Thirty thousand people packed the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and another 6,000 filled a satellite loca­tion at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton for the fifth maamad of Adirei HaTorah, the historic movement to honor those who have dedicated their lives to study­ing Torah in the kollel of Beth Medrash Govoha.

“We are gathered here tonight not only to recognize, not only to ap­preciate, but to proclaim…that the world stands on the yungeleit and their learning,” declared Rav Nachum Binder, the event’s emcee, in his opening remarks. “As the Nefesh Hachaim brings on the pasuk ‘shokav amudei sheish,’ the midrash says, ‘Eilu talmidei chachamim. Lamah nimshelu l’amudim? Sheheim amudei olam.’”

Then came the annual iconic moment of the maamadim: the en­trance of the BMG roshei yeshivah. With “Pischu She’arim” thundering from the speakers, tens of thousands of bnei Torah, young and old, rose and began dancing as they welcomed the leaders of the premier Torah institution in America.

Rav Dovid Schustal led the recital of Tehillim, but first delivered impassioned remarks that the tzibbur should particularly have in mind those who have not yet found their zivugim, those who need yeshuos b’rucham u’v’nafsham, “and above all, our twin brothers, ameili Torah, the chareidim b’dvar Hashem b’artzeinu hakedoshah,” who the “sonei ha­das” in the Israeli government are trying to conscript into the military or imprison.

 

 

The subject of the arrests of yeshivah bachurim who refuse to join the IDF, an issue that has led to massive protests in Israel and will pos­sibly result in early elections, was mentioned repeatedly by speakers throughout the evening.

“They are rodef the bnei hayeshivos as if they’re chas v’shalom crimi­nals. And they try to make them feel like they’re criminals… And what is their chet? That they are oskim baTorah,” said Rav Malkiel Kotler.

Rav Malkiel went on to say that there is no greater display of kavod haTorah than those who learn with mesirus nefesh despite the risk of imprisonment and financial penalties. He emphasized that the securi­ty of Eretz Yisrael is ensured only by the lomdei Torah and quoted his grandfather Rav Aharon as saying that there will be no security in Eretz Yisrael when they are rodef the lomdei Torah.

Rav Malkiel spoke about how the Torah exalts those who study it and it helps us to cling to Hashem.

The Adirei HaTorah movement was founded for the purpose of rais­ing the stipends of those who learn in kollel, and Rav Malkiel announced that once again, the yungeleit will be receiving a raise—an applause line that has become a tradition at each maamad.

The program continued with another Adirei HaTorah tradition: an extended video, with speeches and song, depicting how the Torah has sustained us in galus and its rebirth in America, its “letzte stant­zia” before Mashiach’s arrival. The segments were interspersed with heartfelt singing, including frequent parts where the musicians went silent and all that could be heard were the voices of 30,000 bnei Torah,singing of their love, yearning, joy, and gratitude for Torah.

The special guest speaker was Rav Yitzchok Soloveitchik from Eretz Yisrael. Rav Yitzchok related that when Rav Aharon was build­ing Beth Medrash Govoha, an older person was making fun, asking why he needed such a large space. Rav Aharon replied, “We will build Torah here until Mashiach comes.”

He also gave a brachah to those who are struggling to find a shidduch, an­other tzarah facing Klal Yisrael that was mentioned by several speakers.

The annual siyum haShas, split among the talmidei hayeshivah, was made l’zecher nishmas Rabbi Shimon Frank, an avreich who was niftar ear­lier this year.

Rav Yisroel Neuman delivered an emotional Hadran, pleading that Hashem make the Torah sweet in our mouths and that our children learn Torah lishmah, and nearly cried with joy as he thanked Hashem for placing our lot with the yoshvei beis hamedrash.

The Kaddish was recited by relatives of several people in the com­munity who were niftar this year.

And then came the festive dancing, the highlight of every maa­mad. A sea of black and white, with linked arms, swayed side to side as they were “sisu v’simchu b’simchas haTorah.”

The roshei yeshivah and rabbanim on the stage danced in a circle, made possible by an innovation in this year’s setup: The stage was circular and in the center of the floor with the dais tables around it, so that every attendee, no matter where he was sitting, had an equal view of the rabbanim.

There was dancing in CURE arena as well as they watched the livestream from Xfinity on a massive screen that provided an immer­sive experience.

Singers included Meir Adler, Yanky Daskal, Hershy Weinberger, Duvid Berger, Shaya Lebron, Naftali Kempeh, and the Yingerlach Choir.

The keynote speaker of the evening was Rav Uri Deutsch. He emphasized how this evening was one of not only kavod haTorah but simchas haTorah, a value instilled by Rav Aharon.

Rav Uri related how Rav Aharon would exhibit extreme joy in learning. He was once seen danc­ing because he had discovered the answer to a difficult Biur HaGra in Choshen Mishpat after 30 years.

He quoted Rav Shmuel Feivelson as saying that “the pleasure that the Rosh Yeshivah had when learning was indescribable. The pleasures of the wealthiest man couldn’t begin to compare.”

Rav Uri emphasized, in a similar message to other speakers’, that ap­preciation and respect must also be shown to the wives of the avreichim, without whom their complete dedi­cation to Torah would not be possible.

“Not just that they are the eizer kenegdo of the adirei haTorah,” Rav Uri said, “but they are rais­ing…the next dor of adirei haTorah.”

The evening concluded with kabbalas ol malchus Shamayim, led by Rav Yerucham Olshin at Xfinity.

And Rav Yitzchok Soloveitchik, having been whisked to Trenton after his speech in Philadelphia, made a surprise ap­pearance at CURE, leading the kabbalas ol there.

In addition to the crowds at Xfinity and CURE, 50,000 people watched livestreams, more listened in on audio, and there was a special live hookup in Lakewood for the nshei adirei haTorah. In all, some 100,000 people participated in what has become the premier yearly event in the olam hayeshivos.

Throughout many discussions about the Adirei HaTorah event and our yeshivah’leit, we frequently hear about how they hold up the world. But it in fact goes deeper than that: Nothing else matters.

We spend lots of space on these pages discussing the news of the week and the politics and what will the president do, when will this war end, or when will that war begin.

But events like the Adirei HaTorah maamad remind us what we should be reminding ourselves of every day: that the security of the world, the waging of wars, the death toll, the economy, the gas prices, who wins elections, and what bills are passed are in fact all dependent on only one thing—the yungerman in the beis medrash at his shtender, and those who support him.

Leaving the arena after the event, I bumped into a friend, Avi, who is still in kollel after 17 years of marriage with a large family. He learns three sedarim plus has several chavrusas bein hasedarim throughout a day that never ends before midnight.

He was at the event with his young son—the next generation of adirei haTorah that Rav Uri was talking about. I gave them a ride home.

In the car, Avi pulled out a flash­light, took a sefer from his pock­et, and learned until we reached Lakewood. When I reached his home, his son got out, but Avi stayed in the car.

“I’m not going home now,” he said.

I looked at him quizzically. It was after 11 p.m.

“Where can I take you?”

“617 Sixth Street.”