Page 54 - HaMizrachi #15 2019 Chanuka USA

Who Really Initiated Daf Yomi?

rabbi dr. chaim simons explores the history of the 2711-page program

very seven and a half years, there is a siyum (a “How great it is! A Jew travels by boat and takes a tractate
celebration signifying completion) held in honor of of Berachot in his arm. He travels for 15 days from Eretz
Ehaving learned one daf Yisrael to America, and each
(page) of Gemara every single day towards evening he opens
day for those past seven and a the Gemara and studies the daf.
half years. Jews all over the world When he arrives in America, he
participate in such events. During 7.5 Daf Yomi Facts enters a Beit Midrash in New
the siyum, photographs of Rabbi York and finds Jews studying the
Meir Shapiro are displayed, and for a 7.5-Year Cycle very same page that he studied
speakers usually acknowledge that that day, which allows him to
it was he who proposed the idea of happily join their study group.
Daf Yomi. He discusses matters with them
and they answer his questions,
It is certainly true that he World Mizrachi is hosting an English-
publicized the idea and 1 language Siyum HaShas event in and the Name of Heaven is
encouraged Jews worldwide Yerushalayim to celebrate the completion of glorified and sanctified. Another
to participate in this learning Jew leaves the United States and
schedule, but was the original idea the 13th cycle of Daf Yomi. travels to Brazil. He returns to
really his? Rabbi Shapiro once said: “If you look at a the Beit Midrash and finds people
immersed in the very page that he
Rabbi Meir Shapiro was born in 2 page of the Talmud you see words of the studied that day. Can there be a
5647 (1887) in the city of Schatz in greatest Jewish minds covering the entire greater unity of hearts than this?
Bucovina (now Romania). During spectrum of Jewish life and history. There What’s more, until the present
the course of his life he was the were Jews from the land of Babylon, from time there are many tractates
Rabbi of a number of cities. He France (e.g. Rashi) and Germany (the Ba’alei that people do not study, tractates
was also a member of the Sejm Tosafot); and in the back of the Talmud, there that are ‘orphans’ and which
(the Polish Parliament), and the was Rabbeinu Asher – “the Rosh,” from Spain, only exceptional people concern
President of Agudas Yisrael. the Maharsham from Poland and the Maharam themselves with. Now the daf will
from Lithuania. The Talmud is the most
The first Knessia Gedola (literally: universal and unifying document in Jewish rectify this situation.”
large convention) of Agudas history because all the great people from Rabbi Shapiro suggested that the
Yisrael took place in Elul 5683 every place in the world are all gathered in a Knessia Gedolah should decide
(1923). single place.” that from Rosh Hashanah 5684
Rabbi Shapiro wanted delegates to The first cycle of Daf Yomi commenced (1923), a daf of Gemara should
commit to study a page of Gemara 3on the first day of Rosh Hashanah 5684 be studied daily in the order
every day, and he submitted this (September 11, 1923), with tens of thousands of the Shas. When he put this
proposal at one of the sessions of Jews in Europe, America and Israel learning proposal to the plenum it was
at the convention. However, the the first daf of the first tractate of the Talmud, enthusiastically received and
members of the committee did Berachot. applauded.
not want to take responsibility
for the plenum not accepting this
revolutionary proposal. They
suggested a compromise in that Rabbi Meir Shapiro should
put the proposal forward as his own private idea. But Rabbi 
Shapiro was still worried, because he was among the youngest
delegates, and other delegates were therefore unlikely to Today Daf
pay attention to him. Therefore, before the Knessia Gedola Yomi is studied
opened, he went to speak with the Chafetz Chaim, who by tens of
suggested an unusual method of ensuring that the proposal thousands
would be accepted, which Rabbi Shapiro implemented by of Jews
saying the following: worldwide

54 | Photo courtesy of Koren Publishers Jerusalem