Hakdama to Peirush Mesoras Avos on Avos:
The name was chosen since Pirkei Avos is a Mesorah from our avos, the Great Tannaim, who received the Mesorah from the Anshei Kneses Hagedolah, and up to Moshe Rabbeinu.
My background in mishnayos Pirkei Avos was with great Chesed Haborei. I was fortunate to have the zchus, of learning b'chavrusa with Rav Yisroel Berman, a Senior Mashgiach of Yeshivas Beis Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel and a talmid muvhak of Reb Dov Schwartzman zt"l, for three years. We learned sections of Siach Yitzchak Al Tefilla together, along with the entire Peirush Rabbeinu Yonah Al Avos, and some parts of Medresh Shmuel and Ruach Chaim Al Avos.
I always had an interest for Avos, especially as a baal mussar, and I enjoy seeing it straight from the Tannaim.
My personal mehalech in Avos is like the Meiri and the Avos Olam. The goal is to bring about a true havana of the Mishnah, the Tanna's goal, and the points and lessons to grow from by appreciating and putting careful analysis on what ideas are mentioned together in that particular Mishnah, as well as word choice.
What was the reason that I chose to use my spare time as a full-time yungerman in kollel on Pirkei Avos? My uncle, who had moved to the city where his sons and grandchildren live, and was renting for a few years. Eventually got a home, so his daughter and nieces and nephews could visit, and so that he could host private siyumim, kiddushim, chavrusos etc. The night he moved into his new home, he was alarmed as he was awoken suddenly from his sleep to a smell of smoke. Nervous to what it may be, he grabbed his essentials and left the home, only to then hear a electric explosion. Lo aleinu, total devastation. BH, his Tefillin was in perfect condition, and no one was harmed. The insurance took care of rebuilding the home, and now he understood why his apartment lease was still running.
My cousin, the son of this uncle, asked for a beracha from a gadol. Knowing that the best mehalech to prevent something is to take something on and that there is no greater kabbalah then adding more torah to ones diet, we decided there should be more Torah being learn at night. I remember my family R"L in the summer of 10th grade having their own house fire. The famous Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin, says a home that does not have Torah in it at night, will be consumed by fire (see Ben Yehoyadah). Since Dec 14th 5785, just a few days after the fire, we have been sending recordings BS"D. Now my uncle will have a re-modeled home, paid by insurance, with a foundation and walls of Torah and zchusim of harbatzos Torah.
Hakdama to Peirush Dvar Hashem on Chumash:
"Ki mitzion teitzei Torah udvar Hashem Myerushalayim" Torah is referred to as Dvar Hashem. Even Torah sheb'al peh is called Dvar Hashem, as we say in Gemara Sanhedrin, one who is mevatel torah, "Dvar hashem bazah". ImH"y the Torah should be like a lesson we hear straight from Hashem at Har Sinai.
My textual background in Parshas hashavua is primarily in Ksav sofer, Tiferes Shimshon, Kedusha Yoel, and Chiddushei Halev. In addition, I've had the zchus of hearing mussar schmoozen from my mashgiach Rav Menachem Glick, talmid muvhak of Rav Wolbe & Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach. I have also been zoche to hear many parshah divrei torah from Rav Moshe Schecter (my 10th grade Rebbi) in his Shul Mikor HaChaim, Rav Tzvi Zimmerman at mishmar, Rav Moshe Revah in his weekly emails, and Rav Dovid Hoffman, a Rosh Kollel in Baltimore.
I try to say over a choshuv piece of inspiration that raises the bar in how we should act or see the world, and it is sometimes directed to inyanei dyomah. A ben Torah learns Chumash to grow in yiras Shamayim, and we must look to see what hadracha Hashem is hinting to us in His Torah for that week, that year.
I hope you will benefit greatly from these shiurim BS"D.
