The night of 26 Av, Hilula Kadisha of Rabbeinu HaKadosh, the Divrei Yoel zt"l — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

At about 9:00 the Rebbe entered for Maariv in the beis medrash of the Baal HaHilula, the Beis Medrash HaGadol of Kiryas Joel. The Rebbe lit 5 candles and led the davening as shliach tzibbur in honor of the holy Hilula.

After Maariv the Rebbe went up to the dais for the central Seudas Hilula of the Baal HaHilula zy"a, in the presence of thousands upon thousands of Jews who filled the enormous Beis Medrash HaGadol from end to end, with all its wings and halls. The gallery on the Maariv side was also specially opened in order to accommodate the thousands of men of the kehilla.

The Rebbe washed for the seudah and extended his holy table, and then made the siyum on all of Shas and the Six Orders of Mishnah, which had been learned by the Chevra Shas of our holy kehilla. Afterwards he recited the Hadran and Kaddish. At the lechayim after the fish, the Rebbe blessed, "May his merit protect us and all Yisroel."
During the tish, they sang the songs of deveikus and longing that used to be sung in the beis medrash of the Baal HaHilula. With a "Michtam L'Dovid," the Rebbe shlit"a honored HaGaon Rabbi Chaim Yosef Wertzberger shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Hunyad, Kiryas Joel.

At about 10:30 the Rebbe shlit"a began his holy words, words of chizuk and mussar, and of the obligation of the hour regarding the issues of the day. The Rebbe took as his starting point the verse "See, I place before you today a blessing," and explained it in the teaching of the Baal HaHilula: a yahrzeit of a tzaddik is a wedding; Hashem gives the tzaddikim a gift, that on the day of their hilula they can bestow children, life and sustenance upon their students. He spoke at length about his greatness and righteousness in all respects, and the many deeds the Rebbe zt"l did to raise the honor of Heaven: spreading Torah to thousands, establishing the mosdos haTorah and all their divisions, his battle against the plague of Zionism in all its details and not benefiting from their money for the mosdos haTorah, establishing the holy institution Keren HaHatzalah, his warm sermons of cutting words and mussar and guidance, his tremendous tzedakah and kindness, how he was a merciful father to every broken heart, his many efforts in matters of tznius, and he praised the new special tznius uniforms for the students of Beis Rachel.
The Rebbe continued with the deeds of the Rebbe zy"a, founder of the city of Kiryas Joel, to build the city with holiness and spiritual leadership, and the responsibility that rests upon the residents of Kiryas Joel with all its neighborhoods and areas to conduct themselves in his ways, in matters of outlook and in his holy approach. All the regions and areas where Kiryas Joel is expanding are only for his chassidim and students who follow his outlook and his holy approach, by his bright light.

There is an obligation to continue the war against the very idea of Zionism, and over the decree of forced conversion that is the draft of yeshiva bochurim. We are strengthening the yeshiva bochurim from afar: "Be strong and courageous, Hashem is with you, in the great war, and never compromise on this matter."
The chareidi community here in our country must come to the aid of our brethren in Eretz Yisroel: "Our strength is only in our mouth," by establishing a day of prayer and protest rally, to gather in large numbers in prayer and supplication to the Living God to remove the evil decree, IY"H this Sunday, Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech, b'ezras Hashem. He asked all the leaders of all the holy kehillos in this country to join this day of prayer, which will be a strong chizuk for the residents of Eretz Yisroel and a great protest against the wicked of Yisroel, and Hashem will surely hear our prayers and nullify the bitter decree. Likewise, to cry out at the day of prayer over the bitter decree on chinuch here in New York, where the saying of Chazal has been fulfilled, "When a maidservant inherits her mistress," and he asked all the askanim involved in this matter to keep in mind that no compromise whatsoever may be made regarding chinuch! Rather, we must fight with strength and courage, and Hashem will help.
The Rebbe continued about our holy inheritance from the Baal HaHilula, the Rebbe zt"l, which has 3 parts.
The first is his holy sefarim in all areas of Torah, chiddushim, derushim, and explanations on outlook and views for every person.
The second is the mosdos haTorah in every place, and particularly the yeshiva gedola, which the Rebbe zy"a wished to bring out of the city, and which the Beirach Moshe zy"a carried out, fulfilling his holy wish, and indeed brought it to Kiryas Joel. He spoke in praise of the yeshiva, and spoke strongly against sending bochurim away to foreign yeshivos, where one ends up in Eretz Yisroel, "Who is wise? One who sees the future."
The third part of the inheritance is the holy city of Kiryas Joel, which the Rebbe zy"a established with much effort, and today more than eight thousand families, may they increase, live in KJ! Most, almost all, conduct themselves as is fitting and bring him nachas ruach. The Rebbe continued, "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places": for forty years now, I have had the merit, Baruch Hashem, to be a keeper of the flame here in Kiryas Joel as the emissary of my father z"l, in both aspects of turning from evil and doing good: raising the honor of Torah in KJ in all matters, set times for Torah, chinuch of boys and girls in quantity and quality, the power of prayer, kashrus and many other matters. "These forty years" that I have been a shliach of my father z"l here in KJ, there is, Baruch Hashem, a great ascent in every holy matter. Kiryas Joel is, bli ayin hara, a model for the entire world. With the voice of a child in tears, he said, "I am certain that the Uncle z"l zy"a will be grateful to me for the efforts and the work to increase and glorify Torah as his holy will was."
That is all for those who try to break the power of holiness here in the city; they are the emissaries of the Satan. The power and merit of that elder protects the city, "The right hand of Hashem does valiantly," with the help of His blessed Name.

