The Night of Shemini Atzeres, Z'man Simchaseinu — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

At around 8:40 the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash wrapped in a borrowed tallis. Maariv: HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Friedman shlit"a, dayan of our kehilla in Williamsburg.

At 9:10 the Rebbe shlit"a began "Atah Hareisa" with a holy fiery fervor, which was followed by a heavenly outcry from tens of thousands of Jews, elders together with youths. Opening of the Aron: R' Raphael Perlmutter, of Monsey.

The Sifrei Torah were brought in, the Rebbe went up to the bimah and recited the Leshem Yichud, and the singers began to sing "Lamenatzeach."
"The name of Hashem is a tower of strength; the righteous runs into it and is lifted high." At approximately 9:15 the Rebbe shlit"a began his holy service, dancing the lofty Hakafos with fervor and sparks of holy fire, at the head of a congregation of holy, stirred Jews, with some ten thousand talmidim and chassidim, hour after hour, in the joy of the Torah. Fortunate is the eye that saw our tents, in the joy of our kehilla.

At the fourth Hakafa, the guests from Eretz Yisroel were honored with a Sefer Torah.

At the seventh Hakafa, after dancing around the beis medrash with vigor and strength, the Rebbe shlit"a went up onto the bimah, as is his holy custom, and continued the dancing with even greater intensity and vigor.
After the Hakafos the Rebbe recited "L'Dovid Mizmor," and after Aleinu, wished a good Yom Tov to the entire congregation in all sections of the beis medrash with a radiant countenance. They concluded at 11:50.

At around 1:45 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the Heichal HaShulchanos for the meal.
During the tish, Simchas Torah melodies were sung with great joy.
During the zemiros the Rebbe honored Rabbi Meir Yosef Gross shlit"a (of Williamsburg).

The Rebbe shlit"a said Torah on the verse "V'hayisa ach sameach," and explained that through the 15 seudos of Yom Tov of Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres, