BY SHOSHANA BERNSTEIN

Q: How did the get started? out of money. I happened to mention the Rabbi Nechemya Hoffman, kollel to a new father and he reached into Kollel Learning Q&A with Rabbi Founder of Kollel Chatzos RABBI HOFFMAN: When I was a bochur his wallet and gave me $30. He told me, learning in the Mir I was zoche to get to “I can’t stay up the whole night before the know a tremendous talmid chochom and bris to learn. Please have the kollel learn in Nechemye mechaber seforim who shared with me zechus of my baby.” that it is a life changing experience to learn The Rashash brings an incredible chid- the Zohar. I went to Meron for Lag b’Omer dush: if someone cannot stay up to learn Hoffman and bought myself a small set of Zohar and the night of his baby’s vachnacht, he can found it very inspiring. Rabbi Shimon bar ask someone else to learn on his behalf and Yochai states over and over that chatzos it is as if he himself learned for his baby of Kollel Chatzos halaila is such a special time to learn, so the entire night. I realized that this was I decided to try. I davened Maariv in the a potential way to help support the kollel Rabbi Nechemye Hoffman is the founder and Director of Kollel Chatzos. A young, first minyan in , went to sleep and while providing new fathers an avenue to Q: You give people the opportunity to married father of 3, he started the first kollel in 2011 with just 14 members and woke up at 12 am. I had the key to a Bais have a shmira and a zechus for their baby. become a partner with Kollel Chatzos. a dream. Four years later there are four locations and the power and zechus of Medrash in Meah Shearim; I let myself in We started advertising and more people Where does the money go? supporting limud hatorah, especially at chatzos, is reverberating across the globe. and learned, alone, the whole night. signed up for the zechus of having the Then I got married and settled in Upstate kollel learn throughout the night. It grew RABBI HOFFMAN: Exclusively to the New York with a regular day kollel sched- from there. kollel members and administrative costs Ami asks Rabbi Nechemye Hoffman, RABBI HOFFMAN: The members are to Kollel Chatzos for the night. It is an to help administer and raise funds for the founder of Kollel Chatzos: What is picked up (since it is the middle of the intense way of life, but the kollel members Q: What do you think appeals to kollelim. Without the money raised, we Kollel Chatzos? night, we provide transportation) and who commit to it can’t imagine anything people most? would not be able to pay the kollel mem- Kollel begins promptly at 12:45 with else. In fact, there’s a huge waiting list in bers and the families would not have the RABBI HOFFMAN: Every night at a little Maariv. Then they settle in to learn. Some each city. RABBI HOFFMAN: When people hear the ability to live this elevated and exceptional past midnight, close to 100 young talmi- chazer what they learned during the day, power and zechus of supporting the kollel, life of Torah. The more money raised, the dei chachomim in Brooklyn, Monsey, some learn b’. Others participate Q: What type of person signs up for and the yeshuos it brings, they realize that more I can give each kollel member and Monroe and Meron, leave home to learn in Dirshu; Maggidei prepare and Kollel Chatzos? there is definitely a koach to supporting the more locations I can open. in Kollel throughout the night. there is a Dayan who reviews shailos and Torah being learned b’chatzos halailah. People are shocked when they see learns Shulchan Oruch. Many say tikun RABBI HOFFMAN: Yungerleit ages 25-30; There have always been those who feel a Q: What is your vision for the future? the yungerleit running in to shul at that chatzos. deeply committed to learning Torah; they deep connection to segulos and yeshuos. time, with tallis and tefillin in hand. It’s Each member has a list of names spe- must be learning during the day as well. Now people across the board are recog- RABBI HOFFMAN: A kollel chatzos in inspiring to see such excitement for learn- cific to their kollel to keep in mind while When someone applies we meet with him nizing the tremendous zechus in helping every city with enough money to include ing when everyone else is going to sleep! they learn. At some point he takes out the and ask: ‘What is your plan for learn- ensure there is never a moment without as many kollel members as possible. And Recently, a wealthy man happened to be paper and recites the names, often with ing and what is your plan for your home Torah being learned, especially during the ultimately, that each kollel chatzos should standing outside the shul when one of the tears. We keep the lists relatively small life? When will you sleep?’ They must be night. be a full day kollel as well. cars pulled up. He wondered out loud and these exemplary talmidei chacho- able to sleep for four hours before they Members of the Kollel learning When you consider the time difference what they were doing and was so moved, mim develop a strong spiritual connection come. When someone is accepted, he is between the Kollel Chatzos locations in To contact Kollel Chatzos or for more he gave $50 to each kollel member right to the names they daven for; if a name is committed for one zman. For most kollel America and Eretz Yisroel, it means that information please call then and there. taken off the list, they notice. members, there is definitely an adjustment ule, but I really missed the chatzos halaila in essence Torah is being learned non- Phone 1855-242-8967 (chatzos) They learn until daybreak and daven period, but then it becomes a way of life. learning and always talked about it. About stop from 6 pm to 6 am. Add this torah Email: [email protected] Q: What differentiates Kollel Chatzos Shacharis at netz. There is something a year and a half after I got married, my learning to the rest of torah being learned Mailing Address: 46 Main St. #104, from other organizations of the same very special about a davening that comes Q: What about the wives? wife urged me to use our chasunah savings during the day throughout the world and Monsey NY, 10952 name? after an entire night of being immersed to open a kollel. I went to various Gedo- Torah is being learned 24 hours a day. on the web at www.1855chatzos.org in Torah! Then the members head home RABBI HOFFMAN: The application actu- lim for haskama and put a small ad in the RABBI HOFFMAN: We are the only kollel to eat breakfast and help with the family ally requires the wife’s signature stating classifieds. I started two weeks later with in Eretz Yisroel with regular, young kollel and sleep for a couple of hours. By ten that she agrees and supports this decision, 14 people. Members of the Kollel davening at netz, after a night of immersing in Torah members learning the standard range of o’clock am they are back in their regular just like for Hatzolah members. Some Torah. Walk in to any of our locations at day kollel. wives even add that it is a zechus and an Q: How did one small kollel grow into 3 am and you’ll think you stepped in to a Q: So they learn day and night?! honor. During the year we plan support four locations and a world renowned normal, vibrant day kollel. In America we groups for the women, and inspirational source for the zechusim of limud hato- are the only Kollel Chatzos and the only RABBI HOFFMAN: Yes. They get home speakers; before Pesach we give out bonus rah? kollel learning throughout the night. from day kollel, eat supper and help with coupons, and before Shavuos we give a Q: Describe a night in Kollel Chatzos. the kids, go to sleep at about 8:30 pm bag filled with milchig items and a beauti- RABBI HOFFMAN: The kollel started after for four hours and then wake up and head ful letter thanking the wives. Pesach and by the summer, I was running