Siddur Chuppa v'Kiddushin is one of the most important subjects in the work of every shliach. It is also a complicated and sensitive subject. It includes numerous halachos on various topics such as kesuba, eidus, yuchsin, and of course conducting the chuppa and more. Enormous care is needed since errors due to ignorance can cause extremely serious problems and pitfalls.
For this reason, it was decided, at the Machon Limud Halacha - Lemaan Yilmedu, not to suffice with a quick course to study the main issues but to provide a year-long course in which shluchim and rabbanim would learn all the details of the halachos directly from the Shulchan Aruch and nos'ei keilim, along with background from the Gemara and, of course, the piskei Rishonim and Acharonim. Although it requires a big investment, those who complete the course leave with wide-ranging knowledge of the subject and are fit to conduct the chuppa and kiddushin themselves k'das Moshe v'Yisrael.
Over a year's time, students taking the course had a weekly shiur with Rabbi Mordechai Farkash who is known as an expert in the field. He taught the topics in an organized fashion using printed material that included the Shulchan Aruch with an English translation, summaries, and visuals.
A Yom Iyun was held at the end of the course which focused on practical application, i.e. how to implement the halachos that were learned when actually conducting a chuppa and kiddushin. The Yom Iyun was led by the distinguished: Rabbi Yochanan Gurary - Chief Rabbi of Holon; Rabbi Pinchas Altheus - member of the Moetzes Ha'Rabbanut in Holon and expert in Siddur Chuppa v'Kiddushin.
The Yom Iyun was held in Lemaan Yilmedu's new center in Crown Heights, l'ilui nishmas the director of the Machon, Rabbi Zushe Wilhelm a'h. His son, Rabbi Chaim Yisrael Wilhelm, opened the event by thanking the rabbanim, as well as the talmidim who invested themselves in this important subject.
Rabbi Yitzchok Levy, an important guest and member of the Moetzes Ha'Rabbanut Ha'Rashit l'Yisrael, gave a shiur on the topic of the kesuba.
Those who complete the course receive a certificate recognized by the Rabbanut Ha'Rashit in Israel and they can conduct a chuppa and kiddushin in Eretz Yisrael and abroad; the wedding is then recognized and registered by the Rabbanut.
Registration for the new cohort of the course on Siddur Chuppa v'Kiddushin is now open. The hanhala of Lemaan Yilmedu requests that those who are interested register now and not wait till the last minute.
This week, all programs began, with many new participants alongside veteran students who after learning for one year and seeing how good it was, decided to continue learning for another year. Most of the talmidim participate in the programs via Zoom shiurim. There are also live shiurim given in Lemaan Yilmedu's beis medrash in Crown Heights for local residents.
After a year of intensive learning, a final was given to the talmidim of Machon Lemaan Yilmedu on Shechita and Sofer STa'M with Rabbi Dovid Refoel Banon, Rav and Dayan in the Chabad community in Montreal.
For a year and a half, about thirty shluchim have participated in a thorough and comprehensive course learning Hilchos Nidda. This week, they reached the siyum in a test given by the posek, the Debrecener Dayan, Rabbi Yechezkel Schwartz of Boro Park.