A special meeting took place yesterday (Tuesday) in the offices of the Badatz of Crown Heights, with Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Dovid Lau, who came on a trip to strengthen the learning of halacha, and to attend an array of events at Machon Lemaan Yilmedu in the US. He began by meeting the Mara d'Asra and Badatz member, Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun.
Rabbi Braun welcomed Rabbi Lau and connected the inyan of rabbanus with the parsha, while telling about the Rebbe's great involvement with founding the Badatz of Crown Heights, and how the Rebbe established that rabbanim be chosen in elections by the residents of the community. He also referred to what the Rebbe said in yechidus for the chief rabbis about a halachic matter that they raised.
Also in attendance were the maggidei shiurim of Machon Lemaan Yilmedu. The director, Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Wilhelm briefly described the programs of Lemaan Yilmedu, from Semicha-Issur v'Heter to the in-depth study of posek b'Hilchos Nidda. Rabbi Lau was greatly impressed.
At the end of the meeting, Rabbi Braun thanked the chief rabbi for the visit and wished him long years in his position and that we merit to all meet together in Yerushalayim with the true and complete Geula.
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.