Leora Moskowitz: Tribute to Rav Kahn


Leora Orenshein (Moskowitz)


Today in daf yomi, we are finishing masechet Nedarim. When I opened my gemara to start the masechet, I saw that I already had notes on the first daf-- circles and little underlines all over the page, with a few words in pencil, squeezed between the small lines of the Ran. I looked at it and wondered, what are all these circles and underlines? Then I looked at the words and realized it was all the words that I didn't know yet, and R' Kahn said we should learn every word on the daf that we didn't know. I looked back now and smiled, seeing  all the words that had been so daunting to learn then, but of course after learning in R' Kahn's shiur, how could I not know them?

In Pirkei Avot, we learn that a great teacher is one who is מעמיד תלמידים הרבה. It is often pointed out that the mishnah doesn't say, מלמד, to teach, but rather מעמיד, to stand up. The greatest of teachers do not just teach their students Torah, but teach their students how to learn Torah-- to stand their students up on their own two feet, so that they can learn on their own. This is what R' Kahn has done for his talmidot. I am overwhelmed by reading the posts of so many of R' Kahn's talmidot, so many talmidot who are now teachers themselves-- and so many who are teachers and pillars of our generation, and of talmud Torah for women. I feel so priviledged to be part of the community of R' Kahn's talmidot. May we continue to learn and teach Torah in his ways, and pass down the mesorah to the next generation. Thank you R' Kahn for all that you have taught us.

 (Leora is currently teaching gemara and halacha MTVA and learning hilchot shabbos in Tagel.)

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