A rare and uplifting mitzvah ceremony took place Thursday evening at the home of Posek Hador Harav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita, where the mitzvah of Reishis Hagez—the Torah obligation to give the first sheared wool of sheep to a Kohein—was performed with great joy and reverence.

Harav Sternbuch, renowned for his meticulous adherence to Halacha and his enthusiasm for every mitzvah, took special care to fulfill the mitzvah according to the highest halachic standards. Special sheep, carefully selected with a documented lineage to avoid any concerns of crossbreeding, were obtained specifically for the occasion.

The ceremony was attended by rabbanim and avreichim from the Teshuvos V’Hanhagos Kollel network, headed by Harav Sternbuch. Avreichim from the Geula branch in Yerushalayim were invited as a mark of appreciation in conjunction with their siyum marking the completion of approximately a year and a half of intensive study.

Prior to the ceremony, Harav Sternbuch delivered his weekly shiur, focusing on the halachos of sukkah partitions, a topic currently being studied throughout the kollel network.

Following the shiur, Harav Sternbuch fulfilled the mitzvah by presenting the freshly shorn wool to the receiving Kohein, the Pinsk-Karlin Rebbe Shlita. The emotional moment prompted spontaneous singing among those gathered as the Rebbe lifted the wool and danced with visible joy.

One of the evening’s highlights came when the Pinsk-Karlin Rebbe joined Harav Sternbuch in an enthusiastic dance, later inviting Harav Chaim Ozer Sternbuch Shlita, head of the Teshuvos V’Hanhagos Kollel and son of Harav Moshe Sternbuch, to join as well.

The ceremony concluded with the Pinsk-Karlin Rebbe reciting the full Birchas Kohanim and offering heartfelt brachos for Harav Sternbuch’s continued good health, long life, and leadership of Klal Yisroel. Harav Sternbuch, in turn, blessed the Rebbe with continued success, simcha, and nachas from generations devoted to Torah and mitzvos.

Photos: Shmuel Drey