The Kollel’s learning sessions are untouchable—almost sacred ground. But last night, something remarkable broke that tradition.

At 9:15 PM, Rabbi Gibber did the unthinkable: he interrupted a full Beis Medrash night seder. The room fell silent as he shared a story from his days at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel. Rav Yaakov Ruderman had once halted the Yeshiva’s learning seder to honor a group of Iranian refugees who completed a mesechta of Gemara, marking their siyum with a celebration in the Beis Medrash.

Inspired by that precedent, we paused to celebrate an equally monumental achievement: the completion of the “Bavas” (Bava Kama, Bava Metzia, and Bava Basra) —414 folios of some of the most challenging Talmudic texts—by over a dozen community members following the Daf Yomi cycle. The room erupted in joy and dancing. Some continued the celebration with refreshments and singing at a local restaurant, while others returned to their learning, their spirits uplifted.

Rabbi Gibber explained the deeper meaning behind the pause: “The honor of Torah must precede the learning of Torah.”

Torah is not just another subject. It is the Divine Word and Wisdom. Only when approached with proper reverence can its full depth be unlocked. And so, last night, we stopped—and by doing so, elevated everything.