Currently, at the Ponevezh Yeshiva, they are learning Maseches Sanhedrin during this zeman, the last masechta on which the late Rosh Yeshiva, Maran Rav Gershon Edelstein zt”l, gave shiur.
Regarding this masechta there is a remarkable story testifying to the depth of knowledge of Rav Gershon, as related by Rav Uziel Leibowitz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Birkas Shmuel in Bnei Brak.
Rav Uziel related that when his father, Rav Chaim Shlomo Leibowitz, became rosh yeshiva at Ponevezh Yeshiva, one of the major driving forces behind that decision was Rav Gershon Edelstein. After a period when the yeshiva cycle came to Maseches Sanhedrin, Rav Chaim Shlomo informed Rav Gershon humbly that since he mainly teaches the chiddushim of his zaide, the Birkas Shmuel, Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz, and since there is no Birkas Shmuel on Maseches Sanhedrin, during that zeman he would not deliver shiurim in the yeshiva.
Rav Gershon called Rav Uziel, son of Rav Chaim Shlomo, and told him that he urgently needed to fulfill a mission for his father, Rav Chaim Shlomo.
To the astonishment of Rav Uziel, Rav Gershon took out the four volumes of Birkas Shmuel, took a pen and paper, and with expertise and familiarity, quickly extracted – in minutes – all the relevant sources from the four volumes of Birkas Shmuel that relate to Maseches Sanhedrin. He requested that this be delivered to Rav Uziel’s father, and added in simplicity that “we have much from the Torah teachings of the gaon Rav Boruch Ber on this masechta.” Rav Gershon asked that Rav Chaim Shlomo continue delivering the shiurim even during that summer zeman when they studied Maseches Sanhedrin in the yeshiva.
This story highlights the phenomenal knowledge of Rav Gershon, who was familiar with all the volumes of Birkas Shmuel, to the extent that within a few minutes of review, he was able to note all the relevant sources from the seforim pertaining to a specific masechta.
{Matzav.com Israel}