Satmara Niyes

Tuesday, Parshas Behar-Bechukosai, Lag B'Omer — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

In the morning, before Shacharis, the brissim took place.
For the son born to R' Lipa Forgacs (Williamsburg), at which the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.
For the son born to R' Hershel Mittelman, at which the Rebbe served as sandek.
For the son born to R' Yoel Fish, at which the Rebbe served as sandek.

The Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the Heichal HaMesivta, Kedushas Yoel branch.
Before davening, the Rebbe lit 5 candles in honor of the Tanna, the Godly Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
The Rebbe shlit"a put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochur, son of HaGaon R' Dovid Shlomo Laub shlit"a, a rebbi in the mesivta.

At around 12:05, the Rebbe shlit"a entered the festive lechayim gathering in honor of Lag B'Omer together with the talmidim of the mesivta. Upon entering, the Rebbe danced in place for several minutes, and they continued with inspiring nigunim.
The Rebbe shlit"a drank lechayim and wished the entire gathering well, and honored people with the zemiros of the day. Bar Yochai: HaGaon R' Meir Eliezer Friedman shlit"a, a rebbi in the mesivta; "V'amartem Koh L'Chai": HaGaon R' Mendel Friedman shlit"a, son of the Hagaon Hatzaddik, dayan of our holy kehilla, shlit"a, and a rebbi in the mesivta; "Amar Rabbi Akiva": R' Shmuel Kraus shlit"a, a rebbi in the mesivta.

The Rebbe shlit"a delivered holy words, a longer discourse on the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and concluded with abundant blessings.

After the holy words, they continued with joyous nigunim as the Rebbe encouraged the singing, and the Rebbe stood up and danced with great vigor and strength for a lengthy time. It ended at around 1:10.

In the afternoon at around 6:20, the Rebbe shlit"a traveled to Williamsburg for the holy tish in honor of the day.

At around 7:40, the Rebbe shlit"a came to Mincha in Cheder Aleph on the Riesfeller floor of our great beis medrash in Williamsburg. Before davening, the Rebbe lit 5 candles in honor of the Godly Tanna.
At around 8:05, the Rebbe shlit"a entered the holy tish in honor of the day in the great beis medrash, in the presence of thousands of chassidim, old and young. Upon arrival, the Rebbe shlit"a danced in place for several minutes with joy and deveikus, and then the Rebbe washed for the seudah in honor of the day.
During the tish, the privilege of lighting the candles in honor of the Godly Tanna was given to R' Aharon Tzvi Mittelman (Boro Park) and R' Avrohom Brach.

Before the fish, the Rebbe shlit"a said a short dvar Torah and related a story about the Holy Divrei Chaim zy"a: once on Rosh Hashana, before the tekias shofar, he made the bracha right away and did not recite the psalms as is customary. His son, the Shinover Rav zy"a, said that people should not think that this is the minhag; rather, his father the Divrei Chaim was so overwhelmed with excitement that he simply forgot and made the bracha right away. The Rebbe continued that last week, at the bar mitzvah celebration of the eldest grandson, the Rebbe stood up and danced for a few minutes, as out of great emotion it was simply overlooked that it is during the days of the Sefirah.

After the fish, the Rebbe drank lechayim and wished the entire gathering well. During the seudah, many inspiring and joyous nigunim were sung with song and praise. With the zemiros of the day, the Rebbe honored the Zidichov Chareidim Rebbe shlit"a.

The Rebbe shlit"a delivered holy words twice on the teachings of the Godly Tanna, on both the revealed and hidden parts of the Torah.
The first Torah thought came right after the zemiros of Bar Yochai. The Rebbe began with: Bereishis is the acronym of "Ohr Toras Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai." Through Rabbi Shimon, who influences us to perform mitzvos with vitality and enthusiasm, the holiness of the soul enters the body, and this is the entire sustenance in exile, and through this we merited receiving the Torah. "V'keiravtanu" has the numerical value of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai; in the merit of the holy Tanna, Jews merit to be drawn close to the service of Hashem, and to be "Chelek Hashem Amo."
Afterwards they continued with "Amar Rabbi Akiva" and further joyous nigunim for a longer time. Then came the second Torah thought, by way of allusion, on the verse "Pikudei Hashem yesharim mesamchei lev", which has the numerical value of the Tanna Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai. It was explained that physical matters have a yud-heh, such as eating, drinking and sleeping, while spiritual matters have a vav-heh, such as Torah, avodah and mitzvos. The Name Havaya has first a yud-heh and afterwards a vav-heh, and Hashem must first provide physical blessings and afterwards spiritual ones. The Rebbe concluded with abundant blessings in the merit of the Godly Tanna.

