17th Siyum HaRambam Celebrated At The Rambam’s Kever

 Hundreds of Chassidim and Tmimim gathered on Monday evening at the Rambam’s kever in Teveria to celebrate the Siyum HaRambam. The main celebration, which, according to the Rebbe MH”M’s instructions, takes place at the Rambam’s kever, was organized by Merkaz Tzach in Eretz Yisroel. The large crowd added to the excitement of having the siyum at the Rambam’s kever.

The event began with Rebbe’s chapter of Tehillim, recited by Rabbi Raitchik. Rabbi Y.Y. Wilschansky emceed the event, and called upon Rabbis Levi Bistrisky, Y.Y. Volosov, Yitzchok Goldberg, Yeshaya Hertzel, and the Secretary of the Rabbinical Court of Teveria, Rav Shlomo Didi, to speak. At the end of the brief ceremony, they burst into a rousing “Yechi.”

After the siyum, the crowd proceeded to a hotel banquet hall for the seudas mitzva. Rabbi Naftali Roth, the emcee, spoke about the importance of studying Rambam. He pointed out that at the end of the Yad HaChazaka, the Rambam writes “Hilchos Melachim is completed, as well as the entire chibur (compilation).” Why did the Rambam call his work a compilation rather than a book? We learn from this that the Yad HaChazaka is not just a book, but a means of establishing a chibur, the connection (chibur) of the Jewish people to their Father in Heaven, and a means of uniting all parts of Torah. Also, through the Rebbe’s directive, we unite with other Jews who study the Rambam.

Rabbi Yeshaya Hertzel, rav of Natzeret Ilit, spoke about the connection between the siyum and Parshas Mishpatim. “Just as the first [laws] were from Sinai, so are these [laws in Mishpatim] from Sinai.” Rabbi Hertzel added, “Just as in earlier times when we saw the Rebbe, we fulfilled each directive with chayus and mesirus nefesh, we must do the same now too, especially concerning inyanei Moshiach and Geula.”

The rav of Tzfat, Rabbi Levi Bistrisky, began the new cycle of study. “As we stand here near the tziyun of the Rambam, we call upon Anash, shluchim, and Tmimim around the world to strengthen their learning of the daily Rambam, and to get more people to join in.”

Rabbi Bistrisky spoke sharply about rabbanim who are experts in halacha but are not experts when it comes to pikuach nefesh. “No one can compare to the Rebbe, not in concern for every single Jew, wherever he might be, not in an all-encompassing understanding of all parts of Torah, and not even in understanding matters concerning Eretz Yisroel. The Rebbe wasn’t bought with budgets, and when the Rebbe goes out and screams about pikuach nefesh in returning parts of Eretz Yisroel, everyone must join him.”

Rabbi Dov Teichman, rav of a neighborhood in Teveria, said that when he learned in a non-Chassidic yeshiva in his youth, the rosh yeshiva would begin his lesson by saying, “Today we are going to break the Rambam.” Said Rabbi Teichman, “I would like to ask the Rambam’s forgiveness for trying to ‘break’ him years ago.”

The representative of the Teveria city council said, “Every time I have a problem, I daven at the kever of the Rambam, and my problems are solved.”

At the conclusion of the program, everyone danced and sang in honor of the Torah, and with the hope and expectation that we will soon merit, “and the earth will be full of knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea,” with the revelation of the Rebbe MH”M.