Monday, Parshas Behar-Bechukosai — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

The Satmar Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the Heichal HaMesivta, Divrei Yoel branch. Before davening, the Rebbe put on tefillin for the bar mitzvah bochur, the bochur Uriel Shlomo Masri.
During the Torah reading the Rebbe went up for hagbah, and after davening he delivered the daily Tehillim shiur on chapter 15, verse 1, on the topic of prostrating oneself at the graves of tzaddikim and at the holy site of Meron, may it be rebuilt. Afterwards a lechayim took place with the bar mitzvah bochur in the Rebbe's private room.

In the afternoon the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the Heichal HaYeshiva, Beirach Moshe branch, where the Rebbe learned with a chavrusa from among the talmidim of the yeshiva in his private room, and at 6:20 the Rebbe davened Mincha in the yeshiva.

Later, around 7:45, the talmidim of Yeshivas Mesivta of Boston entered the Rebbe's room together with the roshei yeshiva. They had traveled 4 hours to the hilula of Rashbi in Kiryas Joel. The Rebbe inquired about their studies and gave words of guidance, and the bochurim then passed by to receive the Rebbe's blessing.
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Fortunate are we, how good is our portion at the hilula of Bar Yochai, and how pleasant is our lot in the merit of our master Bar Yochai

With holy emotion, the uplifting gathering of the "Hadlaka Rabbasi" took place, toward which the eyes of all Israel in the U.S. and Canada look all year, awaiting these great moments. It is hard to describe the overflowing joy and holiness felt throughout the several hours of the lighting and the holy dancing in the streets of Kiryas Joel, when the great city of Kiryas Joel was transformed, as every year, into a "mini ingathering of the exiles," as many tens of thousands of Jews, men, women and children, gathered to rejoice and take part in the "Hadlaka Rabbasi" gathering in the "Meron of America" in honor of the Godly Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. It was held in the vast areas around the building of the Beis Medrash HaGadol, the Mivtzar HaKollelim building, and in the adjacent areas of the surrounding streets.

At the time of Rabbeinu Tam, the Rebbe shlit"a entered for Maariv in the Beis Medrash HaGadol amid a large crowd. Before Maariv the Rebbe lit 5 oil lights in honor of the Godly Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and after Maariv he began counting the Omer with fiery enthusiasm. After Maariv various guests and public figures who had come for this exalted gathering greeted the Rebbe.

Right after Maariv, at 9:40, the Rebbe shlit"a arrived at the holy gathering and went to the center of the dais of honor, which was filled with the leading rabbanim, the Gaonim, the rabbanim and dayanim shlit"a. When he arrived at the site, the crowd broke out in fiery dancing for several minutes. The Rebbe danced at the site, and then they began singing songs of arousal.

After singing for a short while, the Rebbe shlit"a stood up and delivered fiery holy words on the Torah of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the great holiness of the day. He explained that Rabbi Shimon is compared to Shabbos; the power of Shabbos is that what will be in the future is as if it already is now. The Torah of Rabbi Shimon strengthens us and helps us get through difficult times, because we know that "Elders, men and women, will yet sit," good times are still to come, and this gives strength to get through difficult times. The Chasam Sofer says that Lag BaOmer has the gematria of "esh lehavah" (a flame of fire). We light lights on Lag BaOmer in reference to the fire of the future to come, as "With fire You will rebuild it." On Lag BaOmer the holy Tanna Rabbi Shimon bestows a fire upon all Jewish children, so that they can perform mitzvos with fire, and through this the Third Beis HaMikdash is built.
The Rebbe shlit"a continued with tears, and asked: "Ask the holy Tanna 'Ana' on my behalf that he should bestow joy and gladden Jewish hearts, Jewish children." There are many broken hearts in Jewish homes, matters as hard as sinews. May he bestow upon each one what he lacks. It is in the power of the holy Tanna to bestow upon each one a salvation, both general and personal, spiritual and material. We light a fire in honor of the Godly Tanna; may it be a form of fire consuming fire, and may it consume the fires of harsh judgments. He concluded with lengthy blessings for the entire crowd.
After the fiery words the singing of songs of arousal and devotion continued for several more minutes. The Rebbe sang along with great arousal and shed streams of tears, as young and old stood and sang "The attribute of mercy has been rolled upon us" with heartfelt emotion and tears and tremendous arousal of mercy.

Then the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the special platform for the lighting at the site of the bonfire, and the songs of arousal continued, especially "May Your mercies be rolled over," "Master of the world, have mercy already on Your children," which was repeated dozens of times and tore at hearts, as the eyes of tens of thousands of Jews were turned toward the center, where the leader of the community, the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a, stood with devotion and outpouring of the soul, praying from the depths of the heart for the needs of Klal Yisroel. Then the donors of the lighting handed over the silver pitchers from which the Rebbe poured oil onto the bonfire. The Rebbe took the torch and approached the site of the bonfire with the torch in his hand, while the kabbalistic song of arousal "In Honor of the Godly Tanna" was sung.
At about 11:00 the Rebbe lit the fire with holy emotion and set out in a fiery dance at the bonfire in honor of the Godly Tanna, kindling a holy torch in the hearts of the tens of thousands of Jews, who broke out in fiery dancing with holy fiery enthusiasm and joy that pierced the heavens.

After a longer while the Rebbe returned to the dais of honor. The Rebbe greeted the Spinka Rebbe shlit"a, and they sang the day's zemiros "Bar Yochai," "Va'amartem" and "Amar Rabbi Akiva." Dozens of circles formed from the tens of thousands of Jews, who danced for several hours in honor of the holy Tanna.

During the dancing the chalaka celebration took place for the Rebbe's grandson, the child son of Rabbi Hershel Meisels, son of HaGaon Rabbi, the Rav of Beis Medrash Yismach Moshe shlit"a. Afterwards the Rebbe continued and cut the hair of over 70 three-year-old boys, may they be well, from among the talmidim of our holy mosdos from throughout the greater New York area, who passed by in orderly fashion. The Rebbe also put a kappel and tzitzis on them, gave them sweets as is customary, and blessed the parents and grandfathers with warm blessings.

After the chalakas the Rebbe shlit"a continued encouraging the dancing at the site, until 12:10, when the Rebbe left the site and went home to his holy residence.

Despite the wonderful transportation arrangements home from the gathering, organized both within the great city of Kiryas Joel and to all the cities throughout greater New York, New Jersey and Canada, it still took a long time until the public was able to leave the Kiryas Joel area. With the help of the State Police, the huge crowd, estimated by the State Police at about 72 thousand participants, may they be well, was able to be controlled and to set out on the road and travel home safely.

After the lighting gathering, the talmidim of Yeshivas "Or Yisroel" of Boston entered the Rebbe's room together with the roshei yeshiva and the rebbeim of the yeshiva. The Rebbe inquired about their studies, and the bochurim passed by to receive the Rebbe's blessing.

Fortunate is the eye that saw all this, and fortunate is the eye that sees our joy and the delight of our community, as joy and holiness were drawn for a whole year!

His Torah is a shield for us and enlightens our eyes; may he advocate well on our behalf, our master Bar Yochai

▫️ Satmar'e Niyes 🌴 ▫️