Sunday, Parshas Shelach — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

In the morning, before Shacharis, the following brissim took place:
- The son born to R' Elimelech Landau, where the Rebbe served as sandek.
- The son born to R' Kalman Wolf Herskowitz, where the Rebbe served as sandek.
- The son born to R' Yuda Yoel Levinger (of the Williamsburg Beis Din), where the Rebbe served as sandek.

The Rebbe davened Shacharis in the Beis Medrash HaGadol. Before davening, the Rebbe put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochurim:
- The bochur Efraim Teitelbaum.
- The bochur Shlomo Aharon Sofer.
- The bochur Yonah Yechezkel Lebowitz.
- The bochur Chaim Yeshaya Asher Mendlowitz.
After davening, a lechayim was held with the bar mitzvah bochurim in the Rebbe's private room.


At around 1:20 the Rebbe set out on the way to Monsey, to the gigantic RCC complex in Monsey, for the historic "Simchas Siyum V'Hatchalas HaShas."

On the way, the Rebbe connected by phone with the directors of our holy mosdos in Eretz Yisroel, in light of the grave situation, may Hashem protect them, to hear how the days are passing among the mosdos, and he wished that everyone be saved from all evil, that nothing should, chas v'shalom, harm anyone.
The Rebbe arrived at around 2:00 and went immediately into the "Maamad Limud Kol HaShas," where the entire crowd together completed the learning of the whole Shas. The Rebbe walked among the tables with great nachas, and afterward sat down at a specially designated platform at the head, where the Rebbe engaged in Torah study with deep iyun together with his longtime chavrusa, HaGaon Rabbi, Av Beis Din of Reishis Chochmah shlit"a, until about 4:00.

After several minutes the Rebbe entered for Mincha with a large crowd. Before Mincha, by order of the Rebbe, everyone recited chapters of Tehillim together in light of the situation in Eretz Yisroel, with HaGaon Rabbi, Av Beis Din of the Williamsburg Beis Din shlit"a, reciting Chapter 20 and Chapter 130 verse by verse. Then Mincha was davened, with the baal tefillah HaGaon Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Motzen shlit"a. After Mincha the Rebbe went into his private room in the hall.

At around 7:00 the Rebbe entered for the grand seudah in honor of the Torah, in honor of the Siyum HaShas, and greeted the rabbonim at the head, among them HaGaon Rabbi Yosef Binyamin Wosner shlit"a, the Shevet HaLevi Rebbe, HaGaon Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Halberstam shlit"a of Rudnik, and many other rabbonim and dayanim of our holy kehilla.
The Rebbe washed for the seudah, and the distinguished patron of the chabura, R' Yitzchak Schwartz, continued with his address. Afterward the chairman, HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Shabsai Kestenbaum shlit"a, one of the rabbonim of the chabura, spoke.
Melodies of inspiration and attachment to Torah study were sung, and the baal menagen, R' Yisroel Adler of Eretz Yisroel, sang special rhymed verses of inspiration in honor of the occasion.

Afterward the Rebbe delivered holy words of Torah, weaving in the end of Shas. He said that there is even greater honor of Heaven when, after an entire day of being burdened with livelihood and sustenance, one then recites Krias Shema, accepts the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, and sets times for Torah, and then he is assured that he is a ben Olam Haba. A siyum HaShas by Torah scholars whose Torah is their occupation is very important, but when those completing are baalei batim who are engaged in livelihood and sustenance, it is much more, and it has tremendous significance. He expressed the great joy and feelings that the distinguished finishers have, and spoke at length in praise of the righteous and modest women who have an equal share in the simcha and in the blessings that descend. He urged everyone to strengthen themselves and set fixed times for Torah study with complete consistency now as the new cycle begins. After completing Shas one must have a holy pride; the whole daily schedule must be on a higher level: "I am a Shas Yid." He especially praised the distinguished finishers who merited to complete together with their children and grandchildren, and urged the distinguished beginners to start together with children and grandchildren, which is a physical and spiritual pleasure. The Rebbe stressed that one must draw close to Hashem through chassidic seforim, especially the introduction of the holy sefer Derech Pikudecha by the holy Bnei Yissaschar.
During the siyum one must daven to merit the study and sweetness of Torah. He mentioned davening for our brethren in Eretz Yisroel, that they be saved from all trouble and from the decrees of the draft, for our brethren in England, from the decree on chinuch, that we in New York also need Heavenly mercy to be saved from this, and for our brethren in Antwerp, that they be saved from the decrees against the holy mitzvah of bris milah.
The Rebbe concluded with praise of the askanim of the chabura, headed by the patron of the chabura, the distinguished R' Yitzchak Schwartz, who invested 12 years of effort in both money and labor, and wished them that they be able to continue with even greater strength and vigor, and concluded with a holy blessing.

