Inspirational gathering of 90,000 celebrates Talmud study

Rabbi Gavriel Rudin is seen in a screen capture from the webcast of 13th global Siyum HaShas at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

By Rabbi Gavriel Rudin

Young Israel of Ottawa

On January 1, a time when many are partying and drinking, I found myself in a football stadium, surrounded by over 90,000 people celebrating and rejoicing. Although this stadium was only a few km from the home I grew up in, we were not there celebrating a win by my favourite football team. In fact, we were not attending a football game. Instead, I had the awesome privilege of attending the 13th global Siyum HaShas at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Siyum HaShas is the celebration of the completion of studying the entire Talmud through an initiative called Daf Yomi (daily page). Those who participate in Daf Yomi study one page of Talmud each day and complete all 2,711 pages over the course of seven-and-a-half years. Daf Yomi was started by Rabbi Meir Shapiro in 1923 and has continued, uninterrupted, ever since.

The Siyum HaShas was beautiful, powerful and inspirational for all participants and attendees. There were speeches, prayers, music and dancing. Everyone who participated in the Siyum, either in person or electronically, could not help but be touched and uplifted by its holiness, and by the deep joy of celebrating the study of Talmud. Aside from participants, many letters and notes have been received from stadium staff and volunteers, sharing the impression that the Siyum had on them as well.

While there were so many take home messages from the Siyum, for me, there was one aspect that touched me very deeply and has pushed me to become a better rabbi and a better Jew.

There are many reasons why people gather and celebrate. Approximately 12 hours before the Siyum Hashas began, over one million people gathered on the other side of the Hudson River to watch the ball drop in Times Square, celebrating the start of 2020. Metlife Stadium has (occasionally) been the site of celebrations after a successful Giants or Jets win. As Jews, we have many opportunities to celebrate. We celebrate our holidays, our births, bar mitzvahs and weddings. We celebrate our freedom, our relative safety, and our many accomplishments. We have contributed to the world of science and technology, built beautiful communities and institutions, in North America, and all over the world.

But that’s not why we celebrated on that cold day in New Jersey. When we celebrated, we were rejoicing over the study of Torah! Some of the participants in the Siyum had completed the seven-and-a-half year study cycle, but many, myself included, had not. Yet, all of us who were there celebrating, made a profound statement to ourselves, and to the world. We as Jews came together to celebrate the study of Torah. Torah is something that every Jew, regardless of age, background and affiliation, can and must connect with. How can we connect to God without reading the words that He wrote? How can we live our lives, without studying the masterful blueprint that He gave to us?

Whether you study Daf Yomi, Parsha, Kabbalah or Halachah (Jewish law), we all must find our own unique places in Torah. The Talmud points out that there are 600,000 letters in the Torah. This is the same number of Jews that received the Torah. This number connection teaches us that each Jew has a letter, or a part of the Torah, that he or she can connect to, in one’s own way.

In the aftermath of this beautiful event, I was inspired to join the new Daf Yomi cycle. God willing, I too will be able to complete the cycle and celebrate my own studying at its completion on June 7, 2027! And if Daf Yomi doesn’t do it for you – and it’s certainly not for everyone – pick something else. Grab a book, join a class, listen to a podcast, or study with a friend. And no matter what you choose, make sure to join us for the next Siyum, in seven-and-a-half years. Looking forward to celebrating with you!

From the Pulpit: First impressions, north of the border

Rabbi Gavriel Rudin, Young Israel of Ottawa

By Rabbi Gavriel Rudin

Young Israel of Ottawa

Born and raised in the United States, I did not know what to expect upon moving to Canada. Americans tend to think of Canada as a cold distant suburb of the U.S., but somehow I get the impression that Canadians had a different view on the matter, eh?

The first thing I must say is that Canadians definitely have a lot of pride in their country. I think I saw more red maple leafs in the first week I was here than in an entire maple tree forest. The light and sound show on Parliament Hill this past summer was an amazing display of all that Canadians have to be proud of.

Canadian politeness is definitely a welcome change, having grown up a stone’s throw away from New York City (New Yorkers are not necessarily rude, they just have their own special way of displaying affection and compassion). But in all honesty, my welcome to Canada and the Ottawa Jewish community has been truly amazing.

I often say that living in a Jewish community of our size, we are just too small not to get along. I have said that in the past, regarding other Jewish communities of similar sizes, but here I feel like I am preaching to the choir. The warm welcome I received from Jews across the Jewish spectrum, both from leadership and laypeople, has made my family and me feel valued and right at home. I feel privileged to have joined a diverse, yet united, team of Jews, dedicated to community growth and advancement. I strongly believe that this is how all Jewish communities were meant to be. While we may be different and may have different views and opinions, we share common goals and work together to achieve them, each adding our own unique piece to the greater puzzle.

Evidence of the need for community unity can be found when analyzing the very first “Jewish community” in all of history. When the Jews left the land of Egypt and spent 40 years wandering in the desert, the Torah details the formation in which they camped. The Tabernacle was in the middle, surrounded by the 12 tribes, each with its own special place. The commentaries compare this encampment to the shape of an old fashioned spoked wagon wheel. Can you picture it? There is a centre point and there are 12 spokes spreading out from the centre in different directions. Each tribe was different and lived their lives in different ways. Each had different strengths and weaknesses, and each had something different to contribute to the greater good. Despite their differences, they were all anchored to the same point in the middle, their service to God, represented by the Tabernacle.

The same is true with our communities. We are all different, and have our own strengths and weaknesses. However, as long as we can remain connected to the core values that keep us coming together toward a common goal, our differences will be the key to our success, not our undoing.

My first impression of this community is one of unity and direction. I believe that we are well on our way to continued growth and success, within the Jewish community and out. I am proud and excited to be a part of the Jewish Ottawa community!