Hakdamah to Peirush Havanas Zalman on Shas, BS"D:
After many years of learning and being mevatel daas to the great Rishonim and Achronim that preceded us, I have gained a clearer and ever-growing understanding of how to learn pshat, BS"D. I had the zchus to learn from Rabbi Ezra Hartman, who was a Baal Mechadesh, a master in pshat, and a primary talmid muvhak of Rav Nochum Partzovitz. Additionally, I was in the shiur of my Rosh Yeshiva's son, Rav Moshe Lehrfeild, talmid muvhak of Rav Asher Areilli. From them both I learned how to read Achronim and Rishonim. I also benefitted greatly from being a young bochur who was brave enough to join my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Daniel Lehrfield's, weekly shiur klali, as it was typically only for his shiur to attend. I also learned to appreciate how to implement havanah in Rishonim from the halachic sources from Rav Yaakov Sussman. I was zoche to learn from two lamdanim in Baltimore, Rav Eliezer Lochman, talmid muvhak of Rav Yaakov Weinberg zt"l from Yeshivas Ner Yisrael, and Rav Zecharya Stern who created a revolution in Baltimore having a very anti -bor benosei keilim mentality and bringing the classic Lakewood-style chabura focused on havana and lomdus to the city of Baltimore. Additionally, I had the privilege of growing up in the home of my father who is a talmid of both Chicago Telz and Chofetz Chaim, of the greatest yeshivos in iyun in America.
During my years in yeshiva, I have especially learned and have been molded by the Kovetz Shiurim by Rav Elchanon Wasserman as well as the Ketzos. From them I faithfully learned svara and how to approach a sugya. By learning from Sefer Kmatar Likchi and Kli Chemda, I really got thinking in lomdus and iyun. I was inspired to write down my own chiddushim by the Ayeles Hashachar. The most profound impact on me came from learning the Birchas Mordechai of Rav Mordechai Ezrachi zt"l Im Mishmeres Chaim from Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt"l, and especially from going through a substantial amount of Amek Beracha and Shu't Terumas Hadeshen from the beginning.
Hakdamah to B'Kerev Chochomim on Hisorerus:
The Gemara in Berachos says that four areas need chizuk.
Essentially, it is the square of Avodas Hashem, the four corners with which we serve Hashem by, derech eretz, maasim tovim, tefillah, and Torah. The poshut pshat is that we need to be mechazek these areas constantly, or at least daily. The gematria of my name, Zalman, is 127, and 127 plus four (the areas that need chizuk) equals 131, the gematria of chizuk. I hope to be mechazek in these vital areas of Avodas Hashem.
Within these recordings IMHY are a blend of the hashkafos that my rabbeim and life have developed in me. I'm grateful to Hakadosh Boruch Hu for giving me what daven and hope is an accurate understanding of Ratzon Hashem, and I continue davening to receive the chesed of Hashem and to be facilitated in growing in Avodas Hashem.
I am privileged to have been a close talmid of many choshuv Rabbanim. Even in my early years, my 8th grade rebbi, Rav Avigdor Pekier, instilled long-term Yiras Shamayim which I hold till this day. I've also had the zchus to learn with Rav Menachem Glick for three years for mussar seder, and I benefitted from many other yungerleit and mashgichim by either having vaadim or chavrusos with them. The vaadim that most shaped my hashkafos, were from Rav Moshe Lehrfeild, Rav Menachem Glick, Rav Yaakov Sussman, Rav Aharon Lopian (on hashkafah), and Rav Yosef Elefant. I am really lucky to have Rav Moshe Schechter and Rav Dovid Greenberg in my life. I practically grew up in their homes, and they were real role-models for me.
There are some choice seforim that have been my prime sources of chizuk, hashkafah, and mussar. I am privileged to have learned Orchos Tzadikim, Derech Hashem, and Shaar Daled of Nefesh Hachaim cover-to-cover multiple times over, BS"D. Sur Merah V'aseh Tov with the peirush of the Bnei Yissaschar, and Rav Don Segal on Iggeres Haramban, and Rav Mattisyahu Solomon on Mesilas Yesharim are works that I have learned entirely and have made an impact on me. I have also had considerable and impactful exposure in learning Yisroel Kedoshim and other seforim by Rav Kalman Krohn, as well as the rest of Nefesh Hachaim (Shaarim 1,2, 3, and perakim) and Shaarei Kedusha by Reb Chaim Vital. I'm a big fan of Keser Rosh from Rav Chaim Volozhin, Sefer Yesod Yosef, Moreh B'etzba by the Chida, Es Laasos by Reb Hillel of Kelomya, and the seforim of Rav Chanoch Karlenstein. The biggest sources of my hashkafos are Kol Kisvei Chofetz Chaim, and Kovetz Maamarim by his talmid Rav Elchanon Wasserman.