The Day of Bedikas Chametz and Sereifas Chametz — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

Tuesday, Parshas Shemini (1)

Early in the morning, before Shacharis, a bris was held for a newborn son of R' Wolf Reichman, where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

The Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the Beis Medrash HaGadol. Before davening, the Rebbe put tefillin on the following bar mitzvah bochurim:
The bochur Moshe Yitzchak Zilberstein.
The bochur Alexander Nachum Gottlieb.
After davening, a lechayim was held with the bar mitzvah bochurim in the Rebbe's private room.

During the morning hours, the Rebbe went on his weekly visit to the mehudar slaughterhouse.

In the afternoon at around 7:30, the Rebbe shlit"a davened Mincha in the Beis Medrash HaGadol. After Mincha, the uplifting gathering of "Shaiv'as Mayim Shelanu" (drawing our water) took place in the presence of thousands of chassidim, and many melodies of joy and inspiration were sung.

The Rebbe shlit"a delivered holy words on the verse "U'sheavtem mayim b'sasson," explaining that the lower waters wept, "We want to be before the King." When the Jewish people were driven away from the King's palace, they wept together with the waters. On Pesach at night, when the holy Shechinah descends, the Jewish people are brought close to Hashem, and through the mitzvah of matzah the lower waters too are brought close. A lesson in mussar is taken from the waters, which yearn for Hashem: "The water came and extinguished the fire." It extinguishes all the harsh judgments that rule over Klal Yisroel, and the Rebbe wished that the mitzvah should bring forth all good blessings.

They continued with melodies of inspiration and sang Vihi Noam. The Rebbe stood up with holy emotion, recited the Leshem Yichud for the sake of the mitzvah, drew our water from the spigot on the bimah of honor, poured it in, along with several pitchers. He then honored the Rabbonim, the Geonim, the sons and sons-in-law of the Rebbe shlit"a, and the rabbonim and dayanim of Kiryas Joel to draw water, and then broke out into fiery dancing for an extended time in the joy of the mitzvah and holiness. As he descended, the Rebbe wished the entire congregation a good Yom Tov. The gathering ended at around 8:35.

Immediately after the gathering, the Rebbe davened Maariv in the heichal of the beis medrash. Baal tefillah: HaRav R' Baruch Mordechai Markovitch.

After Maariv, the Rebbe went home. At around 9:20, the Rebbe shlit"a came out into the front room, where the 10 pieces of bread had been laid out around the table as is customary, recited the brachah on biur chametz with fervor, gathered the pieces, and then continued with physical exertion to perform bedikas chametz throughout the entire house. At the conclusion, the Rebbe recited Kol Chamira with great outpouring of the soul.

Late in the evening, the Rebbe finished reviewing and arranging all the Kimcha D'Pischa tzedakah funds that were distributed by the Rebbe's holy directive, and sent out additional fresh, large sums to Yidden for Yom Tov.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️