Part of guarding the city is the situation of buying or renting an apartment. The Rebbe spoke at length both about the strictness that the founder of the city zy"a had regarding the individuals who bought land, and about the dreadful prices being asked in other places, to the point that a Jew asked the Rebbe yesterday about an apartment at seven and a half thousand dollars a month rent in Brooklyn(!)... And those who raise prices in Kiryas Joel may develop an appetite for it to reach that level here, chas v'shalom. And now there are already those who ask $600 per square foot when selling an apartment. This is contrary to the will of the founder of Kiryas Joel, and a terrible injustice to the residents of Kiryas Joel.
The Rebbe stated that in recent times they went through the costs of construction and spoke with the builders, and came to the recognition that even at 300 per square foot one still makes a lot of money. One may not raise prices, neither of land nor of an apartment.
Therefore it was arranged that the Kiryas Joel administration will now give new permits only to those who want to build at the price of 300 per square foot. The developers should indeed earn well for their difficult efforts, money and time, but it must be within measure!
Then the Rebbe announced the good news of 2 projects of 2,000 affordable apartments in Kiryas Joel, at only 300 per square foot!
The Rebbe mentioned in praise the distinguished philanthropist R' Akiva Hersh Klein, who built in the Vyoel Moshe neighborhood at very good prices. Even later, when others raised their prices, he held firm and did not raise his. But now, when the price was already higher, this did not fall under the new takana since he already has all the permits. "But I asked him, and he agreed willingly!" And he will sell the remaining 1,000 apartments for only 300 per square foot! The Rebbe added that this is on condition that the buyer buys "to live in," not to invest, and if someone already has an apartment and wants to buy a new one, he will receive this price only if he also sells his previous apartment at the same low price. Whoever knows the prices of apartments on the street can understand how many millions are being discussed here, a thousand apartments! The Uncle z"l will repay him for his good deed, and he will earn doubly in other business ventures!
Separately, the Kiryas Joel administration will sell parcels in the "Carlsburg area" to build another 1,000 apartments for anyone willing to build at the low price of 300 per square foot.
All this is in addition to the other builders who have already joined the city takana. Likewise, the city administration is busy adding new parcels to the city. Whoever has land can join Kiryas Joel, but only on condition that he asks a low price for the apartments. The Rebbe explained in detail that the value of the land goes up by becoming part of Kiryas Joel; the residents of the city are the ones who raise the value, and it is not fair that at their expense one individual should earn more than normal. There is a committee of distinguished baalei batim who handle these matters faithfully. Whoever wants to be included should turn to them and negotiate with the committee. "The wise man has his eyes in his head": do not be caught up in a panic, and even when buying from an individual, one should not overpay more than 300 per square foot. There will be, b'ezras Hashem, plenty of apartments and more.

At the end the Rebbe mentioned that just as before the previous Yamim Tovim it was instituted to learn a chassidic sefer to prepare for Yom Tov, likewise now in honor of the coming Yamim Tovim, IY"H, they will learn the sefer Bnei Yissaschar, the essays on the month of Tishrei, as a proper preparation for the great days. He concluded with many blessings for the entire public.

After the holy words the Rebbe shlit"a blessed on the cup. It ended at about 11:40.

Friday, Erev Shabbos Parshas Re'eh, Yom Daled of Rosh Chodesh Elul

In the morning before Shacharis, a bris was held for the newborn son of R' Yaakov Teller (Williamsburg), where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

The Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the yeshiva building at the kever, the Heichal HaMesivta, Divrei Yoel branch, together with a large crowd of men of the kehilla and the talmidim of the Mesivta. Before davening, the Rebbe put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochurim:
the bochur Asher Zvi Yoel Gantz.
the bochur Azriel Scheer.
the bochur Chaim Hersh Goldberger.
the bochur Aharon Silberstein.
the bochur Yoel Retek.
the bochur Yosef Yoshe Goldberger.
the bochur Yoshe Perlstein.

Afterwards the Rebbe shlit"a lit 5 candles and led the davening as shliach tzibbur with outpouring of the soul.

After Shacharis the Rebbe greeted his brother, HaGaon Rav of our kehilla in Boro Park, 15, shlit"a, and wished him mazel tov on the simcha of the pidyon haben of a grandson, which took place yesterday evening in Boro Park.

A few minutes later at about 11:55 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the lechayim gathering before going up to the holy Tziyun, before a large crowd in royal splendor. The Rebbe made the siyum on the Six Orders of Mishnah, which had been learned by the talmidim of the Mesivta, and recited Kaddish. They sang songs of inspiration, and the Rebbe drank lechayim and wished mazel tov to the bar mitzvah bochurim and to the entire public.

The Rebbe shlit"a delivered holy words, preparation and inspiration before visiting the holy Tziyun: at Matan Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu received the power of "the tzaddik decrees and Hashem fulfills," and this was passed on to all later tzaddikim, and with this power the Baal HaHilula zy"a can bestow all good upon every person. He concluded with warm holy blessings for the entire public.

After the lechayim gathering at about 12:15 the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the distinguished Tziyun, together with thousands of men of the kehilla and the talmidim of the Mesivta.
Upon arriving at the beis hachaim the Rebbe made the blessing. The Rebbe lit 5 candles along with a neshama candle, and said the prayer "Shalom Aleichem" of the Yismach Moshe zy"a with awesome weeping, and then recited from chapter 90 until 107 as customary, and said the yehi ratzon with outpouring of the soul. Then the Rebbe learned chapters of Mishnayos and said Kaddish D'Rabbanan.
The Rebbe shlit"a read kvitlach for an extended time, while songs of inspiration were sung that used to be sung in the beis medrash of the Baal HaHilula. Afterwards the Rebbe prostrated himself on the holy Tziyun for an extended time. It ended at about 1:10.

May his great and holy merit protect us and all Yisroel

▫️ Satmar Niyes 🌴 ▫️