The Chanukah issue of the COLlive Magazine, published this past month, once again included the “8 Nights, 8 Lights” feature. This time it profiled 8 maggidei shiurim dedicated to teaching Torah, Halacha and Chassidus in Crown Heights. The project was done in conjunction with the Irgun Torah organization.
Chanukah #8:
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Yusevitz
Having the Zechus to be born and live in the Rebbe’s Shchuna is special – this Zechus demands of a Chossid to personify the ‘Rebbe’s Koch’ as those who live in “דעם רבינס הויף” (in the rebbe’s courtyard). So I have a passion for enhancing the Avir of Torah and Yiras Shomayim in Crown Heights.
As a rule, a Yid learns Torah. Period. It IS his life more than his business is… But what suddenly jumpstarted the giving of all these shiurim?
Some 2 years ago, something happened that gave me such a jolt and threw me into the world of giving shiurim.
The story goes alongside the story of our Kehilla Anshei Moshe, so I’ll go back a drop.
Roughly a decade ago, we bought a house in the Rebbe’s Shchuna. My wife and I decided to dedicate the walk-in floor as a Beis Chabad and Heichal Halimud. That is how Kehillas ‘Anshei Moshe’ was born.
Over the years, Baruch Hashem the Kehilla grew and evolved into a warm hub of Chassidim. The place became too small to fit us all. We went to the Ohel, wrote to the Rebbe and got a clear brocha to move forward with construction. We took a loan against our house and began.. At some point, everything got stuck, money ran out, and the work came to a complete stand-still. With no way to proceed, we felt lost. My wife wrote a letter to the Rebbe, the Rebbe’s response was clear cut: “Your husband should start giving Shiurim”.
With a strong Hachlota I decided that anyone who asked me to begin a shiur I will take it on. Not sure how, but within the hour (!) I was contacted by R’ Avrohom Rotban of ‘Irgun Torah’ – CH, who suggested that I start giving a shiur in Rambam. My response: if I do, it’ll be in 3 Perokim per day. What followed was humbling… a special Chaburah of Yungelight formed. We gathered for a shiur EVERY evening! Rain, snow, Shabbos, Yom Kippur, Simchas Torah… That my the first shiur.
Today, many shiurim later, I am the menahel of “Cheder Ohr Menachem”, a Mosad Chinuch -Al Taharas Hakodesh of 200 Talmidim. On Shabbos I run the special Kehilla with my brother-in-law R’ Getzel Rubashkin.
Definitely a memorable moment and highlight was completing Rambam!That Siyum Horamabam – on Gimmel Tamuz 5781 was extremely moving for me!
Imagine completing the 14 Sifrei Rambam together with this precious group:
Dovid Palace, Fishel Brownstein, Dovid Silverstein, Tzemach Rapp, YY Kratz, Shmulik Kalachi, Yirmi Emmer together with 100’s of Chassidim and Shluchim who joined us via WhatsApp and Podcasts…
Also a special mention and shout out to: Shlomi Greenwald who -between all the other great things he does, took Limmud Horambam to an entirely new level with the Rambam App!!
It was undoubtedly the boost for all the other shiurim which followed.
In regard to the shiurim themselves what makes them unique is that I don’t view them as a shiur or a class!! I see it as a gift of a chevrusa for anyone… with whoever is listening.
For my personal learning, I found the most powerful factor to be – having a chevrusa. So I wished to give the gift of a chevrusa to others. All shiurim are in text, with swift translation and short explanation needed to keep the flow.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my chevrusos: the Rabbi of Frankel Shul R’ Moshe Nissan Wolvovsky for endless hours we spent together toiling in Rambam and R’ Yossi Geisinsky.
Shiurim include: Daily Chumash, Daily Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Hilchos Tishrei in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Maseches Sota (in sefira days), Tomid and Sugiyas Hachurban -in gittin (for Bein Hametzarim), Smicha, Shaar Habitachon, Mishnayos for Rabboseinu Nesieinu
Some ask me which shiurim I am invested in more… I try to live that which I learn. Every series that we began I cherish and love.
Message to the public:
Dear fellow members of Crown Heights, sometimes we may overlook some real heroes.. open your eyes! People like R’ Avrohom Rotban, Like R’ Levi Browd of ‘Yagdil Torah’ and sooooo many more chassidim who work day and night to establish a variety of shiurim for men and women and inspire with farbrengens.
You wouldn’t believe what kind of special gems of chasidim we are lucky to have in our midst!
And on so many levels (chessed etc.) I just ‘zeroed-in’ here on those who make themself available for our Ruchniyusdike wellbeing.
With powerful dedication we all together make our Shchuna a source of pride and Nachas to our Rebbe the Nosi. Join the forces! Make Torah the highlight of your day, join a shiur, help organize a farbrengen, and make the Geula in your life the spark that will usher in the Geula Kloli with our Rebbe the Nosi in the lead Now!
