Hot Off the Press: “Shlach Lachmecha” – Volume 1, From Rabbi Berel Lazar
Good news arrived for those who toil in Torah and Chassidus. “Shlach Lachmecha” (Cast Your Bread) – a new book hot off the press that is full of shiurim and explanations on the weekly Torah portion as well as Rashi’s commentary, interwoven with actual lessons, backed by thousands of sources. Words of Torah that rang in Moscow’s central Marina Roscha Shul from hagaon hachassid Rabbi Berel Lazar shlit”a, Chief Rabbi of Russia.
On his first visit to Russia nearly forty years ago, the Rav was sent to teach Torah to a handful of young Jewish men who fearlessly got together to learn, and he set up an underground yeshiva for them. As the years passed, with the blessings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zatza”l, this turned into a full fledged yeshiva – Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim of Moscow. It has since produced hundreds of graduates, avreichim, yerei shamayim, many of whom serve as Rabbis and Shluchim throughout Russia and in communities all over the world.
It was no simple task to quench the thirst of these students who so strongly desired to learn Torah and drink from the wellsprings of Yiddishkeit. From early morning till late at night, the young Reb Berel sat and learned with his students. The eager young men thirstily absorbed every word, and asked many wise questions, filling the Rav’s time. When he returned to Moscow after his marriage, along with his family, he noted in a letter that he wrote to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, that aside from his responsibilities as a Rabbi in the Marina Roscha community, much of his time is spent teaching Torah in the yeshiva.
From the day that he arrived in Moscow, Rabbi Lazar shlit”a has been doing everything in his power to ensure that it is a place of Torah. In a letter of support that Rabbi Yaakov Kalmes penned to Rabbi Alter HaLevi Hilevitz, who served as the Rabbi of Marina Roscha some ninety years ago, he wrote that the shul there is a “beis knesses shel chachomim u’nevonim”. Boruch Hashem also today it is so. Visitors entering the shul at any hour of the day will find yidden sitting and studying Torah.
Over the years, the Chief Rabbi Shlit”a has given many classes on the weekly Torah portions, and with time, he has accumulated lots of valuable material. At the request of his students, some of the lessons were collected, and they serve as base of this book which includes about 700 pages full of Torah verses, interpretations of Rashi, and now – just in time for Chag Matan Torah, it has been published to the great joy of many.
The aforementioned lessons were delivered mainly to precious yidden who were zoche to come close to the light of the Torah, hence the title was chosen “Shlach Lachmecha -Cast Your Bread”. This is based on divrei Chaza”l that the words of Torah are likened to bread. The main point being that learning Torah with yidden who are still on their journey to Hashem’s mitzvos is very much similar to casting your bread upon the water because one day you may find it”. Sometimes it’s just one phrase, one verse, or one lesson from the Torah that have such a strong impact on them, that it causes them to completely change their life. Often the teacher has no idea how his words brought about such a spiritual transformation, and how it impacted their students’ life.
The new book contains lessons on Chumash Bereishis, and with Hashem’s help we will merit to see the other 4 volumes on the other 4 chumashim come from printing.
Additionally, a comprehensive halachic responsa on unusual matters unique to Russia, with which the Chief Rabbi deals on a regular basis in his leadership of hundreds of Rabbis throughout the vast country will soon be available as well.
The new book can be purchased in the “Ohr Hachaim” stores.
