Sunday, Parshas Shoftim – 26 Menachem Av, Hilula Kadisha of the Divrei Yoel zt"l – 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

In the morning, the brisim took place.
- For the newborn son of R' Yosef Zundel Apfel, where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.
- For the newborn son of R' Yoel Alter Goldstein (Williamsburg), where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

The Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the yeshiva building at the kever, Heichal HaMesivta, Divrei Yoel branch, adjacent to the distinguished ohel, together with hundreds of chassidim and the talmidim of the Mesivta.
The Rebbe lit 5 candles at the amud and led the davening on the day of the hilula with great hispaarus.

A few minutes after the davening, at around 12:20, the Rebbe entered the lechayim gathering before going up to the holy ohel, amid 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. Songs of inspiration and devotion were sung, and the Rebbe drank lechayim and gave blessings to the entire assembly.

The Rebbe delivered words of holy preparation and inspiration before visiting the holy ohel, on the verse "Tzedek, tzedek tirdof… v'yarashta" ("Justice, justice shall you pursue… and you shall inherit"). He explained that Moshe Rabbeinu, who was a leader, nevertheless received the power of a servant who has constant access to the King, in order to bring about salvations. The same is true of the Rebbe, the Divrei Yoel zt"l, the one whose hilula it is, and through this he can bring about salvations and bestow blessing upon all of Klal Yisroel. The Rebbe also spoke about the holy Mesivta, which is a continuation of the yeshiva that the Divrei Yoel zt"l established, and what this means for a yeshiva student. He went on to speak about the many requests that Klal Yisroel is davening for today, on the day of the hilula, both in spiritual matters and in material ones, each person with his own needs, refuos, and that in the merit of the one whose hilula it is we hope to bring about all good, especially the complete Redemption, for which the Divrei Yoel zt"l constantly davened and which he urged, shedding rivers of tears over it. He concluded with his holy blessing.

After the lechayim gathering, at around 1:15, the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the distinguished ohel, together with thousands of chassidim and the talmidim of the Mesivta.
Upon arriving at the cemetery, the Rebbe recited the blessing, lit 5 candles along with a neshama candle, and said the tefillah "Shalom Aleichem" of the Yismach Moshe zt"l. He then recited Tehillim from chapter 90 through 107 as is customary, and said the Yehi Ratzon with outpouring of the soul. After that the Rebbe learned chapters of Mishnayos and recited Kaddish D'Rabbanan.
The Rebbe shlit"a read kvitlach for an extended time, while songs of inspiration that used to be sung in the beis medrash of the one whose hilula it is were sung. During this, a special kvitel from the donors of 'Keren Kiryas Yoel' was handed to the Rebbe. The Rebbe read through all the names for an extended time and placed the kvitel on the holy kever. The Rebbe then prostrated himself on the holy kever for an extended time. They concluded at around 2:15.

From there the Rebbe went to the home of his grandson HaRav Meir Eliezer Meisels shlit"a, son of the rav of the Yismach Moshe beis medrash shlit"a, for the upsherin of his young son Yoel. The Rebbe cut a few locks of hair, put on the kippah and tzitzis, and shared of his holy blessing.
Afterwards the Rebbe washed for the morning meal. Beautiful conversation followed, with stories of tzaddikim, and joyous songs were sung. The Rebbe recited Birkas Hamazon over the cup, and they concluded at around 3:00.

At around 8:30, the Rebbe entered for Mincha in the main beis medrash. The Rebbe lit candles and went to the amud in honor of the hilula kadisha.

After Mincha, the Rebbe went up to the dais of honor for the central seudas hilula of the Divrei Yoel zt"l. The Rebbe washed for the seudah and prolonged his pure table. He 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, and then recited the Hadran and Kaddish. At the lechayim after the fish, the Rebbe wished, "May his merit protect us and all of Yisroel."
During the tish, songs of devotion and longing were sung, which used to be sung in the beis medrash of the one whose hilula it is. The Rebbe shlit"a honored HaGaon R' Chaim Yosef Wertzberger shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Hunyad, Kiryas Joel, with Michtam L'David.

