יום חמישי י"ח באדר ב תשפ"ד 28/03/2024
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  • The Mission Continues

    As in the past so it remains today - we were and still are under the selfsame commitment to adhere to the directions of the Gedolei Yisrael, who stand guard against breaches of purity threatening our camp. When we were required to ask – we asked. When we were instructed to depart – we left. The moment we are summoned back to raise the flag, every other consideration is pushed to the side and we answer: We are ready!

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בראי היום

  • Harav Yisrael Friedman zy”a, the Rebbe of Husyatin

    מוטי, ויקיפדיה העברית

    The ancestral chain of Harav Yisrael Friedman, the founder of the Husyatin chassidic court, originates with the holy Baal Shem Tov. The Husyatin chassidus has its roots in Galicia and eventually came to Tel Aviv, during the turbulent years between the two World Wars.

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Place

  • Maccabi'im Gravesite

    In honour of Chanukah, we will discuss a fascinating, ongoing investigation attempting to establish the place of burial of Mattisyahu Kohen Gadol and his family.

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In I got It!

Yarchei Kallah

N. Lieberman 23/09/2009 10:00

The ‘Yarchei Kallah’ convention takes place over two months in the year, during which an intensive course of Torah study is led. It was established long ago by the Amorah Rav, Rosh Yeshiva of Sura in Bavel, whilst his illustrious counterpart Shmuel led the ‘Shabsa d’Rigla’ in Pumbedisa.

The original Yarchei Kallah was introduced in the period of the Amora’im, and was perpetuated in the times of the Geonim. It was fixed for two months of the year during which there was not much work to be done in the fields – Adar and Elul. It was intended specifically for the working class, who due to the long hours spent in their various trades were not able to immerse themselves fully in their learning during the rest of the year. Twice a year they would have this revitalizing opportunity to quench their thirst with Torah; the Chassan (student) was reunited with his bride (the Torah) during this time, without disturbance. Thus its name – Yarchei Kallah: the ‘months set aside for the Bride’.

In these set months, farm-laborers free from their work gathered with Torah scholars for in-depth study of the Gemara. The Mesechtas (portions of the Talmud) to be covered were announced at the previous Yarchei Kallah convention, so that the participants could prepare themselves ahead of time.

At the helm of each Yarchei Kallah stood the ‘Rosh Kallah’, the leader of the convention. Aside from the study of Gemara, Halacha and Agadah, time was also set aside for Halachic questions which had gathered from far-flung corners of the world, and were sent to the most esteemed Torah scholars of the generation to be resolved.

These conventions have taken place over hundreds of years, and were re-instated once again in our times, by Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, the Ponevezher Rav (5646/1886- 5729/1969). He led the Yarchei Kallah for over fifty years in Yeshivas Ponevezh and in various other Torah institutions.

Nowadays the scheduling of the Yarchei Kallah goes according to the universally accepted vacation periods, and so the annual convention now takes place during ‘Bein HaZmanim’ (summer intersession) which is between Tisha B’av (9th of Av) and Rosh Chodesh Elul. In Yerushalayim, there is a specific Yarchei Kallah for American business men, which takes place over Chanuka – as is the case in Europe, where the convention generally takes place during the winter break. The Yarchei Kallah of Europe is hosted each year by a different European country.