The singing of melodies of Torah study continued for an extended time with great inspiration.

The distinguished R' Yitzchak Schwartz was honored to conclude the first cycle of learning Shas by finishing Maseches Niddah, and HaGaon R' Yosef Chaim Greenwald shlit"a spoke a few words and began the new cycle of learning Shas with Maseches Berachos. Then the entire assembly of finishers together recited the Hadran, and the orphans recited Kaddish, and everyone broke out into festive, uplifting dancing for an extended time in the joy of the Torah.

The seudah continued, and they merited to hear by telephone the word of Hashem from Yerushalayim from the Posek HaDor and Mara D'Asra of the holy city shlit"a, who expressed the tremendous joy of the evening and said that he truly wanted to participate personally in the simcha, but his strength does not permit it. He wished all the finishers and beginners that they continue to learn and toil in Torah, and concluded with a blessing of Torah for his friend and colleague, the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a.
Likewise, during the seudah, words of blessing were heard by telephone from HaGaon Rabbi Yaakov Meir Schechter shlit"a of Eretz Yisroel.
Also, a letter sent by the Toldos Aharon Rebbe shlit"a in honor of the event was read aloud.

The mashbak, R' Chaim Shlomo Fischer, called up, on behalf of the Rebbe, with eloquent words, the patron of the chabura, R' Yitzchak Schwartz, to receive a special gift and blessing from the Rebbe shlit"a. The Rebbe presented R' Yitzchak with a silver menorah as a token of appreciation for his many efforts on behalf of the chabura, and warmly wished him many blessings.

Afterward the chairman, HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Shabsai shlit"a, called up the distinguished R' Yaakov Zusman Sofer, patron of the chabura in Kiryas Joel, the distinguished R' Shalom Yitzchak Yakobowitz, patron of the chabura from Bnei Brak and Beis Shemesh, and R' Yehoshua Hersh Glick of Boro Park, the lifeblood of the chabura, to receive a gift from the Rebbe shlit"a.

At the lechayim after the meat course, the Rebbe wished a holy blessing to the entire assembly and related a story about the holy Belzer Rebbe zy"a, who said that it is chutzpah and brazenness to learn Gemara and Tosafos without a beard and peyos. The Rebbe praised that we stand here at a siyum HaShas where many hundreds of Jews, chassidim and men of deeds, G-d-fearing and wholesome, with beards and peyos, completed all of Shas, meaning, learned with derech eretz! He wished abundant blessings to the entire assembly.

Afterward the distinguished HaGaon Rabbi Efraim Waxman shlit"a, rosh yeshiva of Maor HaTorah, spoke in praise of those who learn Torah.

The Rebbe honored R' Yitzchak Schwartz with leading the bentching, and the Rebbe recited the Sheva Brachos for close to a minyan of chassanim from our community, children of mechutanim who completed Shas. The event ended at around 10:30 and the Rebbe davened Maariv in a side room.

At around 11:00 the Rebbe set out for home to Kiryas Joel.

Upon arriving in Kiryas Joel, the Rebbe traveled to the tenaim at his holy residence on Ohel Street for the tenaim celebration of the mechutanim R' Dovid Stuhl and R' Moshe Yeshaya Wertzberger of Montreal, Eretz Yisroel, and the Rebbe wished a holy blessing to the chassan, the mechutanim, and the entire family. Afterward the Rebbe went home to his holy residence on Zanz Street.

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