The Rebbe shlit"a delivered words of Torah on the verse "Tzedek, tzedek tirdof… v'yarashta", explaining in the teaching of the one whose hilula it is, the Divrei Yoel zt"l, and discussing his greatness and righteousness. With his flaming fire of fear of Heaven, he was called a servant of Hashem, and "whoever acquires a Hebrew servant acquires a master for himself." Therefore he had the power of "the tzaddik decrees and the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills," to bring blessing, and to nullify decrees against Jewish children. His talmidim, whom he established as a community of G-d-fearing and complete Jews, a mosad of Torah and yiras Shamayim, are, Baruch Hashem, still flourishing, dozens of years after his passing, as the camp of Hashem grows: upright baalei batim and modest, fitting women. All of this is his influence, the pure fear of Hashem that endures forever. This is especially so in this holy city of Kiryas Joel, which is in his name and memory, where today nearly nine thousand families live, all upright Jews who walk in his ways. The Rebbe also recalled the good memory of his father, the Beirach Moshe zt"l, who invested so much effort to continue the work and the legacy of his uncle z"l in Kiryas Joel.

The Rebbe continued with matters of the hour, about the many housing projects that are being built and prepared to be built in all parts of Kiryas Joel, which will bring close to four thousand new apartments in the coming years, all at the price of $300 per square foot! It will be for the glory of Kiryas Joel and of the founder of the city zt"l.

In this connection he announced the good news that last week they Baruch Hashem received the permits for the new community in Monticello for the first 200 apartments, especially for our chassidim. It will be called 'Kiryas Moshe' in the name and memory of his father, the Beirach Moshe zt"l, and will be even cheaper than Kiryas Joel.
The Rebbe then spoke with pain about the lies and falsehoods that sellers tell buyers, both about the size of the apartment and about the taxes, etc. This is ona'ah, a Torah prohibition. He related an actual incident of a Jew who bought an apartment in Kiryas Joel Expanded, where the seller told him the taxes were six thousand dollars a year, and in reality they were seventeen thousand dollars!
The Rebbe appealed to the general chassidic public throughout New York, who struggle to buy an apartment because of the high prices, to pick themselves up and move to Monticello, where three thousand new apartments are now being built at very low prices.

The Rebbe continued about the affordable simcha halls that were built in Kiryas Joel, both for weddings and for Shabbos Sheva Brachos, a very good thing, and announced the good news that it will be possible to receive a loan of forty thousand dollars with small payments of five hundred dollars a month, especially for those who commit to the simcha takanos. He thanked the askanim who brought this about.
He then spoke words of preparation for the month of Elul: to increase learning Torah and to be connected to one of the chevras of our holy kehilla on a fully fixed basis; the destruction that comes from impure devices. He mentioned the address of the Divrei Yoel zt"l on Shabbos Parshas Shoftim 5725 before the Torah reading, about the new fashions in women's clothing, both the sheitels and the see-through stockings. He strengthened the takanos of our holy mosdos, and in this connection asked the leadership of our kehilla in Williamsburg to reprint that fiery address. He continued about the war for Hashem against Amalek which the Divrei Yoel zt"l waged against the impurity of Zionism. He repeated his holy words, which the Rebbe himself heard, that he feared a time would come when an upright Jew would be unable to live in Eretz Yisroel because of the decree of drafting yeshiva students. He described the difficult situation we find ourselves in, and said it is incomprehensible how there are those who are ready to make compromises and selections. Besides this, such a law will in any case not pass the Zionist High Court, and it is a pity to flatter oneself or others; rather, one must separate completely from them. He strengthened the mosdos of the Eidah HaChareidis, especially the holy mosad Keren Hatzalah, which was the last mosad that the Divrei Yoel zt"l established before his passing, and which helps support all the mosdos of the Eidah HaChareidis. He praised the askanim of Mosdos Yotev Lev, which was the first mosad that the Divrei Yoel zt"l established after the war, who have put the mosad back on track and raised the support, and, Baruch Hashem, for several months now they have paid salaries on time. He thanked the askanim and donors. He concluded with praise for the holy Mesivta located at the kever, and urged the chassidim to support the yeshiva generously, ending with many blessings.

The Rebbe recited Birkas Hamazon over the cup. They concluded at around 10:40.

A few minutes later, the Rebbe entered for Maariv in the heichal of the beis medrash.
- Baal tefillah: HaRav R' Avrohom Moshe Lebovitch.

His great and holy merit should protect us and all of Yisroel

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️