Satmara Niyes

The Holy Journey of the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a to Eretz Yisroel - Shabbos Kodesh at the Holy Site of Meron

Monday, Parshas Toldos: Athens, Greece - Yerushalayim, the Holy City

In the morning the Rebbe went to the local mikvah, which was built by the World Mikvah Fund, and then went over to daven at the local Beis Medrash Beis Chabad, accompanied by Rabbi Avrohom Meir Schwartz, chairman of the Mikvah Fund.

- Baal Tefilah: R' Yoel Wertheimer.
- Opening: HaRav HaChassid R' Yosef Chaim Weiss (Bnei Brak)
- Kohen: Mishabbak HaRav HaChassid R' Shmuel HaKohen Friedman.
- Levi: HaRav HaChassid R' Efraim Moshe Lowy (Bnei Brak).
- Shlishi: the Rebbe shlit"a.
- Hagbah: HaRav HaChassid R' Meir Hirsch.
- Gelilah: Rabbi Avrohom Meir Schwartz.

After davening, the Rebbe shlit"a learned Torah for an extended time. Afterwards a lechayim gathering took place, and a conversation developed about the many activities of the Mikvah Fund for the purity of Klal Yisroel around the world. The Rebbe greeted the local mispallelim, drank a lechayim and bestowed from his holy blessing.

At 1:45 the Rebbe left the lodging for the airport, where the private plane took off at 2:50 in the afternoon.

"Cry out and rejoice, inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel"

At 4:29 in the afternoon (9:29 a.m. New York time) the plane landed at Lod Airport in Eretz Yisroel. At the door of the plane, the rabbonim and elders of our kehilla in Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak and Beit Shemesh were waiting, as well as a delegation from the leadership of the Eidah HaChareidis. With hearts full of emotion, three of the elders recited the two blessings with Hashem's name, Shehecheyanu and "Shechalak MeiChochmaso Lirei'av" (who has given of His wisdom to those who fear Him), among them HaGaon HaChassid R' Chaim Shalom Klein shlit"a.

The Rebbe then entered a side room where many more of our chassidim were waiting and greeted him. Then the Rebbe davened Mincha. Baal Tefilah: HaGaon R' Isaac Friedman shlit"a, Rosh Kehilla of Beit Shemesh.

After Mincha, at 5:35 in the afternoon, the Rebbe left Lod Airport on the way to Yerushalayim, the holy city. The Rebbe arrived at 6:20 at the holy home of the Posek HaDor, Mara d'Atra Kadisha, shlit"a, for a holy visit and welcome reception. The Rav received the Rebbe shlit"a with a radiant countenance, and a wonderful, warm conversation took place about the power of holiness and zealotry of the holy Divrei Yoel zy"a, and about the situation of the draft decrees in Eretz Yisroel. The Rav shlit"a honored the Rebbe with a lechayim and the Rebbe warmly bestowed from his holy blessing; in turn the Rav gave warm blessings in return and warmly escorted the Rebbe out.

From there, at 6:40, the Rebbe went to the office of the Beis Din Tzedek in the Zupnik buildings, for a welcome reception by the sarei haTorah, the rabbonim HaGaonim, members of the Beis Din Tzedek of the Eidah HaChareidis of Yerushalayim. The Rebbe arrived at 6:55. HaGaon R' Yitzchak Shlomo Bloy shlit"a, the secretary of the Beis Din, rose and greeted the Rebbe, expressing that here, in the very place where the Rebbe z"l (the Divrei Yoel) once sat as Mara d'Atra Kadisha, and after him the rabbonim HaGaonim, rabbis of Yerushalayim z"l, now sits our Rebbe shlit"a, who is the driving force of leadership abroad and who is constantly in contact and working together with the Beis Din to restore the glory of the faith. Then the members of the Beis Din, HaGaon HaGadol R' Avrohom Yitzchak Ullman shlit"a and HaGaon HaGadol R' Yehoshua Rosenberger shlit"a, rose and greeted the Rebbe.
The Rebbe drank a lechayim, delivered divrei kibbud, expressed his appreciation for the strength of the Beis Din of the Eidah HaChareidis, who stand on guard in Eretz Yisroel, and warmly bestowed abundant blessings. It concluded at about 7:15.

