A Better Sunday Morning – Rav Binyomin Cohen’s Alumni Halacha Shiur

A Better Sunday Morning – Rav Binyomin Cohen’s Alumni Halacha Shiur

“Zekainim im ne’arim, yehalelu es shaim Hashem”, “Old men together with youths, let them praise the name of Hashem”.

This posuk is a good description of the kiddush Hashem that emerges from the weekly halacha shiurim given by the Yeshiva’s Rosh Kollel, Rav Binyomin Cohen, shlita, to a diverse group of alumni on Sunday mornings in the Yeshiva’s ezras noshim.

The age range spans more than half a century. Attendees vary in other respects as well – they include professionals as well as klei kodesh, black hat and no hat, Yeshiva leit from a variety of countries living in neighborhoods all over the city.

The unifying factor? This is a chabura of serious bnai Torah capable of absorbing a sophisticated and intricate halacha shiur and eager to do so.

The chabura is currently learning hilchos tefillin. Areas covered in previous zmanim include sechiras poalim, bishul, ribbis and yichud.

The shiur is “anchored” in the shulchan aruch and nosei keilim but early in the sugya Rav Binyomin provides the foundational pesukim, gemoras and rishonim that form the basis for halacha l’maiseh. He also, early on, provides an overview of the sugya’s halachic principles and their interactions. These elements provide a context for fully understanding the nuances of the source texts.

Rav Binyomin maintains a constant focus on practical application of the halachos under study, providing numerous contemporary examples of the various scenarios covered in the shulchan aruch. These are supplemented with contemporary teshuvos, so that the chabura has a clear picture not only of the issues that factor into halacha l’maiseh but also of how present-day poskim interpret those issues.

The shiur is interactive in every sense of the word. There is frequent, spirited discussion between Rav Binyomin and the chabura and within the chabura itself; the pilpul immeasurably enhances comprehension of the material. It also keeps the level of concentration continually high and builds a spirit of camaraderie within the chabura – a spirit that is further enhanced by Rav Binyomin’s keen sense of humor and his judicious interjection of chiddushim and vertelach on the parsha and inyonei d’yoma.

An innovation this zman is a 5-10 minute shiur at the end of the scheduled hour in the Chazon Ish’s Emunah u’Bitachon. The addition of this hashkafa element truly makes the shiur a microcosm of a “standard” Yeshiva day.

A verbal portrait really can’t do justice to Rav Binyomin’s shiur, to be appreciated it needs to be experienced. The chabura is large, boruch Hashem, but there’s always room for more. 9:30 – 10:30 AM, Sunday morning in the Yeshiva’s ezras noshim.