by COLlive reporter
Peppercrust Steakhouse, an elegant restaurant on the outskirts of Monsey in New York, was the scene of a heartwarming siyum made by Miki Rubin and his chavrusa Rabbi Shlomo Backman right before the Three Weeks.
Rubin lives in Panama and Rabbi Backman is from Monsey. The unlikely learning match was made over 10 years ago by JNET, an organization where people can find a study partner to learn with online.
At the time, Rubin struggled to set aside time to learn while balancing a full workday and a growing family. When a friend mentioned Chabad’s JNET and the chance to learn with someone on his schedule, he jumped at the opportunity.
Rabbi Yudi Dukes, the founder and engine behind JNET, matched Rubin with Rabbi Backman and the two soon began regularly learning over the phone.
“We started learning for half an hour a week,” Rubin said. “Although we did miss a few weeks, our learning remained consistent, which was the most important thing for me.”
Rubin says the chavrusa achieves more than engaging in Torah and gaining knowledge. “It was truly life-changing,” he said. “Squeezing in that time in my schedule made me realize that if I’m organized, I can fit even more learning into my day. Today, I have a daily chavrusa with whom I have finished six Masechtes already and, to balance my learning, I am also learning maamarim besides my regular Chassidus shiur on Shabbos.”
For Rubin, Rabbi Backman’s dedication to the chavrusa inspired him to keep going. “Rabbi Backman is a sofer stam, he puts on tefillin with countless Jews every week, and yet he consistently dedicated precious time to someone he hadn’t even met in far away Panama!”
For his part, Rabbi Backman’s regard for Rubin is no less glowing. “The enthusiasm which Michoel (Miki Rubin) displayed has pushed me to prepare the subject matter thoroughly to give him the best learning experience I could,” he said.
To celebrate the completion of learning the 64 pages of Gemara Brachos, Rubin flew with his family from Panama. He reserved a few tables at the Peppercrust restaurant and invited Rabbi Backman, his wife, and local friends to participate in the Siyum.
The group heard the Siyum and then enjoyed a Seudas Mitzvah meal prepared by the steakhouse. They also paid tribute to Rabbi Dukes, who has since passed away at the age of 39, “who made this initiative possible.”
During the meal, Rubin told of the many blessings the learning has brought into his life, concluding, “My hope is to continue thriving off of the energy it has given me and to inspire others in their journey as well.”
This is so inspiring!