Rabbi Dovid Baruch Lau, Chief Rabbi of Israel, visited the Oholei Torah Campus Tuesday and gave a shiur in the Raitport Beis Medrash. Rabbi Lau is visiting New York and will be the guest speaker at the Tzivos Hashem Dinner tonight.
Upon his arrival to the campus, Rabbi Lau was greeted by Rabbi Hershel Lustig, Dean Emeritus, Rabbi Elchonon Lesches, Menahel of the Beis Medrash and members of the Administration, including Rabbi Sholom Rosenfeld, Director, Rabbi Yitzchok M. Kramer, Administrator and Rabbi Nosson Blumes, Director of Development.
Rabbi Lesches presented Rabbi Lau with a sefer containing letters the Rebbe wrote to Oholei Torah over the years. Rabbi Lau marveled at the sheer vastness of the Mossad Chinuch, saying it is a true Kiddush Hashem.
As Rabbi Lau entered the Beis Medrash, he was warmly welcomed by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yisroel Friedman, and many of the Magidei Shiurim.
After everyone settled at the head table, Rabbi Lustig introduced Rabbi Lau saying that from this Beis Medrash, the vast majority of Shluchim come from this very mossad. Rabbi Lustig then warmly welcomed Rabbi Lau to the yeshiva, and called Rabbi Lau to the podium to give a shiur.
Rabbi Lau then gave a shiur with much depth and clarity a shiur on the topic of Kiddushin, which the bochurim are currently learning. Rabbi Lau also shared interesting lessons he learned from Harav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach, who was his own mesadar kiddushin.
Rabbi Lau then mentioned how many of the Rebbe’s shluchim to Eretz Yisroel, including Rabbis Bistritzky a”h, Rabbi Gurary and others are talmidim of Oholei Torah. He then implored the talmidim that they should utilize their time in learning, and become true talmidei chachomim, so they too will share the ranks of great Rabbonim and shluchim who spread Torah around the world.
After the shiur Rabbi Lau presented to Rabbi Lesches his sefer Maskil L’Dovid, which will be added to the Raitport Library of the Beis Medrash.
Oholei Torah has hosted Previous Chief Rabbis in the past including the Rishon L’tzion, Harav Mordechai Eliyahu, and Harav Moshe Amar.
It is interesting to note that, in 5757/1991, when the Rishon Litzion, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, was in New York, the Rebbe’s Mazkiras, secretariat, asked that he visit the Oholei Torah Beis Medrash and give a shiur. The following Shabbos, the Rebbe mentioned a point of Rabbi Eliyahu’s shiur during Farbrengen.
The Beis Medrash Oholei Torah, established in 1972, has been a most sought after Beis Medrash by bochurim from around the world and is the largest Zal in the Chabad community in North America, with over 300 talmidim. After opening a special division for Shiur Aleph and Beis, Oholei Torah more recently opened a Shiur Hey, for serious bochurim who wish to spend another year of learning in the atmosphere they so appreciate.
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