Leil Beis of Yom Tov, 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

At the appointed time the Rebbe entered the beis medrash for Maariv, Maariv with the recitation of Hallel. The chazan was HaGaon Rabbi Yosef Dovid Levi shlit"a. The davening ended at around 9:45. After davening the Rebbe went up to the Aron Kodesh and wished the entire kehilla a good Yom Tov, and then went home to his holy residence.


Before the Seder the Rebbe went to the mikvah, after which the Rebbe distributed matzos to the grandchildren.

At around 10:40 the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered for the Seder wrapped in a borrowed tallis, a kittel and a silver kappel. As he had done on the first night, so he did on the second night, the Rebbe conducted the holy service. During the Seder the Rebbe said divrei Torah 13 times, on: Kadesh, Karpas, Yachatz, Maggid, "Vayotzienu Hashem misham," "Mitzvah aleinu lesaper," "Ad shedarash Ben Zoma," "Baruch shenasan Torah," "Biglal zeh," "Pesach, matzah u'maror," "V'hi sheamda la'avoseinu," "Ani v'lo shaliach," and "Shfoch chamascha."

The Rebbe's grandson, the child son of HaGaon Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum shlit"a, Rav of Beis Medrash Beis Menachem Zev, recited the simanim in Yiddish.
Lifting the cup for Kiddush: HaGaon Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum shlit"a.

At Mah Nishtanah all the grandchildren asked together.
The kezeisim of Motzi Matzah were eaten shortly before chatzos. At around 2:00 the Rebbe recited the Leshem Yichud with fervor and ate the afikoman with deveikus. The afikoman was "stolen" by the faithful house bochur, the bochur Leipa Deutsch.

At Shfoch Chamascha the door was opened and the Hallel recitation was continued with tremendous hisorerus, followed by the piyutim. They finished at around 3:55.

After the Seder the Rebbe crossed over to the Beis Medrash HaGadol and went to the amud to count the first Sefirah with fiery holiness, and then continued the Seder at the Shulchan Orech in the northern section of the Beis Medrash HaGadol. The Rebbe sang with a melody "Echad Mi Yodea" and "Chad Gadya," said Torah on the piyut "Podeh K'halacha," and then they continued with songs in honor of Yom Tov. They concluded at 4:35.

Second Day of Pesach

On the second day of Yom Tov the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered at around 11:05. Pesukei D'zimra: R' Isamar Meisels shlit"a. At Shacharis the Rebbe approached and sent to Chazaras HaShatz his grandson Rabbi Yoel Ashkenazi shlit"a, son of the Rebbe's son-in-law HaGaon HaTzaddik, Rav of Beis Medrash Avnei Tzedek shlit"a. The Rebbe went on to the recitation of Hallel with great hisorerus.

Hotzaah and Hachnasa: R' Shlomo Fargus (Williamsburg) and R' Mordechai Wechter (Williamsburg). Pesukei Shema Yisroel: the Rebbe's grandson Rabbi Chaim Hersh Teitelbaum shlit"a, son of the Rebbe's son HaGaon HaTzaddik, Rav of Beis Medrash Beirach Moshe shlit"a.

Aliyos. Kohen: R' Eliezer Dovid Glick. Levi: R' Baruch Leipa Levi. Shlishi: the chosson, the bochur Yoel Berish Goldberger (Williamsburg). Revi'i: R' Abba Weinberger (London). Chamishi: the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a. Hagbah: R' Hillel Teitelbaum. Gelilah: R' Yosef Moshe Glantz.
Maftir: R' Shalom Yitzchak Weinberger. Hagbah: R' Shalom HaLevi Landau. Gelilah: R' Yehuda Yehoshua Weinstock.

Mussaf: HaGaon HaGadol, the Dayan and Moreh Tzedek shlit"a. Opening of Na'im Zemiros: R' Shmuel Leib Brach. They finished at around 2:40.

At the midday tish in his holy residence, the out-of-town chassanim joined. During the seudah, Yom Tov songs were sung. During the piyut "Berach Dodi," the Rebbe honored the bochur Yoel, son of R' Berish Gross shlit"a (Montreal); "Asher Hini": the bochur Menachem Zev, son of R' Yechezkel Mukabetzky shlit"a (London); "Shoshanas Yaakov": the bochur Binyomin, son of R' Moshe Yaakov Welz (Boro Park).
A kugel was brought in honor of Seudas Esther, and the Rebbe had "V'sosef Esther" sung.

The Satmar Rebbe shlit"a said Torah on the Midrash "'Shomer mitzvah lo yeda davar ra' — this is Esther, who was occupied with biur chametz," and explained that in the merit of Esther, who was also careful regarding rabbinic mitzvos, we were saved from Haman's decree.
Afterwards the Rebbe began "Im Al HaMelech Tov," and honored with Birkas Hamazon the bochur Mordechai Efraim Fishel, son of Yisroel Simcha Landau, who had recited a thousand pages of Gemara by heart for the Rebbe. They finished at around 4:50.

The Rebbe entered for Mincha at around 8:30. Chazan: R' Moshe Meir Gottlieb. At the time of Rabbeinu Tam, Maariv was davened. Chazan: R' Yehuda Eliezer Gottesman. The Rebbe went on to Sefiras HaOmer.
After Havdalah the Rebbe wished a good moed and went home to his holy residence. They finished at around 9:30.

▫ Satmar News 🌴