My Maseches Yoma Dedication

Hadran aluch Maseches Yoma v'hadrach alun!

The learning was done in honor of my mother, Chantze Rachel, who tended lovingly to her father - my zaidy - for two years by his bedside, in the way that we should all treat our parents, and our Living God: with all of her heart and all of her soul, until his soul departed.

Kibud av v'eim is the first, and one of the few, mitzvahs in the Torah whose reward is explicitly mentioned: l'ma'an yarichun yameicha. So that your days will be lengthened.

My grandfather honored the mitzvah with alacrity, in deed and word, and merited long life.

My mother honored the mitzvah, and should also be granted a long life.

I do my best as well, and I hope for a long life.

Now it goes without saying that every word of Torah that I learn, no matter to whom I expressly dedicate it to, is also dedicated to my grandfather, Benzion ben Reb Aharon Malik. I don't mind revealing this, but every time I sit down to learn words of Torah, the image of my grandfather floats before me - perhaps in the same way that a vision of Yaakov floated before Yosef and kept him from sinning. It was he who instilled the passion within me, who lent me all his seforim to scribble in as I pleased, who told me to always fall asleep with a gemara on my tummy.

He learned with me in my youth. I remember and cherish those times. Therefore I will learn for him all my life, and he will learn with me forever.

His only living cousin, Shulamit bas Frieda, is in need of a refuah sheleimah. I have begun learning Maseches Sukkah in her honor.

Zoogt der heiligeh gemooreh...

-Mordechi Bodek