Around fifty talmidim of the Machon Lemaan Yilmedu took a test last Thursday given by the posek, Rabbi Gavriel Zinner, author of Nitai Gavriel. This took place in his beis medrash in Boro Park.
The talmidim are learning semicha issur v’heter, hilchos Shabbos – halacha l’maaseh, hilchos tefilla u’brachos, and the shechita course. For those students who don’t live in New York, there was a separate Zooom test.
Rabbi Zinner was impressed by the number of talmidim and mentioned the director of the Machon in the United States, Rabbi Zushe Wilhelm a’h, saying the learning surely was a nachas ruach to his neshama.
The menahel, Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Wilhelm, gave Rabbi Zinner the new volume of Igros Kodesh in which six letters from the Rebbe to Rabbi Zinner appear, all written in 5742, which deal with halacha.
During the test, the students demonstrated their expertise in the subject matter with an emphasis on practical halacha in daily life.
Rabbi Zinner was impressed both by the number of those tested as well as the level of their knowledge and he encouraged all of them to continue learning, review the material and learn other topics in halacha.
This week, Machon Lemaan Yilmedu's first cohort of "Seder Nashim," an in-depth halacha learning program for women, began with over forty women.
At Machon Lemaan Yilmedu the days of sefira were used by dozens of chassanim who participated in the special program for chassanim that prepares them for the wedding and beyond, establishing a Jewish home.
Over sixty men participated in another exam given by the Lemaan Yilmedu semicha program. Rabbi Gedalia Oberlander, rav of the Chabad shul and community "Heichal Menachem" in Monsey conducted the test.