"Then the righteous will see and rejoice, and the upright will exult" - Leil Simchas Torah, 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

At around 12:30 the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash for Maariv. The baal tefillah was the Rebbe's grandson, Rabbi Yoel Ashkenazi shlit"a. After Maariv the Rebbe went to the mikvah.

At 1:30 the Rebbe shlit"a entered wrapped in a borrowed tallis for Atah Hareisa. The opening of the Aron was done by R' Refael Perlmutter of Rabbi Meron in Monsey.

The Rebbe shlit"a said three Torah thoughts during the Hakdama.
First Torah thought: On the verse 'Yedid Nefesh Av HaRachaman': There is a battle between the body and the soul as to which will prevail. Through serving the Creator with fervor, holiness is absorbed into the limbs; through dancing in honor of the Torah with a holy fire, one is brought closer to the Creator.
Second Torah thought: On the verse 'Hagleh Na': The true value before Hashem is a physical person who does the will of Hashem. It is Simchas Torah throughout the whole world, both in the heavens above and here in the lowly world. The tzaddikim come to take part in our Hakafos here, because Hashem's honor is increased all the more when a flesh-and-blood person with a yetzer hara fulfills Hashem's mitzvos. May Hashem help us that we be worthy, and that in Heaven they not be ashamed of our avodah.
Third Torah thought: On the verse 'Bereishis Torascha HaKedumah': The Rebbe mentioned the holy Zohar, which our Rebbes used to quote, that the holy forefathers come down to rejoice in the simcha of their children. We believe that the Rebbe's uncle z"l and the Rebbe's father z"l are present here in the beis medrash; they come down and with their tefillos they arouse mercy for Jewish children, especially for those who sought shelter in their shadow.

The Hakdama concluded at 3:20.
During the Hakdama, the rabbeim who teach Torah in our holy mosdos were honored with holding a Sefer Torah, and at the fifth Hakafa, all the grandchildren of the holy Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe zy"a.

After the Hakafos the Rebbe shlit"a led the recital of Shema Yisroel and Kesser; the verses of Shema Yisroel and the baal koreh: R' Yudel Wertzberger.
Aliyos. Kohen: R' Chaim Elazar Friedman (London). Levi: R' Avrohom Dov Lowy (Boro Park). Shlishi: the Rebbe shlit"a. Hagbah: HaGaon Rabbi Yoel Friedman shlit"a, a moreh tzedek in our kehilla in Monsey. Gelilah: R' Mordechai Gimpel Weingarten (Montreal). It ended at 5:30, and the Rebbe wished the entire tzibur a good Yom Tov.

The Rebbe shlit"a went home to his holy residence and immediately made Kiddush. For the zemiros the Rebbe honored his grandson Rabbi Dovid Teitelbaum shlit"a, and for Birchas Hamazon his grandson the bochur Yechezkel Shraga Teitelbaum, son of HaGaon Rabbi Teitelbaum, the Av Beis Din of Sighet shlit"a.
Yom Simchas Torah

On Simchas Torah morning at around 12:00 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash.

Pesukei D'zimra and Shacharis were davened quickly as is the custom. The baal tefillah was HaGaon Rabbi Yaakov Markowitz shlit"a. The Rebbe said Zechiras verse by verse, and Nishmas was said in the Yom Tov nusach of the Yamim Noraim and Shabbos, as is the custom. The kohanim duchened. It ended at around 1:20.

After Shacharis a bris of a baby boy took place at R' Yitzchak Rubin, where the Rebbe was sandek and mohel. The Rebbe then left for a short break.

At around 2:00 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash for Atah Hareisa. The Hakdama concluded at 4:15.

The Rebbe shlit"a said five Torah thoughts: three during the Hakdama, and before the fourth and sixth Hakafa.
First Torah thought: On the verse 'Yedid Nefesh': There is no reward for mitzvos in this world, but for simcha shel mitzvah one is rewarded, and one is saved from sin. Through dancing on Simchas Torah one merits to be protected from sin.
Second Torah thought: On the verse 'Hagleh Na': "Moshcheinu acharecha narutza" - the first letters equal the gematria of "Sukkah." Through the mitzvah of sukkah one merits a reading of obligation, so on Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah every Jew is brought close to Hashem and is saved from suffering, chalilah.
Third Torah thought: On the verse 'Bereishis Torascha HaKedumah': There are four types of atonement, but through mesiras nefesh one is atoned for everything. A sukkah, by entering it with all 248 limbs, and Simchas Torah, when one dances with all 248 limbs, is a form of mesiras nefesh for Hashem, and with this merit one emerges innocent on the Day of Judgment.
The Torah thought for the fourth Hakafa - the Hakafa of Moshe Rabbeinu: As long as we are in exile we are imprisoned by the yetzer hara and cannot feel the sweetness of the Torah. But Shemini Atzeres is a reflection of the future, and in the future we will merit to feel the sweetness and pleasantness of the Torah. Now is the time to daven, to accept upon ourselves to engage in Torah, a fixed decree that will not pass.
The Torah thought for the sixth Hakafa - the Hakafa of Yosef HaTzaddik: who refused, with a triple oath, saying "I do not want to." Corresponding to this we dance the sixth Hakafa three times during Yom Tov. Everyone should take upon himself a fence and extra safeguard in matters of kedusha, on which all yiras shamayim and Torah learning depend. He concluded with many brachos.

Between the Hakafos the piyutim of the Chareidim were sung with great arousal, as is customary.
During the Hakafos hundreds of guests from our community were honored, especially from Europe and Montreal.