After the holy words, they continued singing joyous nigunim in honor of the day, and the Rebbe shlit"a encouraged the entire gathering to dance with fiery enthusiasm, and stood up and danced in a flaming, fiery holy dance for a lengthy time.

The Rebbe shlit"a recited Birkas Hamazon over a cup, and after bentching, the Rebbe shlit"a gave the kos shel bracha to the Zidichov Chareidim Rebbe shlit"a. It ended at around 10:45.

After the tish, the Zidichov Chareidim Rebbe shlit"a went in for a private audience in the Rebbe shlit"a's private room in the beis medrash, and after several minutes the Rebbe shlit"a came to Maariv in Heichal Tehillos Yehosef. Before davening, the Rebbe lit 5 candles on the occasion of the holy hilula of the Holy Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zy"a.

After Maariv, the Rebbe shlit"a went to visit the ill HaGaon Rabbi Shmai Grünbaum shlit"a, author of Siyata Dishmaya. A fine conversation developed about the directives of the Holy Rebbe zy"a regarding the curricula in the girls' school, and about various other matters in the spirit of the Holy Rebbe zy"a. HaGaon Rabbi Shmai shlit"a showed the Rebbe his sefer "Siyata Dishmaya," and the Rebbe warmly bestowed his holy blessings upon him for a complete and total recovery, and that he be able to complete his well-known commentary on all 60 tractates of the six orders of Mishna, with expansive understanding.
The Rebbe shlit"a also made a short visit to the ill R' Dovid Aharon Weinstock, and at around 12:30 the Rebbe traveled home to his holy residence in Kiryas Joel.

▫️ Satmar Niyes 🌴 ▫️

Monday, Parshas Behar-Bechukosai — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

The Satmar Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the Heichal HaMesivta, Divrei Yoel branch. Before davening, the Rebbe put on tefillin for the bar mitzvah bochur, the bochur Uriel Shlomo Masri.
During the Torah reading the Rebbe went up for hagbah, and after davening he delivered the daily Tehillim shiur on chapter 15, verse 1, on the topic of prostrating oneself at the graves of tzaddikim and at the holy site of Meron, may it be rebuilt. Afterwards a lechayim took place with the bar mitzvah bochur in the Rebbe's private room.

In the afternoon the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the Heichal HaYeshiva, Beirach Moshe branch, where the Rebbe learned with a chavrusa from among the talmidim of the yeshiva in his private room, and at 6:20 the Rebbe davened Mincha in the yeshiva.

Later, around 7:45, the talmidim of Yeshivas Mesivta of Boston entered the Rebbe's room together with the roshei yeshiva. They had traveled 4 hours to the hilula of Rashbi in Kiryas Joel. The Rebbe inquired about their studies and gave words of guidance, and the bochurim then passed by to receive the Rebbe's blessing.
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Fortunate are we, how good is our portion at the hilula of Bar Yochai, and how pleasant is our lot in the merit of our master Bar Yochai

With holy emotion, the uplifting gathering of the "Hadlaka Rabbasi" took place, toward which the eyes of all Israel in the U.S. and Canada look all year, awaiting these great moments. It is hard to describe the overflowing joy and holiness felt throughout the several hours of the lighting and the holy dancing in the streets of Kiryas Joel, when the great city of Kiryas Joel was transformed, as every year, into a "mini ingathering of the exiles," as many tens of thousands of Jews, men, women and children, gathered to rejoice and take part in the "Hadlaka Rabbasi" gathering in the "Meron of America" in honor of the Godly Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. It was held in the vast areas around the building of the Beis Medrash HaGadol, the Mivtzar HaKollelim building, and in the adjacent areas of the surrounding streets.

At the time of Rabbeinu Tam, the Rebbe shlit"a entered for Maariv in the Beis Medrash HaGadol amid a large crowd. Before Maariv the Rebbe lit 5 oil lights in honor of the Godly Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and after Maariv he began counting the Omer with fiery enthusiasm. After Maariv various guests and public figures who had come for this exalted gathering greeted the Rebbe.

Right after Maariv, at 9:40, the Rebbe shlit"a arrived at the holy gathering and went to the center of the dais of honor, which was filled with the leading rabbanim, the Gaonim, the rabbanim and dayanim shlit"a. When he arrived at the site, the crowd broke out in fiery dancing for several minutes. The Rebbe danced at the site, and then they began singing songs of arousal.

