Rabbi Meir Shapiro zt"l
Rosh Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin
Founder of the Daf Hayomi
Author: Ohr Hameir
7 Cheshvan 5694 (1933)
The Gaon, Rav Meir Shapiro, z’tl, the Rav of Lublin once told a childhood story about his mother. “When I was a boy, my family was forced to move several times from house to house. We also moved from city to city. The constant moving did not disturb my mother; only one thing would bother her, missing my Torah study!”
“On one occasion, as we were again preparing to move, my mother had an idea. She contacted the new tutor from the town to which we were moving, and arranged that he would meet me by the gate of the city. He would then be able to learn with me immediately when we arrived at the town.”
“When we finally reached our destination, we searched and searched, but the melamed was not there. My mother sat down next to the wagon and cried for a long time. I tried to calm her down by saying, ‘Mommy, Mommy, why are you crying, I’ll learn tomorrow!’”
“My mother answered, ‘Meir’el, Meir’el, You don’t yet know how to appreciate the meaning of missing Torah study one day!’”
The Chafetz Chaim once expressed his appreciation of Daf Hayomi to Reb Meir Shapiro. “I am especially fond of you, and do you know why?” asked the Chafetz Chaim. “Because of what you have achieved through the Daf Hayomi study program.”
“In Olam Habba,” continued the Chafetz Chaim, “a person receives more honor for his Torah study than for any of his good deeds. Each Jew is honored in accordance with how much Torah he has studied and is given a chair engraved with the names of the Masechtos he has learned.”
“Until now, many of these seats were empty, people studied only certain Masechtos while others were neglected. Thanks to you,” concluded the Chafetz Chaim, “all the seats are now occupied, and there is incredible joy in Shamayim.”
