A ceremony marking the completion of the Babylonian Talmud was the centerpiece of a tribute evening held Wednesday night at the Ashkelon hesder yeshiva, ahead of the upcoming IDF enlistment of its second-year students, who are expected to serve in combat and noncombat units.
Yeshiva student Netael Yehuda Rosenberg completed the Talmud, having begun studying it in 10th grade and continued through years of dedicated study.
The yeshiva's rabbis offered their blessings to the students preparing for military service and emphasized the combination of Torah study and contributing to Israel's security, in the spirit of "the book and the sword."
The head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Avihu Fishfeder, told the recruits, "We have no doubt that, drawing on the Torah and kindness you have absorbed during your studies at the yeshiva, you are setting out with initiative and a sense of responsibility to contribute to the people of Israel throughout your lives, and particularly during your military service."
Rabbi Dvir Tovi, a teacher at the yeshiva, addressed the personal bond between the rabbis and students, saying, "Our motto is 'Educate a child according to his way.' There is a distinctive character here, a family atmosphere and personal attention for each and every student, who are as important to the rabbis as their own sons."
One of the evening's significant moments was an address by Rabbi Ben Zion Kopfeld, who fought as a tank crewman on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War while he was a hesder yeshiva student.
Rabbi Kopfeld urged the students preparing to enlist to view their military service as a religious and national mission, stressing, "You are enlisting in the army as servants of God and must do your utmost for the people of Israel without any hesitation or faltering, because this is a divine commandment. This is the faith that gave us the strength to fight in that difficult war, in the battles on the Golan Heights. We are here not for ourselves, but for the people of Israel."
Later in the evening, Netael Yehuda Rosenberg, who was being honored for completing the Talmud, spoke about the importance of perseverance and sustained dedication to Torah study over the years. Rosenberg thanked the yeshiva's rabbis and his friends who had supported him, as well as his friends from Yeshivat Shefa in Jerusalem, where he began his studies.
Rosenberg's grandfather called on other students to commit to a regular daily study schedule, expressing hope that they, too, would one day complete the Talmud.
The evening concluded with dancing, a festive meal marking the religious occasion and a communal gathering attended by family members, yeshiva students, alumni and friends.
