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

On Simchas Torah eve, before Maariv, the Rebbe went to the mikvah.
At around 12:30 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash for Maariv davening; the baal tefillah was R' Meir Shlomo Pilaff. After Maariv the Rebbe left for a short break.
At 1:05 the Rebbe shlit"a entered wrapped in a tallis for Ata Haraisa; opening of the Aron: R' Chaim Yechezkel Weiss (Montreal).

The Rebbe shlit"a said four divrei Torah during the Hakdama.
First Torah: on the verse 'Yedid Nefesh Av HaRachaman', at the time the Beis HaMikdash stood, people would come to bow before Hashem with proper humility; in our times, through dancing and rejoicing with the holy Torah, one can arrive at bowing and humility with a peaceful heart.
Second Torah: on the verse 'Hagleh Na' the Rebbe mentioned the holy Zohar that the holy Avos come down to rejoice in the simcha of their children, and they come down to this physical world through the power of the mitzvah of sukkah, which sanctifies the bodies of Jewish children. When they come, it is not an empty visit; they leave behind a blessing in all matters. "And this is the blessing with which Moshe blessed" - the father z"l and the uncle z"l are present among us, and they bless the entire congregation that is here and rejoices on Simchas Torah.
Third Torah: on the verse 'Bereishis Torascha HaKedumah' by fulfilling the mitzvos of the Torah one is in the category of a servant, but by adding beyond what one is obligated by law, one becomes in the category of a son, and a father gives his child according to his ability. The custom of Hakafos is not explicitly mentioned in a verse or in the Mishnah; it is a custom introduced by holy tzaddikim, especially the holy Yitev Lev. He recalled an incident in which the Yitev Lev told a student that he would have him in mind at "V'chasidim berinah yagilu," and he concluded that this refers to us, who follow in his ways with the order of Hakafos.
Fourth Torah: after the first Hakafa, on the verse 'HaKel HaGadol', all the strength we have today comes from the strength of Avrohom Avinu, who brought holiness into the world; so we are able to learn and daven to Hashem today. He concluded with blessings and aroused mercy against those who wish to interfere with the holy chinuch that has been handed down from generation to generation without any change.
The Hakdama ended at 3:20.
At the first Hakafa, the hundreds of guests from Europe were honored with a Sefer Torah.

After the Hakafos, the Rebbe shlit"a led the recital of Shema Yisroel and Kesser.
For the Torah reading, the aliyos went to: Kohen: R' Eliyahu Shaul Katz (Boro Park), Levi: R' Yosef Neiman, Shlishi: the Rebbe shlit"a, Hagbah: HaGaon R' Shalom Yitzchak Kraus shlit"a (London), Gelilah: R' Shmuel Benedict (Manchester). It ended at 5:20.

The Rebbe shlit"a went home to his holy residence and immediately made Kiddush; zemiros and bentching: the Rebbe's grandson Rabbi Lipa, son of the Rav of the beis medrash Beirach Moshe shlit"a.

Yom Simchas Torah

On Simchas Torah morning at 11:45 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash.

Before davening, the bris of the newborn son of R' Eliyahu Brach Parkash took place.

Pesukei D'zimra and Shacharis were davened quickly as is customary; baal tefillah: R' Chaim Shlomo Kraus. The Kohanim duchened. It ended at around 1:10, and the Rebbe left for a short break.

At 1:35 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash for Ata Haraisa; opening of the Aron: R' Moshe Yitzchak Sternlicht (London). The Hakdama ended at 4:15.

The Rebbe shlit"a said 5 divrei Torah, three at the Hakdama and before the fourth and sixth Hakafos.
First Torah: on the verse 'Yedid Nefesh', that by being one who walks in the ways of the Avos, even without understanding, one merits the merit of the Avos; furthermore, through dancing, "Let Your servant run like a stag," one rectifies what he damaged through running to do evil with his feet during the year.
Second Torah: on the verse 'Hagleh Na', tzaddikim brought it about that a person should feel in this world a taste of the World to Come through fulfilling Torah and mitzvos, and through this "all of Israel have a share in the World to Come."
Third Torah: on the verse 'Bereishis Torascha HaKedumah' teshuva in the face of an accuser about the past is very hard, but through faith in the Creator one can rectify everything.
The Torah for the fourth Hakafa - the Hakafa of Moshe Rabbeinu: on the verse 'And you shall rejoice in all the good' "There is no good but Torah" - this is a command to learn Torah, but also to learn Torah with joy, to feel sweetness in the Torah. But sins create a dividing curtain; the holy Torah is a protective barrier against the yetzer hara, and through accepting good resolutions in learning Torah, each one according to his level, one can now dance and rejoice with the Torah.
The Torah for the sixth Hakafa - the Hakafa of Yosef HaTzaddik: on the verse 'And of Yosef he said: Blessed by Hashem is his land', there are two ways of teshuva to rectify damages, one through tears and the other through joy, and this is the trait of Yosef HaTzaddik. One must accept upon himself good resolutions in matters of holiness in speech, action and thought, and know the severity of even a single glance, a glance of holiness and, G-d forbid, the opposite; and through this one can arrive at teshuva out of joy and not, G-d forbid, from tears, and merit all the blessings.

