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If someone completes a major section of Talmud Torah that is not a formal unit (eg., Basar BeḤalav), may/should one make a Siyum?

msh210
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Seth J
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  • Basar beHalav is not a formal unit? Isn't it the name of a section in YD from somewhere in the 80s to [something a little bigger]? – Double AA Jul 23 '12 at 18:51
  • @DoubleAA, well, that's what I mean. It's a unit, and certainly a recognized one, but I don't know if it's a formal one. – Seth J Jul 23 '12 at 18:56
  • So are you asking what is a formal unit? Your question [re: a non formal unit] to me sounded to me like someone learned 15 random simanim in Orach Chaim with Mishna Berura. For some people this might be an accomplishment worth celebrating, and your question would be, can they do so formally? – Double AA Jul 23 '12 at 18:58
  • @DoubleAA, I don't see the difference between fifteen random simanim and fifteen simanim that are given a name atop the page. SethJ, are you also asking whether such a siyum counts a s'udas mitzva (e.g. for purposes of meat and wine in the nine days)? If so, you may wish to edit that into your question. – msh210 Jul 23 '12 at 19:02
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    See piskei Tshuvos 551 which lists a bunch of seforim and the guidlines to what one can make a syium on he mentions there is a shitta which says maybe even a mesechta of mishan is good enough he also brings if one finishs Avos D'Reb Nosson or sifrei Kabbalah,a Rabbi made a syium when he finished Sefer Pri Eitz Chaim. See inside for more on this and the footnotes. – sam Jul 23 '12 at 19:04
  • @msh210 What about 697 simanim that have a name atop their page? Is the question asking what formal unit needs to be met, or if the din is one of simcha, both lechumra and lekula? – Double AA Jul 23 '12 at 19:05
  • @DoubleAA, I mean first of all an actual unit (eg., Shabbath), and if an answer is given that is even more inclusive than that, then that would certainly be suitable. – Seth J Jul 23 '12 at 19:10
  • @msh210, I am asking for all practical ramifications - including eating meat during the 9 Days and saying Hadran/Kaddish, as well as a firstborn's fasting or not (thanks, DoubleAA). – Seth J Jul 23 '12 at 19:11
  • @sam, I wish I could look that up. I haven't got a copy and none seems to be available on Hebrewbooks.org. Is there a way you can write it up as an answer below, or is it too long and involved for that? – Seth J Jul 25 '12 at 16:41
  • @SethJ ,it is alot too much to write. – sam Jul 25 '12 at 19:02
  • @Sam Can you list his primary sources? – Seth J Jul 25 '12 at 20:20

3 Answers3

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Rav Moshe writes in his Igros Moshe OH 1:157 that if someone did learn and feels accomplished then that calls for celebration but he also mentions that it took some time and it seems from the tshuva that the mikra was completed and the Rishonim were used for iyun. see inside for mekoros.

Rav Eliyashiv is quoted in the Sefer Va'yishma Moshe and held to be machmir and not make a syium on Nach.

sam
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  • RYSE held not to celebrate, or not to use it for meat/firstborns/etc.? – Double AA Jul 23 '12 at 19:21
  • the halacha was said with regard to meat and wine. – sam Jul 23 '12 at 19:24
  • Accepted answer because you brought both sides to the Mikra issue. Have you seen anything on other sections of Talmud Torah, though, like my example in my question? – Seth J Jul 30 '12 at 18:26
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    In regards to Rav Eliyashuv and Nach....Halacha c'moso?!?! My friend made a siyum on Nach and called a rov to ask what he can say (i.e. hadran, etc.) the Rov said "how did you do it!?" the guy said "with Rashi?" ... He said "no, I mean, how did you do it?!? How did you finish all of Nach? I'm jealous of you!!" ... This was a pretty big Rov also... – Yehoshua Mar 07 '13 at 21:57
  • 9 days ,what he holds the whole year I don't know. – sam Mar 08 '13 at 00:11
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    @Yehoshua Sounds like a pretty mediocre Rov if he hasn't gone through Nach. – Double AA Mar 22 '15 at 04:38
  • @doubleaa he probably meant biyum – sam Mar 22 '15 at 12:19
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In this lecture, the speaker quotes R' Moshe Feinstein that anything that you do that you feel proud of accomplishing — even someone who learned one daf of gemara, if it was hard for him — you can make a siyum on it.

b a
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According to the Guidlines series (by Rabbi Elozor Barclay and Rabbi Yitzchok Jaeger) in both the volume on the 3 weeks and the volume on Pesach say that a siyum to permit breaking the fast of the firstborn and eating meat in 9 days are one of the following:

  • A tractate of Talmud
  • A seder of Mishna
  • A book of Tanach learned b'iyun (b'iyun is not defined there)
  • A tur of Shulchan Aruch
Ze'ev misses Monica
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