even realizing at the time that it was Rav Avraham’s grandson.

“What a Nachas Ruach!”

Rav Dovid Hofstedter, the Nasi of Dirshu also asked very difficult, pointed questions. Upon concluding a series of questions, Rav Hofstedter could not contain his simcha. “Gevaldig!” he exclaimed, “What a nachas ruach it is to witness this kiddush Hashem!”

Rav Hofstedter than expressed his tremendous feelings of gratitude to the Ribbono Shel Olam for enabling him to witness this momentous maamad. “Who would have believed,” he wondered aloud, “that after the Holocaust where virtually all the Gedolei Torah and bnei yeshivos were wiped out, that we would merit to see how Hashem is restoring the crown of Torah to its original glory?! Who would have believed that such a large group of bachurim are able to answer questions on Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos, rishonim and acharonim on so many difficult masechtos?! Who would have believed that after the destruction of Volozhin, Mir, Slabodka, and all the Chassidishe yeshivos and chatzeiros that the Torah world would grow and blossom like it is today. I don’t know if we would have been able to witness a gathering of so many bachurim with this kind of knowledge, even before the war!”

He asked, “Why, when Moshe Rabbeinu sent meraglim did he send the Gedolei Hador? The answer,” he said, “is so that everyone should realize that when the Bnei Yisrael win a war, it is not because of military prowess, it is not because they have more tanks and fighter jets but rather because Hashem is with them. Gideon initially amassed an army of 32,000 soldiers to fight Midyan. Hashem said the army is too large, the people will attribute the success to their own strength, send way a portion. Ultimately, they went to war with less than 10% of that number. When one sends Gedolei Hador as meraglim the message is meant to be that it would be in their zechus that Hashem would enable the Bnei Yisrael to prevail over their enemies.”

“It is clear that our protection comes from Hashem and from those engaged in learning and chazering the word of Hashem… That is what will save us!”

 “What we Witnessed Tonight is the Synthesis of Iyun and Bekius”

Rav Hillel Mann related that HaGaon HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Slutzk and Eitz Chaim, related that when he learned in the Volozhiner Yeshiva there were three groups of talmidim. One group was totally consumed with in-depth learning, a second group learned bekius, mastering many blatt and many masechtos, and a third group learned with remarkable iyun without relinquishing the learning of bekius. It was from that third group that the true talmidei chachomim and great roshei yeshivos and rabbanim came.

“What we have seen tonight,” Rav Mann continued, “is that while we cannot forgo the depth of learning and understanding, we must simultaneously focus on learning more and more material. What we witnessed tonight is the synthesis of these two goals. The bachurim were able to answer questions with the greatest depth but at the same time they had mastered tens and hundreds of blatt Gemara!”

What we Saw Tonight Was Pure Simcha!

Rav Yisrael Layush, one of the prominent Dirshu Rabbanim overseeing the program, related, “When I observed the expressions on the faces of each bachur after he merited answering a question posed by one of the Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva, I saw pure simcha. It was the simcha of knowing that one’s hard work paid off. It was the simcha of knowing that the yegiah that a bachur invested over the course of an entire winter and summer zeman has borne fruit. It was the simcha of acquiring a true kinyan in Torah!

“But perhaps equal to that simcha and maybe even greater was the expression on the countenances of the Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva themselves who participated in the farher and saw from up close how these budding talmidei chachomim are growing into the next generation’s Torah leaders.

“The simcha, the satisfaction over the fact that lo alman Yisrael, that bachurim today, in our day and age, are able to plumb the depths of iyun during the sidrei hayeshiva and still not neglect the importance of acquiring bekius in so many dafim of Gemara with chazarah shows that the model of most successful talmidim of Volzohin is still so relevant in our times!”

Rav Michel Yehuda’s Dream Has Come to Fruition

The History of the Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos Program

It transpired nearly twenty years ago. Senior members of Dirshu’s hanhala went to visit the venerated Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponovezh Yeshiva Ketana. Rav Michel Yehuda, who had a longstanding relationship with Dirshu, served as one of its primary guides. He also served as Nasi of Acheinu, Dirshu’s kiruv arm.

At that point, Dirshu sought Rav Michel Yehuda’s advice on which programs would be important for Klal Yisrael. Rav Michel Yehuda’s answer took them by surprise. It was not what they had expected to hear. He said, “We must do something to return bekius to the place that it occupied in the great yeshivos of yesteryear. Today’s bachurim do not realize that in order to acquire proper iyun skills it is imperative to have a serious bekius seder.”

Rav Michel Yehuda related that when he had learned in the Chevron Yeshiva in his youth, they would learn one blatt every day with Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos. “Only when a bachur has a knowledge of all the sugyos in the masechta can he properly understand the depth of the iyun and the Rishonim,” he concluded.

Rav Michel Yehuda therefore encouraged the hanhala of Dirshu to design a learning program for yeshivos where bachurim would be encouraged to learn the entire masechta that their yeshiva was learning that year with multiple reviews and ultimately be tested on them.

Rav Michel Yehuda explained that this idea did not start in Chevron but had been prevalent in all of the great yeshivos beginning with Volozhin.

Indeed, the Chazon Ish said that when a person is younger it is very important to make a special seder for bekius, because when a person is young, he remembers what he learned and retains it.

Similarly, HaGaon HaRav Elozor Menachem Shach, zt”l, would constantly urge the bachurim to learn perek after perek and chazer and chazer. At the levaya of Rav Shmuel Rozovsky, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh, Rav Shach said, “I am older than you and I know that there was never such a thing as a true lamdan who did not know Shas.” He added, “When the yeshiva learns a masechta it is critically important to finish the entire masechta that zeman. That is how someone becomes a lamdan.”

The great Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood, Hagaon HaRav Aharon Kolter, zt”l, writes, (Mishnas Rav Aharon vol. 3, 26-27), “Those whose entire learning is comprised of iyun, and do not invest time also learning many dafim so that they can know the yesodos of Torah in all of the masechtos, are not doing the right thing. When a person accustoms himself to constantly be medakdek, he loses his ability to learn and understand. None of the gedolim of the previous generations learned this way.

In fact, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapira, zt”l, Rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Be’er Yaakov wrote, that the Brisker Rav told him, “A person must learn a minimum of twenty blatt every month. If a person learns less than that it is not possible that he should become a talmid chochom.”

Indeed, It was the encouraging words of Rav Michel Yehuda that gave Dirshu the impetus to begin the Bachurei Yeshivos Program. The program originally began with just a few participating yeshivos. With time, however, many of the best yeshivos across the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael joined the program and now there are many thousands that participate. The event in Elad was the culmination of some two decades of Dirshu Bachurei Yeshivos.

Rav Michel Yehuda’s dream has come to fruition.