At the sixth Hakafa the Rebbe shlit"a made the waving motions with the Sefer Torah with elevation and deveikus, as was the custom of our holy Rebbes. After the seventh Hakafa, on the bimah while the verse 'Chazak Meyached K'echad' was being danced, the Rebbe took his own Sefer Torah and continued dancing with great fondness and elevation, in lofty joy.

At the conclusion at around 6:30 the Rebbe said all the tefillos and led the recital of L'Dovid Mizmor verse by verse.

For the Torah reading, the meshamshim in kodesh were called up. Kohen: R' Shmuel HaKohen Perlmutter, Levi: R' Yudel Wertzberger, Shlishi: R' Yehoshua Mendlowitz, Revi'i: R' Chaim Shlomo Fisher, Chamishi: the Rebbe shlit"a.
The Rebbe went into his private room, and after a short while entered the Polish room for the reading. Baal koreh: R' Yudel Wertzberger.

The reading and the tefillos were davened with tremendous speed due to the lack of time.
The meshamesh R' Yoel Kaufman announced the Reshus for the Chasan Torah, and the Rebbe shlit"a was called up. Hagbah on the first Sefer: R' Moshe Aharon Steinberg. Gelilah: the bochur Chanani Yom Tov Lipa Deutsch.

Chasan Bereishis: R' Eliezer Lev (London). A tallis was spread like a chuppah, as is the custom.
Hagbah on the second Sefer: R' Yoel Wertheimer. Gelilah: R' Yoel Wieder.
Chasan Maftir: R' Naftali Hirtzka Stein.
Hagbah on the third Sefer: R' Yehoshua Mendlowitz. Gelilah: R' Shlomo Zalman Stein.

Mussaf was davened at the amud by R' Avrohom Moshe Lebowitz. Joyous singing followed, as is the custom. The Rebbe davened Mincha in his private room with a small minyan since the day was about to end. Baal tefillah: R' Shlomo Zalman Stein. It ended at 7:30.

The Rebbe shlit"a immediately made Kiddush in his private room, washed for the Yom Tov seudah, and made Hamotzi on long challos baked with raisins, as is the custom, then went home to his holy residence.
The Holy Table of Neilas HaChag - Gathering for Holy Blessings

At around 9:45 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the great beis medrash for the Neilas HaChag tish, in the presence of thousands upon thousands of Jews.
Upon entering, the Rebbe went out into a festive dance in the open space for an extended time, and then continued the seudah. At the lechayim after the fish, the Rebbe wished a good, blessed year. Yom Tov foods and cabbage were brought in.

The Yom Tov nigunim were sung, as well as nigunim of the holy Kedushas Levi, whose yahrzeit falls the day after Isru Chag, led by Rabbi Hershel Kahn shlit"a. "Hehareuga alecha, v'nechshavnu k'tzon tivcha" was sung over again because of the terrible situation in Eretz Yisroel.

For the zemiros the Rebbe honored Rabbi Chaim Meisels shlit"a, son of HaGaon Rabbi Meisels, Av Beis Din of Montreal shlit"a.

The Rebbe shlit"a blessed over the cup and said Baruch HaMavdil, and had the divrei Torah broadcast over a microphone.

The Rebbe spoke a Torah thought on the verse "V'samachta b'chol hatov," explaining that the avodah of a Jew is to feel the sweetness of the Torah, and that this is something everyone can feel. He expressed the feelings after the elevated Yom Tov, that the Hakafos were conducted in the way of the holy Heitav Lev zy"a, who reminded us of "V'chassidim berinah yagilu," and gave many blessings.

Afterwards the Rebbe learned the Gemara in Bavli and Yerushalmi in Maseches Berachos and explained beautiful hints and ideas interwoven with stories of tzaddikim.

After the tish the Rebbe shlit"a stood up and said "L'shana Haba'ah b'Yerushalayim" three times.

Maariv for Motzei Yom Tov: R' Aharon Hersh Weber.

After Maariv the Rebbe made Havdalah and then went out to the courtyard of the great beis medrash for the gathering of holy blessings, in the presence of thousands upon thousands of Jews, for all the people gathered, both in the men's section and the women's section.
By the Rebbe's directive, there was no music in light of the difficult situation in Eretz Yisroel.

Yom Tov nigunim were sung. The Rebbe gave the holy blessings and strengthened all the good kabbalos that were accepted during Yom Tov, and gave guidance to all the people gathered, the great according to his greatness and the small according to his smallness. He mentioned the difficult situation in Eretz Yisroel, "and she multiplied in the daughter of Yehuda mourning and lamentation." He also recalled what remains in his memory of the assembly of the holy Rebbe, the Divrei Yoel zy"a, on Chol Hamoed Sukkos 5734 after the Yom Kippur War in Eretz Yisroel, where the Rebbe participated together with his father, the holy Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe zt"l. He gave his holy blessing that "no more violence and destruction be heard in our borders and everywhere." They continued with several nigunim. It ended at around 12:05, and the Rebbe went home to his holy residence.

After the gathering, the members of our community, residents of Bnei Brak and Yerushalayim, entered the Rebbe's holy residence, where the Rebbe distributed apple shirayim from the sukkah for protection, success and a safe journey.

The Rebbe also bade farewell to the hundreds of guests from overseas.

May it be Hashem's will that we have accomplished all good, and that what the Rebbe wished be fulfilled among us, "V'chassidim berinah yagilu" - that we rejoice with simcha the entire year with all blessings and salvations for each and every one, with the coming of our righteous Moshiach.

Fortunate is the people for whom this is so, fortunate is the people whose God is Hashem.

▫️ Satmar Niyes 🌴 ▫️