Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Chizuk from a learner of Yerushalmi

Dear Rabbi Bechofer shilt"a

I don't know if you remember me but I was in touch with you a few years back to tell you that I had been learning your Yerushalmi shiurim.

I wanted to let you know that I have just finished the cycle, listening to the siyyum this morning. It's taken me more than the 4.5 years to learn it, since I took a break in the middle, but I have now completed it. I have been listening to the shiurim in my car as I travel to work and meetings here in Israel. Both you and the members of the shiur have kept me company on many mile traveled through sun, rain, and traffic.

Thanks go to you, the mishtatfim, and whoever recorded and uploaded the shiurim. What a tremendous zikui larabim. I had been thinking of what I could choose next to learn in the car. After hearing the droshos at the siyyum, there is no doubt that I will go back and start the cycle again. 

It's poignant to me that the siyyum was held during the 2nd Initfada. Here we are with Yerushalayim once again at the forefront of the enemies' designs. I will have in mind to be me'orer the light of the Yerushalmi as an effort to herald Mashiach. I look forward to having your voice accompany me on my journey and I also hope that we may some day get to meet.

Bivrachah

Yoni Palmer
Ramat Bet Shemesh

2 comments:

  1. I learned Seder Zra'im about eleven years ago when I had a long commute to work (Jerusalem to Raanana) . At the time I had to download them and burn them to cds - so I had this large stack of cds in the car and I would listen 2-3 times to each shiur to see that I got it. Last year when I was commuting again I did most of Seder Moed - this time I commuted by bus so I brought a big gemmorah with me, and spent the rides with earphones following each shiur closely. At a friends recommendation I decided to buy a box of cookies near the end of each m'sechta so I could hand them out on the bus and have a 'siyum' of sorts.
    Once when I got on a bus, I saw an older gentleman with a large Yerushalmi Gemmora just like mine and two earphones in his ears, I showed him mine, and he asked who I was learning shiurim from, so I said RYGB, and he said he was learning it too.. he said he runs it at 1.5x-2x speed... I told him I have to stop it from time to time to catch up and find my place...
    Anyway... for someone who had never finished a m'sechet before, I have found the shiurim a great inspiration.

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    1. I can't tell you how moving and thrilling your comment was for me. A real Chanukah gift! There are a few merits that I hope get me into Olam Ha'Ba, and one of them is the zchus of Yerushalmi... Thank you so much for sharing!

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