Sunday, Parshas Lech Lecha — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

In the morning, before Shacharis, the following brissim took place:
The son born to R' Naftali Hirtzka Schwartz, where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.
The son born to R' Avrohom Yosef Fleischmann, where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

The Satmar Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in Heichal HaMesivta, Kedushas Yoel branch. Before davening, the Rebbe put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochurim:
The bochur Eizik Lipa Markowitz.
The bochur Yehuda Friedman.
The bochur Menachem Neuhauser.
The bochur Avrohom Chaim Heilbrun.
The bochur Menachem Gershon Indig.

After davening, the Rebbe learned the daily Tehillim shiur, on chapter 18, verse 22. The yeshiva students came in to greet the Rebbe on the occasion of the beginning of the zman, and a lechayim was held with the bar mitzvah bochurim in the Rebbe's private room.

In the afternoon, at around 3:30, the Rebbe shlit"a set out on the way to Lakewood, where the chanukas habayis ceremony for our great beis medrash took place together with a celebration of the hachnasas sefer Torah, donated by the beis medrash's benefactor, R' Moshe Zusha Neustadt of Kiryas Joel.

At around 5:30 the Rebbe shlit"a arrived at the tent that had been set up next to the beis medrash building, where the ceremony of the completion of the writing of the letters took place. The Rebbe greeted the rabbonim at the head table, and songs of inspiration were sung.
The Rebbe wrote in the letters, drank a lechayim, and warmly wished the benefactor and the entire community well. The Rebbe went for hagbah and danced with the open Sefer Torah. Gelilah: the benefactor, R' Moshe Zusha. Afterwards the Rebbe continued the dancing for a longer time, and honored the benefactor to dance. It concluded at around 6:00.

From there the Rebbe shlit"a went to the guest residence, the home of R' Yaakov Hersh Teitelbaum, where the Rebbe davened Mincha.

At around 7:00 the Rebbe shlit"a arrived at the great beis medrash for the hachnasas sefer Torah. The Rebbe received the Sefer Torah from the benefactor and danced with holy joy for an extended time, and afterwards recited Ledavid Mizmor as is customary.

After Ledavid Mizmor, the Rebbe shlit"a greeted HaGaon Rabbi Yeruchom Olshin shlit"a, one of the roshei yeshiva of Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, who had come to take part in the exalted simcha. The Rebbe inquired about his well-being and bestowed his holy blessings, and he presented the Rebbe with his new sefer on Pesach.

From there the Rebbe shlit"a went to visit HaGaon Rabbi Malkiel Kotler shlit"a, rosh yeshiva of Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood. A lengthy conversation took place about the history of America after the war, and about the efforts of the Rebbe, zy"a, and of HaGaon R' Aharon Kotler zt"l to strengthen Yiddishkeit in America. The Rebbe asked about the seder halimudim in Beis Medrash Govoha, and entered into a discussion on Maseches Bava Metzia, which is being learned there now and also in Heichal HaMesivta in Kiryas Joel. The rosh yeshiva then honored the Rebbe with a lechayim, and the Rebbe bestowed his holy blessings upon him.

From there the Rebbe shlit"a went to visit the home of HaGaon R' Avrohom Shmuel Englander shlit"a, dayan of our beis medrash and of Lakewood. A lengthy conversation took place about the state of Yiddishkeit in Europe between the First and Second World Wars, and about the situation of our brethren in Eretz Yisroel now in a time of distress. The dayan shlit"a honored the Rebbe with a lechayim, and the Rebbe warmly bestowed his holy blessings upon him.

From there the Rebbe shlit"a went to visit HaGaon R' Mordechai Betzalel Klein shlit"a, rav and dayan of our kehilla in Lakewood. A pleasant conversation took place about the history of Chassidus in Lakewood. He honored the Rebbe with a lechayim, and the Rebbe bestowed his holy blessings upon him.

Afterwards, at around 9:00, the Rebbe returned to the guest residence, where HaGaon R' Shaul Simcha Friedman shlit"a, rav of Kahal Shemen L'Mincha of Nadvorna in Lakewood, entered for a private audience. A lengthy halachic conversation took place on matters of sofrus (STa"M), together with the HaGaon, the dayan of our beis medrash shlit"a, who was also present, and the Rebbe bestowed his holy blessing upon him.
Afterwards the Rebbe davened Maariv, and after Maariv recited Kiddush Levana in front of the residence.

At around 9:50 the Rebbe shlit"a arrived at our great beis medrash for the chanukas habayis ceremony together with the siyum seudah. Upon arrival, the Rebbe danced on the spot for a few minutes.
During the seudah, numerous rabbonim and dayanim of the city were seen, among them HaGaon Rabbi Malkiel Kotler shlit"a, rosh yeshiva of Beis Medrash Govoha, HaGaon R' Dovid Schustal shlit"a, one of the roshei Beis Medrash Govoha, the Rachmistrivka Rebbe of Lakewood shlit"a, the Skolen Rebbe of Lakewood shlit"a, HaGaon R' Avrohom Spitzer shlit"a, dayan of Skver, and many more rabbonim and dayanim.

The chairman of the event, R' Yaakov Hersh Teitelbaum, took the podium and called upon the Rebbe's gabbai, R' Yisroel Weltz, who announced the kehilla's message. Afterwards the chairman introduced HaGaon Rabbi Malkiel shlit"a, who delivered words of Torah and blessing in honor of the occasion. Afterwards the chairman honored R' Aharon Weltz, director of our holy mosdos, with accepting a gift from the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a in appreciation for his many efforts on behalf of our holy kehilla in Lakewood.
HaGaon R' Mordechai Betzalel Klein shlit"a then spoke in praise of our holy kehilla in Lakewood, followed by R' Yitzchak Mordechai Neustadt, and HaGaon R' Avrohom Shmuel Englander shlit"a, dayan of our holy kehilla, who expressed the joy of our holy kehilla at the visit of the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a and the gratitude of the members of the community to the beis medrash's benefactor, R' Moshe Zusha. At that point the Rebbe presented the esteemed benefactor with a gift, a magnificent model of the beis medrash, and the benefactor then addressed the gathering in honor of the occasion.

The Rebbe drank a lechayim and warmly wished the benefactor and the entire community well, and delivered lengthy holy words. He first expressed the joy at the inauguration of such a beautiful beis medrash in Lakewood, and delivered a lengthy derasha on the parsha. He continued in praise of the beis medrash and said that this is a beginning, and gradually more buildings will be built for our holy kehilla and for the holy mosdos that will soon be established. The Rebbe spoke in praise of the benefactor, and of the Rebbe's gabbai, R' Yisroel Weltz, together with all the askanim who helped, both with the building of the beis medrash and with all the other efforts for our holy kehilla, and concluded with abundant blessings.

After the holy address, the Rebbe stood up and danced for an extended time, and honored the beis medrash's benefactor, R' Moshe Zusha Neustadt, with leading Birkas HaMazon.

After bentching there was an opportunity for the community members to go over and greet the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a. It concluded at around 12:00, and the Rebbe set out on the way home to his holy residence in Kiryas Joel.

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