A wave of excitement is sweeping through New York’s Torah community ahead of the arrival of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Slabodka rosh yeshiva, who departed for the United States on Motzoei Shabbos to participate in a series of events marking the culmination of the Keren Olam HaTorah campaign.

The campaign has been underway for the past two weeks with the participation of numerous leading gedolei Yisroel. Rav Hirsch was initially unable to join due to a family simcha, the wedding of his granddaughter. However, following repeated requests from prominent leaders across the United States, the Rosh Yeshivah agreed to participate in the campaign’s closing events. His visit will be brief, lasting approximately three days.

On Erev Shabbos, an emotional Tzeischem L’Shalom gathering was held at Rav Hirsch’s home, attended by dozens of roshei kollel representing tens of thousands of avreichim throughout Eretz Yisroel. The leaders came specifically to bid farewell to the Rosh Yeshivah ahead of his departure for America.

During the gathering, the roshei kollel expressed their appreciation to Rav Hirsch for the enormous effort he has invested in establishing Keren Olam HaTorah and for his tireless work, together with other gedolei Yisroel, to defend the Torah world against various challenges and decrees. They also thanked him for his dedication to raising critical support from Jewish communities around the globe to sustain Torah learning in Eretz Yisroel. At the conclusion of the event, the rabbanim offered heartfelt blessings for a successful journey as he prepared to leave on Motzoei Shabbos for the campaign’s concluding events.

Addressing the gathering was Rav Sholom Ber Sorotzkin, Rosh Yeshivah of Ateres Shlomo, who spoke passionately about the significance of the moment and the challenges facing the honor of Torah even within the Jewish community itself.

Rav Sorotzkin emphasized that Rav Hirsch’s journey is not merely an effort to secure financial support. Rather, he said, it is an effort to ensure the continued existence of the modern-day “ochlei haman“—the avreichim and bnei yeshivah who devote themselves entirely to Torah study. He stressed the importance of enabling them to continue learning without distraction so that Torah can remain fully integrated into their very being.

Concluding his remarks, Rav Sorotzkin spoke about the tremendous obligation of hakaras hatov owed by all bnei Torah to the gedolei Yisroel who have demonstrated extraordinary mesirus nefesh on behalf of the Torah world. He noted that it is virtually unprecedented for Torah leaders of such advanced age to undertake such demanding efforts for the benefit of the broader community. He expressed hope that the public declaration before the entire world of the value and honor of Torah would serve to strengthen and inspire Torah learners everywhere.

{Matzav.com}