Lakewood teens complete Shas in memory of the Bibas family 

Rabbi David Ben Harosh is a young scholar living in Lakewood, New Jersey, who serves as a teacher for seventh graders in the local Talmud Torah.

After hearing the chilling story of the Bibas family, he decided to do something for the elevation of their souls.

In a conversation with Kikar Hashabbat, Rabbi Ben Harosh recounts: “I teach at a cheder in Lakewood, and we were all shaken by the horrific story of what the Bibas family went through, as well as the Jewish heroism of the father, Yarden. We decided, so that ‘the eternity of Israel will not lie,’ to do something for them.”

“The best and most practical idea,” Rabbi Ben Harosh told Kikar Hashabbat, “was to hold a completion ceremony. At first, we thought of completing a single tractate, but we realized we needed something bigger. So we decided to complete the entire Shas of Mishnayos. We began dividing the tractates among 70 boys who just wanted to do something for the elevation of the soul of the redheaded family that touched the heart of all of Israel. In a short time, all the tractates were divided, and in honor of the 30 days since their return, we completed all the tractates. On Monday this week, we held an especially moving completion ceremony, and the boy David Aviv, who learned the most, was the one who completed the Shas.”

Rabbi Ben Harosh feels compelled to explain why he considers this a chilling event. He says: “Beyond the difficult story of the Bibas family, which is impossible to fully grasp, it was important for us to send a message from the United States to the Land of Israel that we feel like one people, that we are all connected to one another. No matter what opinions or perspectives each person holds, when they come to destroy us, we are one united nation.”

“This is an important educational message for these boys,” the rabbi further explains: “When the Jewish people on the other side of the world are in distress, we are in distress too. We feel and grieve together with the Land of Israel over the attempt to annihilate the Jewish people, and we show the whole world that no one can defeat us.”

At the moving completion ceremony, held in an orange-themed setting in the Talmud Torah dining hall in memory of the redheaded family that shook our hearts, the boys completed the Shas as mentioned and even performed an especially touching song in memory of the family.