The First Days of Yom Tov Pesach 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

Monday, Erev Pesach

In the morning, before Shacharis, a bris took place for a newborn son of R' Yirmiyahu Bentzion Kappel, at which the Rebbe served as sandek.

The Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered the Beis Medrash HaGadol for Shacharis at around 9:10. Baal tefillah: HaRav HaChosid R' Simcha Yisroel Apfel. Hotzaah and hachnasah: R' Hersh Leib Fogel. Kohen: HaRav HaChosid R' Yaakov, son of R' Shimon, Friedman. Levi: HaRav HaChosid R' Aharon Weiss. Shlishi: the Rebbe shlit"a. Hagbah: R' Yudel, son of R' Naftali Shlomo, Schwartz. Gelilah: R' Eliyahu, son of R' Chaim Aharon, Spitzer.

Right after davening, the Rebbe drank a lechayim on beer in his private room, as is customary. Afterwards, in his holy home, the Rebbe sold the chametz to the non-Jew; the Rebbe made the kinyan and handed over the shtar. Then, at around 10:20, the Rebbe went over to the front of the Beis Medrash HaGadol for the burning of the chametz. The Rebbe said "L'shem yichud, to fulfill the mitzvah of 'Ach bayom harishon tashbisu se'or mi'bateichem,'" and threw in the chametz and the lulav. He waited until the chametz was burned and recited the yehi ratzons along with "Kol chamira" with great outpouring of the soul. At the end he wished a good Yom Tov.

In the afternoon at around 2:20, the Rebbe went to the mikvah, and then at around 2:55 arrived at the matzah bakery in the yeshiva ketana building on Getzil Berger, where the Rebbe poured the water into the flour and distributed dough pieces to several mayiros. The Rebbe recited Hallel with holy emotion and outpouring of the soul, rolled out a matzah, and then looked around at the rollers and at the ovens. Afterwards he separated challah.

Then at around 4:15 the Rebbe went over to the central matzah bakery of our holy kehilla, and looked over the order of the baking and all the departments for an extended time. The Rebbe poured water into the flour and separated challah, and then returned to his holy home.

Later in the afternoon, the Rebbe went down to the new large hall in his holy home. The Rebbe lit the candles and looked over the royal Seder table, where over 300 chasanim of our community had been seated in the Rebbe's presence, having been placed between the two holy Seder nights.

Before candle-lighting time, the Rebbe went once more to the mikvah in honor of Yom Tov.

At around 8:25 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash, approached the amud for Mincha and began Hodu. After Mincha the Rebbe recited the order of the Korban Pesach offering. Maariv: HaRav R' Dovid Leib Krauss shlit"a. The Rebbe approached Hallel with fiery enthusiasm. After davening, the Rebbe went up to the Aron Kodesh and wished the entire tzibbur "a gut Yom Tov," and went immediately home to his holy home. They finished at around 9:55.

Before the Seder, the Rebbe shlit"a distributed matzos to the grandchildren.

At around 10:25 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the Seder wrapped in his tallis over the kittel, and wearing a silver yarmulka, with the hundreds of chasanim, talmidim of our holy yeshiva, around his table like olive saplings, who merited to take part in the Sedarim on the night of Yom Tov of Pesach, as the king in his entourage. The tables were set royally with a masterful arrangement, which the devoted house bochur arranges year after year with great effort, so that everyone in every corner can take part in the uplifting moments in the Rebbe's presence, of fulfilling the mitzvos of the night, reciting the Haggadah and divrei Torah, and reciting Hallel with holy emotion and outpouring of the soul, which was conducted with deveikus and the joy of a mitzvah.

The Rebbe arranged the ka'arah, the matzos and the simanim, recited "Askinu seudasa d'malka" and the Ribono shel Olam prayer, and recited "Kadesh" and all the simanim in a pleasant voice, in the traditional melody of our holy Rebbes zy"a.

During the Seder the Rebbe said divrei Torah 16 times, on: Kadesh, Karpas, Yachatz, Ha Lachma Anya, Hashata Hacha, Avadim Hayinu, R' Yosi HaGelili Omer, Baruch She'nasan Torah L'amo Yisroel, Rasha Mah Hu Omer, V'hi She'amda, V'achshav Keirvanu HaMakom La'avodaso, V'omar Lach B'damayich Chayi, Ani V'lo Malach, Va'yofu Es HaBatzeik, and Shfoch Chamascha.

During the Seder, the grandsons, sons of HaGaon R' Chaim Hersh Ashkenazi shlit"a, Rav of Beis Medrash Rav Tuv, said the simanim in Yiddish.

The Rebbe said "Hineni muchan u'mezuman" for the mitzvah of the first cup, stood up, said the l'shem yichud of Kiddush and made Kiddush with holy enthusiasm. Hagbahas hakos: the Rebbe's grandson HaGaon R' Chaim Hersh Ashkenazi shlit"a.
After Kiddush, the Rebbe signaled that everyone should make Kiddush.

Right after Maggid began, the Rebbe said "Hineni muchan" for the mitzvah of telling the story of the Exodus with holy fire, uncovered the matzah, and recited the order of the Haggadah with emotion and melody.
At Maggid, the Rebbe said the text from the holy Zohar, "Pikuda basra da."
Before Mah Nishtana, the Rebbe clapped his hands together, palm upon palm, following the custom of his father, the holy Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe zy"a, according to the Belz custom.
At Mah Nishtana, the grandsons, sons of HaGaon R' Chaim Hersh Ashkenazi shlit"a, asked the questions in Yiddish, and then all the grandchildren together. At the makkos, the Rebbe poured out wine from the cup as is customary, and immediately had it taken out.

After the second cup, the Rebbe removed his tallis. The Rebbe washed his hands and said the l'shem yichud, the bracha of Hamotzi and "Al achilas matzah" with holy emotion, and ate the kezeisim of matzah, and later the kezeisim at Maror and Korech, with deveikus.
At Shulchan Orech, the Rebbe ate the egg from the ka'arah, and the Rebbe himself ate the afikoman right away, before chatzos. The afikoman had been "stolen" by the Rebbe's grandson, the chosson Yisroel Dushinsky, son of HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav of Beis Medrash Ohel Piga shlit"a. After finishing the afikoman, the Rebbe waited for the Yom Tov meal to be served to all the participants.

The Cup of Eliyahu was poured and the door was opened. After the prayer of "Shfoch Chamascha" with great arousal and emotion, the Rebbe's fourth cup was filled from the Cup of Eliyahu, and shirayim were sent down to all the participants. They then continued with the recital of Hallel with great arousal and longing, especially at the piyut of Nishmas Kol Chai, where the Rebbe prolonged it with holy emotion, with weeping and outpouring of the soul. After the Seder they continued with the piyutim, zemiros and Yom Tov melodies. They finished at around 3:30, and the Rebbe went up to his private room, where the Rebbe recited Shir HaShirim with deveikus and holy emotion.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️