From there the Rebbe went to visit at the holy residence of the Rebbe HaGaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Yaakov Meir Schechter shlit"a. A pleasant conversation took place about the situation in Yerushalayim and memories of Yerushalayim of old. The Rav began to sing and honored the Rebbe shlit"a with a lechayim, and gave the Rebbe lengthy blessings. The Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing, and the Rav escorted the Rebbe shlit"a out.

From there the Rebbe went to visit the Gerrer Rebbe shlit"a. The Gerrer Rebbe greeted the Rebbe and a pleasant conversation took place. The Rebbe thanked him for all the efforts that the askanim of the Gerrer kehilla are making to help our kehilla in Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak, and mentioned the visit of his children with the Rebbe together with the orphans of the kehilla, and spoke of the gathering on the night of Chanukah with the orphans. He honored the Rebbe with a lechayim and the Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing, and wished well to his grandson, the chosson, who is getting married next week. The Gerrer Rebbe escorted the Rebbe shlit"a out.

From there the Rebbe shlit"a went to his lodging at the home of the distinguished philanthropist R' Berel Karniel. After a short break the Rebbe davened Maariv.

At about 9:30 in the evening the Rebbe shlit"a arrived at the welcome reception and gathering of our chassidim in Yerushalayim, the holy city, with the participation of chassidim from across Eretz Yisroel, in the large tent on Rechov Doresh Tov in the center of the holy city.
The Rebbe shlit"a was welcomed with song and music and with fiery dancing. His mechutan, the Krestirer Rebbe shlit"a, also participated.
HaGaon HaTzaddik, the Av Beis Din of our kehilla in Yerushalayim shlit"a, rose and welcomed the Rebbe shlit"a, and mentioned that it is now 80 years since the Divrei Yoel zy"a lived here and left behind his holiness, which still burns within every Jew. He expressed the emotion at having the privilege of welcoming the Rebbe shlit"a and wished him full blessings.
Stirring melodies began for the siyum of the writing of a Sefer Torah, which is being written by all of our chassidim after two Sifrei Torah were burned in the fire at the Beis HaKnesses, the building of our holy kehilla.
The distinguished avreich R' Yaakov Yosef, a member of the committee, brought in the Sefer Torah. They continued with Torah melodies, as the Rebbe shed rivers of tears.
They sang "Vi'hi Noam," and the Rebbe wrote in the final letters.
The Rebbe drank a lechayim and delivered divrei kibbud about the great holiness of Yerushalayim, which influences the entire world and through which all tefillos ascend. He expressed his joy at being able to meet with chassidim, friends and students of his uncle z"l who follow in his ways. He said that Yerushalayim is enduring difficult times, and the holiness of Yerushalayim will protect, "they shall neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain." Now, when gathering for the writing of the letters of the holy Torah, we pray that they will not be able to disturb those who learn Torah. He concluded that it is a joy to come here to Yerushalayim for the expansion of the borders of holiness, for such a magnificent building, and wished abundant blessings to the entire assembly.

Two members of the committee lifted the Sefer Torah open to its center, and the Rebbe went for Hagbah and danced with fire of holiness with the open Sefer Torah. HaRav HaChassid R' Meir Hirsch went for Gelilah, and the Rebbe continued dancing for an extended time.
The Rebbe handed over the Sefer Torah to HaRav HaChassid R' Yaakov Yosef and continued dancing, and the entire assembly danced toward the Rebbe for an extended time. It concluded at about 10:55.

After the gathering the Rebbe went to visit his brother-in-law, the Belzer Rebbe shlit"a. A pleasant conversation took place with stories connected to the tzaddikim of Sighet and Belz. The Belzer Rebbe presented his grandchildren and honored the Rebbe with a lechayim, and the Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing. He then escorted the Rebbe shlit"a out.

From there the Rebbe went to visit his mechutan, the Krestirer Rebbe shlit"a. A pleasant conversation took place about old memories. He honored the Rebbe with a lechayim and the Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing, and he escorted the Rebbe shlit"a out with great warmth.

From there the Rebbe went to visit HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Moshe Teitelbaum shlit"a, Dayan of our holy kehilla. A pleasant conversation took place; he honored the Rebbe with a lechayim and the Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing.

After the visit, at 12:10 at night, the Rebbe arrived home at the lodging in the home of the distinguished philanthropist R' Yuda Dovid Rubinstein.

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