By COLlive reporter
Four Lubavitcher Rabbis in a Dayanus program directed by Rabbi Yehoram Ulman of Sydney have received Yoden Yoden Semicha this week in Jerusalem.
The ordained are Rabbi Shmuel Kot, Chief Rabbi and Shliach of Estonia, Rabbi Aron Leib Raskin, Director of Chabad of Brooklyn Heights, Rabbi Yaakov Raskin, Shliach in Brooklyn and Rabbi Avraham Shlomo, Dean of the Cape Town Torah High School in South Africa.
They are graduates of the program which was established by Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, respected Shliach and Senior Dayan on the Sydney Beth Din. The program includes studying large sections of Even HoEzer such as Yuchsin, Gittin and Kiddushin as well as Geirus, Mikvoes and many sections of Choshen Mishpot.
In the program, weekly shiurim are given via the internet by Rabbi Ulman and additional shiurim by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Feigelstock, Rov of Chabad in Buenos Aires. The shiurim are geared to give as much practical application of the material as possible.
The program runs under the patronage of Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, one of the leading Halachic authorities of our time and the chief editor of the renowned Encyclopaedia Talmudis.
Rabbi Goldberg is involved in setting the curriculum of the program as well as examining the candidates and is the main signatory on the smicha together with Rabbis Ulman and Feigelstock.
The ordination of the rabbis took place in the home of Rabbi Goldberg where Divrei Torah and Halocho were discussed for many hours leading to the actual signing. Rabbi Shlomo was not able to be in Israel at the time.
Also present was Rabbi Moshe D. Gutnick, a fellow Senior Dayan of the Sydney Beth Din with Rabbi Ulman.
Rabbis Gutnick and Ulman regularly visit Israel on behalf of the Sydney Beth Din to meet with Chief Rabbis, the Ovois and Hanholas Botei Din and Gedolei Yisroel to discuss matters pertinent to the Sydney Beth Din and its jurisdiction over much of Australia and Asia.
The Sydney Beth Din assists community rabbis, shluchim and communities in general within the region and beyond in all matters pertaining to Beth Din in all areas of halocho and ensures that these are all done in a manner recognized and accepted by the Chief Rabbanut and worldwide.
Following the trip to Israel Rabbi Ulman was invited to ordain Rabbi Kot as a Dayan in the presence of his community in Tallin, Estonia. A moving ceremony was attended by the leadership and members of the local community. Rabbi Ulman spoke in Russian about the importance of continued growth in Torah learning, and never being satisfied with one’s achievements and of Rabbi Kot being a remarkable example of this principle.
Rabbi Kot spoke with humility about what he gained from the years of study and being part of the program both in Halachic knowledge as well as its practical application. What especially inspired him, was the concept that a posek must include compassion to leave no stone unturned to try and find solutions, but at the same time it must be always within the boundaries of halacha.
Meetings and discussions during the trip were held with Rabbi David Lau, Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Rishon Letzion Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Ezra Basri, a renowned Dayan Posek and author, Rabbi Osher Weiss, a world renowned posek, Rabbi Eliyahu Bar Shalom, Chief Rabbi of Bat Yam, Rabbi Professor Avraham Steinberg, prolific author and world expert on Jewish medical ethics, Rabbi Yakov Shapiro, Rosh Yeshiva Merkaz Harav, Rabbi Menachem Hager, Savraner Rebbe and Senior Dayan Beth Din Petach Tikva, Rabbi Tziyon Boaron, senior judge on the Beis Din Hagodol in Jerusalem, Rabbi Yochanan Gurary, Chief Rabbi of Cholon, Rabbi Pinchas Althaus, a senior official in the Rabbanut, Rabbi David Malka, Menahel of Hanholas Botei Din, Rabbi Yitzchak Peretz, head of the department of giyur and Rabbi Menachem Burstein, head of Machon Puah institute.
Mazal Tov to all, well done, nice to see BH
Ilford UK
Very impressive from strength to strength
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Can you please post information for those who might be interested in joining this program?
Thanks!
Nice to see that as the years go by more and more people learn for dayonus
Phenomenal……
Very impressive Dayan Raskin!
It will take me time to get used to it,,but kol hakavod!
מזל טוב!
your classmate and chaver Aryeh Leib Friedman