Do you remember The Siyum? Yes, the day Klal Yisrael gathered together, hundreds of thousands strong at MetLife Stadium, Barclays Center and dozens of locations around the world, to celebrate Torah. Yes, The Siyum may now sound like a distant dream – can you imagine being able to go somewhere, daven with the world’s largest minyan, and even dance with strangers? But, no matter how many tens of days March had this year, The Siyum still lives on.  Even with Yeshivos closed and Shuls shuttered, Torah is not on lockdown. On phone conferences and Zoom meetings around the world, Daf Yomi is being learned. We are just as connected and united as before, because our nation understands that Torah is our life – ki heim chayeinu.  Torah learning connects us. It connects us to each other and it connects us to Hashem. So with Torah learning as part of our lives, there is no social distancing, there is only social connecting. As we prepare for Shavuos – the z’man matan toraseinu, we will all join together once more, just as we did on January 1, and just as we did at Har Sinai thousand of years ago as we unite around that which unites us, and connect through that which connect us – Torah.  This is the time of trimming down. Luxuries, conveniences, and non-essential outings fade away to make room for only the most pivotal of pursuits.  But when our lifeblood is at stake, even a deadly pandemic takes a back seat.  And like the proverbial fish who insisted that life out of the water is simply not a life, we know one thing amid all the unknowns this period has wrought: the life-sustaining quest of Limud Hatorah will prevail. We’re all so grateful we were Zoche to attend the Siyum in the “before” stage – when the world still seemed a more familiar place. But even now, when January seems like a bygone era and the physical proximity of nearly 100,000 people an unthinkable reality, it’s more important than ever to keep the magic of the Siyum pumping. And indeed, under circumstances we’d thought impossible, our lifeblood keeps flowing.  A 6:15 a.m. Shiur in Williamsburg, attended by tens of people, has retained its complete roster of attendees – via phone teleconference. A lunch-break Shiur in a NYC accounting firm – has been temporarily relocated to each member’s makeshift home office and convenes via Zoom. A porch Shacharis Minyan in Baltimore is immediately followed by the daily Daf, leading to vigorous neighborly interaction, social distance notwithstanding.  Because while the net may be closing in so many areas of life, the nurturing waters of Torah must keep sustaining us.  The buzzword of today’s economic climate is “pivot.” Business slow? Pivot. Government regulations keeping your store locked? Pivot. Clients canceling? Pivot. Make the necessary evaluations and changes, and keep marching. Keep focused on your financial goals, and if need be – venture into new territory in order to stay afloat. How much more determined must we be in the realm of Torah. We must adapt to the times, be mindful of the dangers, take the necessary precautions, but keep marching at all costs. Daf Yomi shiur discontinued? Research new options. Fell ill and now behind schedule on the Daf? Adjust to […]

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