Report on the Holy Journey of the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a to the Ancestral City of Sighet, Yatzlicha

Wednesday, Parshas Mishpatim

The Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the Beis Medrash HaGadol.

In the afternoon at around 3:00, the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the Heichal HaMesivta, Divrei Yoel branch, where the Rebbe davened Mincha.
After Mincha, a "Tzeischem L'Shalom" gathering took place. Several niggunim and "Or Panecha" were sung in honor of Shabbos Shekalim with great enthusiasm.
The Rebbe shlit"a then delivered holy words that stirred his pure heart, in preparation for the elevated trip and the Shabbos of "Yeshiva Shel Maalah," and he invoked the merit of the forefathers. The Rebbe also said that he would take along a general kvitel from the thousands of yeshiva students in America, and concluded with his holy blessings.
It ended at around 3:50, and the yeshiva students accompanied the Rebbe shlit"a out with "Ki Malachav" and "Kah Zechus Avos."

At around 4:55 the Rebbe shlit"a arrived at Newark Airport and boarded the plane, which took off at around 5:50 for an 8-hour flight to Vienna, Austria.

On the plane the Rebbe shlit"a spent an extended time engaged in the sugya of "shelo k'derech hanasan," and wrote chidushei Torah, and afterwards Maariv was davened.

After Maariv the Rebbe reviewed at length the list of students coming for Shabbos to take shelter in the holy shade in the ancestral city of Sighet, and the list of the donors who sponsored the large sums for the costs of the Shabbos.

On Thursday at about 7:30 in the morning in Vienna, Austria, the plane landed, b'shaah tovah, at Vienna International Airport. At the door of the plane, waiting to greet the Rebbe shlit"a, were HaGaon Rabbi Avrohom Yona Schwartz shlit"a, rav of Kehal Chassidim Vienna, together with the prominent philanthropist R' Chaim Levi, dressed in Shabbos clothing.

The Rebbe shlit"a traveled directly to the lodging at the home of the philanthropist R' Chaim Levi.
The Rebbe engaged in Torah study for an extended time, and afterwards went to the mikvah in the Kehal Chassidim beis medrash.

At around 9:30 the Rebbe shlit"a entered for Shacharis in the Kehal Chassidim beis medrash. Before davening the Rebbe put on tefillin for the bar mitzvah bochur, grandson of HaGaon Rabbi Avrohom Yona Schwartz shlit"a, rav of Kehal Chassidim Vienna.

After davening a lechayim gathering took place with the bar mitzvah bochur, and the students of the Yeshiva Ketana of Kehal Machzikei Hadas Vienna, together with the congregation of the beis medrash. Warm niggunim were sung. The rav, HaGaon R' Avrohom Yona Schwartz shlit"a, spoke and expressed the tremendous zechus and joy in the city at welcoming the Rebbe. Then HaGaon R' Moshe Eliezer Weiss shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Machzikei Hadas, spoke and said that since the Rebbe, the great mezakeh es harabim, is traveling for Shabbos to the forefathers, who are on the level of Shabbos, he will surely effect salvations, and he asked the Rebbe to leave a blessing for the city. Then the philanthropist R' Chaim Levi, dressed in Shabbos clothing, expressed his deep emotion at the zechus of having the Rebbe stay with him. Then the bar mitzvah bochur said his pshetl and the crowd sang.

The Rebbe drank a lechayim and delivered words of Torah and guidance to the bochurim, and concluded with his holy blessings to the bochurim, to the local rabbanim, and to the entire congregation.
On the way out, people came over to greet the Rebbe.

In the afternoon HaGaon R' Moshe Eliezer Weiss shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Machzikei Hadas Vienna, came for a visit together with the older children of the Talmud Torah. The Rebbe davened Mincha and afterwards a lechayim gathering took place. Several niggunim were sung, and the Rebbe delivered words praising the students and elaborated on the fact that, Baruch Hashem, one now sees chassidic children with peyos in Vienna. He concluded with his holy blessings, and then distributed shirayim to all the children.

Afterwards a pleasant conversation took place with the HaGaon Av Beis Din of Machzikei Hadas shlit"a. The Rebbe honored him with a lechayim and bestowed upon him from his holy blessings.

Afterwards the Rebbe went for brief visits to the rabbanim of the city shlit"a.
First, to HaGaon R' Avrohom Yona Schwartz shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Kehal Chassidim Vienna. A pleasant conversation developed about a question in the halachos of geirus. He honored the Rebbe with a lechayim and the Rebbe bestowed upon him from his holy blessings.
From there the Rebbe shlit"a went to visit HaGaon R' Asher Margaliot shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Kehal Ohel Moshe Vienna. A pleasant conversation took place in which he showed old manuscripts of gedolei haacharonim. He honored the Rebbe with a lechayim and the Rebbe bestowed upon him from his holy blessings.

From there the Rebbe shlit"a went to visit HaGaon R' Moshe Eliezer Weiss shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Machzikei Hadas Vienna. A pleasant conversation developed. He honored the Rebbe with a lechayim and the Rebbe bestowed upon him from his holy blessings.

From there the Rebbe shlit"a traveled to the airport, where the private plane took off at 6:40 for a 45-minute flight to the city of Baia Mare.
On the plane there was a pleasant conversation about the city of Sighet in the shade of the earlier tzaddikim of Shinova, Belz, Nadvorna, and others.

The plane landed at around 8:15 in Baia Mare, from where the Rebbe then traveled to the ancestral city of Sighet, a drive of 80 minutes, in the car of R' Shlomo Hersh Eckstein.

On the way from Baia Mare to Sighet the Rebbe pointed out all the towns and regions where gedolei Yisroel served as rabbonim before the war.

At 10 o'clock they arrived in Sighet, and at around 11 the Rebbe davened Maariv in the Heichal Moshe Ari, and then greeted the distinguished guests, and encouraged everyone to go to sleep early so as to be able to rise early to engage in Torah study at dawn in the "Yeshiva Shel Maalah."

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