Daf Yomi: Four Men
UPDATE: FIVE men; I'd forgotten about Gandhi

I have not been able to stop thinking of the recent column (originally addressed here) suggesting a boycott of the siyum hashas and decrying the worthlessness of daf yomi. I am astonished by the arrogance and mean-spiritedness of the article. I am amazed at the author's detachment from the reality of who is actually participating in daf yomi and what they could otherwise be doing with their time. While 120,000 Jews of all stripes were celebrating an amazing kiddush Hashem, he was bitterly suggesting that those who had devoted 7 1/2 years to the daf had wasted their time and that he knew a better way.

I couldn't help but think of five men I know who have either completed the daf yomi cycle or began more recently. I will briefly tell their stories.

"Avraham" is a doctor who lives in my neighborhood. He is MO, in his 40's, and has a full time medical practice. I only see him on Shabbos and I don't recall ever seeing him on a Shabbos without a gemarah in his hands. In addition to attending a daf yomi shiur, he spends countless hours preparing and chazering the daf. He has teenage children who witness his daily commitment and mesiras nefesh.

"Yitzchak" is a clinical psychologist in private practice who lives in my neighborhood. He, too, is MO, in his 40s and grew up frum. He goes to a 6 a.m. minyan and runs over to a different location to make it in time for a 7 a.m. daf shiur before begining his long workday. Like Avraham, he, too, takes the daf very seriously, preparing beforehand and chazering afterwards. He, too, has teenage children who are aware of his dedication and commitment.

My father in law goes to shul at 5:50 a.m every morning so that he can attend daf at 6:30 a.m. He recently retired and has been doing daf yomi since his retirement. His father died when he was 13 and he grew up in the post-depression era in Scranton, PA. His learning was cut short post-high school by the need to make a living. He has attended other shiurim over the years but now looks forward to the daf shiur every day. He has always loved to learn but because of his limited background, an iyun shiur would be lost on him.

"Mr. W." is the father of a friend, a wonderful, erliche Yid in his seventies. He also attends the 5:50 a.m. minyan and does the daf at 6:30 a.m. after which he still puts in a full day of work. He just completed his second cycle of daf yomi. Perhaps he could learn more b'iyun but his learning was cut short by his stay at Auschwitz and other concentration camps. When I saw him the morning after the siyum, he was shining. The daf gives him life. He told me that his goal is to stay healthy enough to attend the next siyum.

"Gandhi". I almost forgot about him. He completed shas twice. He grew up in Krakow and also spent time in Auschwitz. He fought in Israel's War of Independence and helped capture Katamon in Yerushalayim. He was among the founders of Kibbutz Sha'alvim. You can read more about him here.

Rather than denegrade their accomplishments and bemoan how they wasted so much time, Rabbi Rothstein would be wise to stand in the presence of these five men, wish them mazal tov and say chazak, chazak, v'nischazaik.