Crown Heights Holds Central Siyum HaRambam

8 years ago

Crown Heights Holds Central Siyum HaRambam

Residence of Crown Heights and Yeshiva Bochurim packed into Oholei Torah’s Ballroom to celebrate this year’s Siyum HaRambam, marking the completion of the 34^th cycle of studying Rambam’s magnum opus, Mishnah Torah • Full Story, Photos

Residence of Crown Heights and Yeshiva Bochurim packed into Oholei Torah’s Ballroom to celebrate this year’s Siyum Harambam, marking the completion of the 34^th cycle of studying Rambam’s magnum opus, Mishnah Torah.

Rabbi Shmuel Butman, head of Tzach, organized and emceed the event, giving opening remarks connecting Hakhel and the Rambam. Rabbi Shneur Zalman Baumgarten lead the audience in reciting the Rebbe’s Kapital followed by Yechi. The audience then viewed a Talk of the Rebbe projected onto large screens, in which the importance of the yearly study cycle of Rambam was emphasized.

Crown Heights Rabbonim and members of the Beis Din, Rabbis Avraham Osdoba, Aharon Yaakov Shwei and Yosef Yeshaya Braun, each spoke Divrei Torah.

Among the prominent Roshei Yeshiva and scholars invited to address the overflowing crowd were some sent as representatives from various Chassidic courts, all of whom came in tribute to the Rebbe’s institution of the yearly study cycle of Rambam.

Upstairs, hundreds of children and their mothers participated in a program run by Mechanech Rabbi Levi Goldstien, who engaged the children with insight and inspiration of the specialty of Rambam and Sefer Hamitzvos.

Singing superstar Benny Fried made an appearance, accompanied by musical talent Choni Milecki‘s orchestra.

The Rebbe instituted the yearly study cycle in 1984, and strongly encouraged men, women and even children, to participate. For this purpose, the Rebbe proceeded to delineate three paths of study, dependent of each person’s ability: 1) Three chapters a day, to complete the entire Mishna Torah cycle in just under one year; 2) One chapter a day, to complete the cycle over a period of three years; 3) A daily quota of the Rambam’s Sefer Hamitzvos, to complete it in one year.