Click here to view Dirshu’s special supplement of the Siyum HaShas.
The Jewish Press joins in saluting the thousands of lomdei Torah around the world who together, in countless specially designated study groups, have completed the entire Shas over the past seven and a half years in the Daf HaYomi cycle.
A number of celebrations in several countries have been scheduled this week to mark this monumental achievement, the thirteenth time it has been accomplished since the onset of the community-wide daily daf study concept in 1923.
Aptly sponsored by the global Dirshu organization, the initial event began on Monday in Tel Aviv’s Yad Eliyahu stadium and drew more than 11,000 participants and continued through Tuesday at two other venues. Dirshu has emerged as a major force in Torah study around the world and energized post-yeshiva and post-kollel learning. Unique among Daf Yomi initiatives, Dirshu awards cash stipends to Daf Yomi participants who pass examinations it administers following the completion of each tractate of the Talmud. This feature, promoting serious scholarship and constant review, has led to significant progress for thousands in retaining their Torah knowledge and promoting development of their learning skills.
Along with Rabbi Dovid Hofstadter, founder of Dirshu, some of the most senior gedolim of the haredi world were in attendance. Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman made the actual siyum, reciting aloud the concluding section of the Talmud. Rav Chaim Kanievsky intoned the Kaddish recited at the completion of Torah study and Rav Shmuel Wosner officially marked the start of the new cycle of Daf Yomi study.
Let us pray that the Dirshu event and the others will encourage ever greater numbers of Jews to participate in the new Daf HaYomi cycle and identify with the centrality of Torah learning to the Jewish people.