I’m Finishing learning entire Tanach, how should

amother

Wed, Jan 03 2024, 11:55 am

How should siyum go? IYH I am finishing up Tanach. Reading all of ArtScroll nach with English meforshim. 5 years of learning . I want to have siyum with about 35 (female )friends , Rabbis & Rebbetzins ( I attend shiurim with different Rabbis & Rebbetzins in my community), & family. Since I have a public speaking phobia, I plan to only say the last pasuk (which happens to be long)and my husband will say a dvar Torah . No hadran because I do not feel a woman should say it. Plan do have it in a shul serving brunch. Should I have the Rabbis speak ( we attend 2 shuls)? Any suggestions on what else I should do for this special occasion?

Elfrida

Wed, Jan 03 2024, 12:55 pm

amother Amber wrote:

May I ask… what’s Hadren?

I honestly don’t know how to help you, but I’m really really impressed with your efforts. Hope to do that too one day

It's a special text, normally recited when making a siyum on a mesechta, or a Seder of Mishna. There is one with a slightly different text that is recited when making a siyum of Tanach.

Very broadly, it thanks Hashem for giving g us the chance to learn Torah, glorifies the concept of the study of Torah, and promises that just because we finished a particular part of Torah, that doesn't mean we are done with it, but will go back and study it again.

If there is a minyan present, it is normally followed by kaddish.

If you Google, there are translations on line.

Elfrida

Wed, Jan 03 2024, 1:05 pm

I just found this more detailed explanation.

The Aramaic Phrase “Hadran Alakh…”
This is a pledge that we will return to the masechet, just as it will return to us. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik compared this sentiment to parents who drop their child off at school and promise to come back; while they might not be acutely aware of their child throughout the day, they have a latent sense that their child is awaiting them and they truly intend to return. Similarly, we tell the masechet that while we no longer will be actively toiling in its pages, we will carry its wisdom with us as we study other matters until we possibly turn to this very masechet once again. One typically recites this phrase three times.

R’ Pappa’s Sons
This section is perhaps the most perplexing part of the siyum, though it might also be the oldest passage (Rav Hai Gaon refers to it in his writings). Some believe the list is an incantation of sorts that prevents the learner from forgetting what she learned. The Rema (Shut HaRema) claims that Rav Pappa was a wealthy man and as such would throw lavish celebrations for his sons when they finished a masechet. Others suggest that it parallels the Ten Commandments or that the gematria (numerical value of the letters) of the names equals the number of pages in Shas.

The “HaArev” Prayer
This prayer, from Brakhot 11b, also appears in Birkhot HaTorah every morning. It is a request that the words of Torah remain forever pleasant for us and for our descendants.

R’ Nechunya HaKaneh’s Prayer

Rabbi Nechunya HaKaneh used to say this prayer, which appears in Berakhot 28b, when he left the Beit Midrash. It is a declaration of gratitude for the opportunity to toil in the words of Torah and to use our time for such a holy endeavor. Some choose to omit this section as the gratitude rests on a contrast between the Torah learner and those who waste their time.

The Final Paragraph

This prayer asks God to grant the learner the merit of finishing other works of Torah and of upholding its laws and principles. The text comes full circle, as it reinforces once more that this “siyum” is not, in fact, a final culmination of one’s learning, but rather a point in a continuing journey.

From this website
https://hadran.org.il/what-is-.....20the
They also talk more about the normal structure of a siyum