After singing for a short while, the Rebbe shlit"a stood up and delivered fiery holy words on the Torah of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the great holiness of the day. He explained that Rabbi Shimon is compared to Shabbos; the power of Shabbos is that what will be in the future is as if it already is now. The Torah of Rabbi Shimon strengthens us and helps us get through difficult times, because we know that "Elders, men and women, will yet sit," good times are still to come, and this gives strength to get through difficult times. The Chasam Sofer says that Lag BaOmer has the gematria of "esh lehavah" (a flame of fire). We light lights on Lag BaOmer in reference to the fire of the future to come, as "With fire You will rebuild it." On Lag BaOmer the holy Tanna Rabbi Shimon bestows a fire upon all Jewish children, so that they can perform mitzvos with fire, and through this the Third Beis HaMikdash is built.
The Rebbe shlit"a continued with tears, and asked: "Ask the holy Tanna 'Ana' on my behalf that he should bestow joy and gladden Jewish hearts, Jewish children." There are many broken hearts in Jewish homes, matters as hard as sinews. May he bestow upon each one what he lacks. It is in the power of the holy Tanna to bestow upon each one a salvation, both general and personal, spiritual and material. We light a fire in honor of the Godly Tanna; may it be a form of fire consuming fire, and may it consume the fires of harsh judgments. He concluded with lengthy blessings for the entire crowd.
After the fiery words the singing of songs of arousal and devotion continued for several more minutes. The Rebbe sang along with great arousal and shed streams of tears, as young and old stood and sang "The attribute of mercy has been rolled upon us" with heartfelt emotion and tears and tremendous arousal of mercy.

Then the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the special platform for the lighting at the site of the bonfire, and the songs of arousal continued, especially "May Your mercies be rolled over," "Master of the world, have mercy already on Your children," which was repeated dozens of times and tore at hearts, as the eyes of tens of thousands of Jews were turned toward the center, where the leader of the community, the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a, stood with devotion and outpouring of the soul, praying from the depths of the heart for the needs of Klal Yisroel. Then the donors of the lighting handed over the silver pitchers from which the Rebbe poured oil onto the bonfire. The Rebbe took the torch and approached the site of the bonfire with the torch in his hand, while the kabbalistic song of arousal "In Honor of the Godly Tanna" was sung.
At about 11:00 the Rebbe lit the fire with holy emotion and set out in a fiery dance at the bonfire in honor of the Godly Tanna, kindling a holy torch in the hearts of the tens of thousands of Jews, who broke out in fiery dancing with holy fiery enthusiasm and joy that pierced the heavens.

After a longer while the Rebbe returned to the dais of honor. The Rebbe greeted the Spinka Rebbe shlit"a, and they sang the day's zemiros "Bar Yochai," "Va'amartem" and "Amar Rabbi Akiva." Dozens of circles formed from the tens of thousands of Jews, who danced for several hours in honor of the holy Tanna.

During the dancing the chalaka celebration took place for the Rebbe's grandson, the child son of Rabbi Hershel Meisels, son of HaGaon Rabbi, the Rav of Beis Medrash Yismach Moshe shlit"a. Afterwards the Rebbe continued and cut the hair of over 70 three-year-old boys, may they be well, from among the talmidim of our holy mosdos from throughout the greater New York area, who passed by in orderly fashion. The Rebbe also put a kappel and tzitzis on them, gave them sweets as is customary, and blessed the parents and grandfathers with warm blessings.

After the chalakas the Rebbe shlit"a continued encouraging the dancing at the site, until 12:10, when the Rebbe left the site and went home to his holy residence.

Despite the wonderful transportation arrangements home from the gathering, organized both within the great city of Kiryas Joel and to all the cities throughout greater New York, New Jersey and Canada, it still took a long time until the public was able to leave the Kiryas Joel area. With the help of the State Police, the huge crowd, estimated by the State Police at about 72 thousand participants, may they be well, was able to be controlled and to set out on the road and travel home safely.

After the lighting gathering, the talmidim of Yeshivas "Or Yisroel" of Boston entered the Rebbe's room together with the roshei yeshiva and the rebbeim of the yeshiva. The Rebbe inquired about their studies, and the bochurim passed by to receive the Rebbe's blessing.

Fortunate is the eye that saw all this, and fortunate is the eye that sees our joy and the delight of our community, as joy and holiness were drawn for a whole year!

His Torah is a shield for us and enlightens our eyes; may he advocate well on our behalf, our master Bar Yochai

▫️ Satmar'e Niyes 🌴 ▫️