Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Vaera, Mevarchim Chodesh Shevat — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a, in the resort city of Palm Springs, California

Friday afternoon at around 4:00, at the time of the visible sunset, the Rebbe shlit"a, as is his custom, ceased from work.

Friday night at around 5:45, the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash of Bais Chabad, wrapped in his tallis, and approached the amud for Mincha and Kabbalas Shabbos. The Rebbe's grandson, Rabbi Yoel Ashkenazi shlit"a (of Williamsburg), son of HaGaon HaTzaddik, rav of the Even Tzedek beis medrash shlit"a, led the davening.

The davening ended at around 7:10. The congregation went over to wish a "Gut Shabbos," and the Rebbe walked home to his holy residence.

At the Friday night seudah at his holy residence, the doors were opened to the public at around 9:30.
The Rebbe shlit"a honored people with leading the zemiros. Kol Mekadesh: HaGaon R' Naftali Hirtzka Zwebel shlit"a, rosh kehilla of Williamsburg; Menucha V'Simcha: R' Zusha Neustadt (Kiryas Joel).

The Rebbe shlit"a said Torah on the verse "And also I have heard the groaning of the Children of Israel," and explained, in the manner of a derush, the sugya of chatzi shiur in the melachos of Shabbos.

Ka Echsof: R' Moshe Menachem Schlesinger (Kiryas Joel); Birkas Hamazon: HaGaon HaTzaddik, Av Beis Din of Reishis Chochma of Montreal shlit"a.

Stories and anecdotes: This week the Rebbe shlit"a related stories about the holy Rebbe R' Zusha of Anipoli zy"a, whose yahrzeit falls on Tuesday, 2 Shevat.

Ka Ribon Olam: R' Yehuda Perlstein (Boro Park). After the fruits, bundles of treats were brought in in honor of the shalom zachor of a grandson of R' Avrohom Moshe Falkowitz.
Az B'Yom HaShvi'i: R' Aharon Yosef Weiss (Boro Park). It ended at around 11:05.

And on the holy Shabbos day

On Shabbos morning the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash at around 9:30. Pesukei D'Zimra: R' Avrohom Moshe Falkowitz; the Rebbe shlit"a then approached the amud for Shacharis.

Hotzaah and Hachnasah: R' Yosef Wasserman (Monsey); Pesukei Shema Yisroel: Rabbi Asher Anshel Seltenreich shlit"a (Boro Park), son of the Chakava-Keresztir Rebbe shlit"a.
Baal Koreh: R' Yehoshua Mendlowitz, a Shabbos guest.
Aliyos. Kohen: R' Binyomin Kahn (Monsey); Levi: R' Binyomin Epstelfeld; Shlishi: HaGaon HaTzaddik, Av Beis Din of Reishis Chochma shlit"a; Revi'i: R' Shraga Feish Herzog; Chamishi: HaGaon R' Naftali Hirtzka Zwebel shlit"a; Shishi: the Rebbe shlit"a.

The Rebbe's aliyah was purchased by R' Zusha Neustadt. The Rebbe thanked him and instructed that a Mi Sheberach be recited.

Shevi'i: R' Shmuel Wasserman (Williamsburg); Hosafos: R' Shalom Moshe Herzog and R' Avrohom Chaim Lichtenstein (Williamsburg); Acharon: the bochur Binyomin Zeide, son of Avrohom Shmuel Friedlander (Kiryas Joel); Maftir: the bar mitzvah bochur Yehoshua, son of Yosef Wasserman; Hagbah: R' Moshe Menachem Schlesinger; Gelilah: R' Yoel Glick.

The Rebbe shlit"a blessed Rosh Chodesh with great hisorerus, and then approached the amud for Mussaf, in honor of the yahrzeit of his grandfather, the holy Etz Chaim zy"a, which falls this coming Shabbos Kodesh, 6 Shevat.
Pesicha for Neim Zemiros: R' Chaim Hersh Apfel (Kiryas Joel). It ended at around 12:30.

Shalosh Seudos

For Mincha and Shalosh Seudos the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash at around 5:40. Mincha: R' Yosef Moshe Ungar (Monsey); Hotzaah and Hachnasah: R' Tzion Ovadia Masri (Williamsburg); Kohen: R' Chaim Shaul Kahn (Kiryas Joel); Levi: R' Chaim Hersh Apfel; Shlishi: R' Yehoshua Nachman Schreiber (London); Hagbah: the Rebbe shlit"a; Gelilah: R' Zusha Neustadt.

The Rebbe shlit"a honored people with the zemiros at Shalosh Seudos. Odeh: R' Yehoshua Mendlowitz; Shir HaMaalos: R' Aharon Yosef Weiss.

The Rebbe shlit"a said Torah on the verse "And also I have heard the groaning of the Children of Israel, and I remembered My covenant," and explained that in order to be able to do teshuva properly during the days of Shovavim, there is the counsel of the Belzer Rav z"l: teshuva together with tefillah, through which the teshuva for every sin is accepted. But when one is entangled in earthliness, the power of tefillah is locked. For this, there is the counsel of the Ropshitzer Rav z"l: to pray in a loud voice. The Rebbe continued with powerful words of arousal: a third of the days of Shovavim have already passed, one must make a cheshbon hanefesh of what one has already accomplished in these weeks. If one davens with fire and says Tehillim aloud, every Jew will have a tikkun.

Yedid Nefesh: Rabbi Asher Anshel Seltenreich shlit"a; Kel Mistater: Rabbi Elazar Eichenstein shlit"a (Williamsburg), son of the Burshtin Rebbe shlit"a.
The Rebbe shlit"a recited the blessing over the cup; Hagbahas HaKos: HaGaon HaTzaddik, Av Beis Din of Hibnov shlit"a.
Maariv for Motzei Shabbos: the Rebbe shlit"a. After Havdalah, people went over to wish a "Gut Voch." It ended at around 8:10.

After Havdalah, the Rebbe shlit"a went to pay a return visit at the lodgings of HaGaon HaTzaddik, Av Beis Din of Hibnov shlit"a. A pleasant conversation ensued. The Hibnov Av Beis Din honored the Rebbe with a lechayim, and the Rebbe in turn bestowed upon him his holy blessings.

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