Siyum HaRambam

The Siyum of the Mishneh Torah of The Rambam is an event marking the completion of studying the Mishneh Torah book by Rambam in one of the study tracks outlined by the Rebbe, on a track of three chapters per day - once a year, or on a track of one chapter per day - once every three years.

In addition to completing the entire Mishneh Torah book at the end of the study cycle, siyumim (completion celebrations) are also held upon completing each set of halachot (laws) that the Rambam divided and upon completing each of the fourteen books comprising the Mishneh Torah.

The International siyum

Every year, the World Siyum HaRambam ceremony takes place in Crown Heights, with the participation of great rabbis and Admorim. In the year 5782, a special massive unity event was held on the eve of Lag BaOmer, for which extensive preparations were made. The gathering is organized by Rabbi Shmuel Menachem Mendel Butman, director of Central Chabad Youth Organization. The name 'World Siyum HaRambam' was given by the Rebbe. To the organizer - Rabbi Shmuel Butman, the Rebbe wrote: "I will mention at the tziyun, for great and extraordinary success, many wonders in the joy of Mishneh Torah of the year 5750." "Hashem put in their hearts."

Siyum HaRambam Album

Rabbi Butman, following the Rebbe's instructions, compiled an album collecting pictures and speeches from the Siyum HaRambamim during the first years of the takana (enactment). The book was prepared in less than three weeks.

Siyum HaRambam at the Rambam's House - Morocco

In Morocco, they hold a unique Siyum HaRambam celebration at the Rambam's house in the city of Fez, in addition to other celebrations. The celebration was organized for many years by the shliach Rabbi Yehuda Leib Raskin. The first celebration took place at the completion of the first cycle in 5745, and since then celebrations have been held annually in Fez and other cities as well. For the first celebration in 5745, a special bus departed from Casablanca carrying the Rebbe's shluchim: Rabbi Shlomo Matusof, Rabbi Shalom Edelman, and Rabbi Yehuda Leib Raskin, along with public figures, Chabad yeshiva students, and members of the Casablanca community. The siyum celebrations in the city began with a special ceremony in the Grand Synagogue, attended by about two hundred people. Rabbi Shlomo Matusof conducted the siyum, and the celebrants proceeded to the Rambam's house where the celebration began in the courtyard of the ancient house, and the siyum was conducted on the roof of the house by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Raskin, while the opening for the second cycle was taught by Rabbi Shlomo Matusof. The bottle of mashke from which 'l'chaim' was distributed at this event was specially preserved for the Rebbe, and a few days later, when the student shluchim traveled to the Rebbe, they took the bottle with them and gave it to the Rebbe. At the Shabbat HaGadol farbrengen, the Rebbe mentioned in a sicha the siyum at the Rambam's house in Fez, and at the end of the sicha, he poured from this bottle to each of the student shluchim in the Yeshiva Gedolah and also to Rabbi Binyamin Gorodetsky and to additional bottles. The Rebbe announced that whoever conducts a Siyum HaRambam would receive, through the Rebbe's secretariat, a bottle of mashke containing mashke from the Siyum HaRambam in Fez. Also at the 11th of Nissan farbrengen, the Rebbe mentioned the Siyum HaRambam at the Rambam's house in Fez and announced again that whoever conducts a Siyum HaRambam would receive a bottle containing mashke from Fez.

At the end of the month of Nissan, on Shabbat Mevarchim Iyar, the Rebbe said at a farbrengen that he would give mashke for the siyumim that would be held and also for those who had conducted a siyum in Fez and Cairo. At this event, the Rebbe's shliach in Montreal, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Raskin, received a bottle, and after the Rebbe poured him mashke, he said he would send the bottle to his father in Morocco. That year, 13 "Siyum HaRambam" celebrations were held throughout Morocco, including in the cities of Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakesh, and Meknes. In subsequent years, they continued to celebrate the Siyum HaRambam events with great splendor in Moroccan cities and at the Rambam's house

Finishing of the Rambam in Israel

In the year 5744 (1984) - after the Rebbe's declaration about the ordinance of studying Rambam, Rabbi Levi Bistritsky initiated and conducted the Rambam completions at the Rambam's tomb in Tiberias, and until his last year, he arranged the completion ceremonies at the Rambam's grave. Also beginning that year, whenever they finished studying certain laws or a specific book, he would go down with a minyan of people to the Rambam's grave in Tiberias and conduct the completion ceremony there.

Today, every year the completion takes place at the site itself and afterward continues in one of the halls in the city. The event is organized by Chabad House of Tiberias and Tzeirei Agudas Chabad.

Rambam Celebration Headquarters

In the year 5745 (1985), with the completion of the first cycle of the daily Rambam study, the "Rambam Celebration Headquarters" was established with the goal of organizing dozens of completion celebrations throughout the country, headed by the main completion ceremony attended by tens of thousands. The headquarters was led by Rabbi Yisrael Halperin, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kaplan, and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov. This headquarters, like other Chabad institutions in the Holy Land during that period, was under the umbrella organization.

After the Rambam completion in the year 5748 (1988), the Rebbe sent dollars to all of Anash who couldn't attend the completion ceremony.

In the year 5747 (1987), Rabbi Zimroni Tzik organized the third "Rambam Completion" celebration in the Holy Land, which was held at "Binyanei Ha'Uma" in Jerusalem. This event was attended by great Admorim and heads of yeshivas and received the Rebbe's blessing.

In the year 5748 (1988), the responsibilities of the headquarters were transferred to the "Daily Rambam Headquarters," managed by the Rebbe's emissary in Netanya, Rabbi Nachum Goldschmidt, operating under the organization of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in the Holy Land.

Completion of Laws

The Rebbe encouraged and aroused interest in conducting completions of laws, in addition to the large celebratory event at the completion of the entire learning cycle.

In the weeks of 5749 (1989), there was a sudden farbrengen. At that farbrengen, the Rebbe requested that Rambam completions be conducted for all laws finished in the Rambam, and from then on, the Rebbe would give a bottle of mashke every week to Rabbi Menachem Nachum Gerlitzky, who conducts the Rambam completions at 770 as participation in the completions, and issued encouraging responses to the reports from the completions, as well as to the Anash community in Tzfat that organized delegations for the law completions at his grave in Tiberias.

Additionally, the Rebbe encouraged Rabbi Yekutiel Menachem Rapp to write down the content of the things he said at the Rambam completion at 770, and even published two volumes called "Tikvas Menachem."

The completion organized by Rabbi Gerlitzky is within the framework of Kollel Tiferes Zekenim Levi Yitzchak 770 and its regular Rambam class.

See Also

• The Takanah of studying Rambam

Further Reading

• Zichru Toras Moshe - Special supplement of the newspaper 'HaModia' for the completion of the 39th cycle, 18 Tammuz 5780 (2020)
• Veyosifu B'inyonei Menachem Overview of the completions of laws in the Rambam book at 770 from the archives of Menachem Gerlitzky in the publication of Vaad Chayalei Beis David, Tishrei 5777 (2016)