Between the Hakafos, the piyutim of the Chareidim were sung with great enthusiasm, as is customary.
At the first Hakafa, all the grandchildren of the holy Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe zy"a, were honored with a Sefer Torah.
At the second Hakafa, all those who have the merit of being teachers of Torah to the Jewish people were honored.

At the sixth Hakafa the Rebbe shlit"a made the waving motions with the Sefer Torah with exaltation 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 the Sefer Torah that he had written and continued dancing with great affection and exaltation, in lofty joy.

At the end, the Rebbe recited all the tefillos and led the recital of L'Dovid Mizmor verse by verse.

For the Torah reading, the aliyos went to the shamashim: Kohen: R' Shmuel HaKohen Perlmutter, Levi: R' Yudel Wertzberger, Shlishi: R' Yehoshua Mandelowitz, Revii: R' Chaim Shlomo Fisher, Chamishi: the Rebbe shlit"a. The Rebbe recited the berachos with tears of joy.
After his aliyah, the Rebbe shlit"a made the Mi Sheberach and naming for the birth of a daughter to R' Aharon Akiva Kahn.

Due to the shortage of time, the Rebbe shlit"a did not make Kiddush as usual, but went straight into the Polish shul for the Chassanei HaTorah.

R' Yoel Kaufman - shamash, together with the baal koreh R' Yudel Wertzberger, recited the authorization for Chasan Torah and Chasan Bereishis, and the Rebbe shlit"a received an aliyah and read Maftir.
Hagbah on the first sefer: R' Moshe Aharon Steinberg, Gelilah: R' Moshe Menachem Schlesinger.

After the aliyah, the Rebbe shlit"a instructed that a Mi Sheberach be made for R' Moshe Menachem Schlesinger.
Chasan Bereishis: R' Eliezer Lev (London), baal koreh: R' Yudel Wertzberger. A tallis was spread like a chuppah, as is customary.
Hagbah on the second sefer: R' Moshe Zusha Neustadt, Gelilah: the bochur Chananya Yom Tov Lipa Deutsch.
Chasan Maftir: R' Naftali Hirtzka Stein.
Hagbah on the third sefer: R' Chaim Yaakov (Williamsburg), Gelilah: R' Yoel Weider.

Mussaf was led at the amud by R' Avrohom Moshe Lebowitz, and they rejoiced as is customary. Immediately after Kaddish Titkabal, Korbanos and Ashrei were said and Mincha was davened. It ended at 7:05.

The Rebbe shlit"a went into his private room and made Kiddush there, then washed immediately for the Yom Tov seudah and recited Hamotzi on an elongated challah baked with raisins, as is customary, and then went home to his holy residence.

The Holy Table of Neilas HaChag - Gathering for Holy Blessings

At around 9:25 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 on the floor and continued the seudah. At the lechayim after the fish, the Rebbe wished a year of good blessing. Yom Tov foods and kraut 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.
For the zemiros the Rebbe honored: HaGaon R' Berish Kahn shlit"a, Rosh Kehilla of Antwerp.

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

The Rebbe said a Torah thought on the verse 'Hagleh Na' and explained that there is a level of yeshua, with which Hashem helps His children after they daven, and then there is the level of ezra, with which Hashem helps even before they daven. In this generation, which is so lowly, Hashem, Who helps the poor, helps Jews with this level of ezra, "Before they call, I will answer." In conclusion, the Rebbe at length praised the thousands of people who conduct themselves during these holy days in the way of the holy Yitev Lev and the Yismach Moshe and going back to the Maharsha, who arranged the order of the Hakafos and also the times, with true Yom Tov joy, and wished abundant blessings.

Afterwards the Rebbe studied the Gemara, Bavli and Yerushalmi, in Maseches Berachos and explained beautiful allusions and matters interwoven with stories of tzaddikim.

After the tish, the Rebbe shlit"a stood up and said "Next year in Yerushalayim" 3 times.

Maariv of Motzei Yom Tov: shamash R' Shlomo Zalman Stein.

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 assembled, both in the Ezras Yisroel and in the Ezras Nashim.

Joyous nigunim were sung; the Rebbe gave the holy blessings and strengthened all the good resolutions that were accepted during Yom Tov, that we should not, G-d forbid, take a step back but go forward and take home all the good influences of Yom Tov. It ended at around 11:40.

The Rebbe shlit"a went into his private room and bid farewell to the hundreds of guests from overseas.

"And he would make Yom Tov when leaving the holy in peace, with dancing and festivities" - unable to part from the elevated Yom Tov. May it be His will that we have accomplished all good, and may the Rebbe's blessing "V'chasidim berinah yagilu" be fulfilled for us, that we should 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 G-d is Hashem

▫️ Satmar'e Niyes 🌴 ▫️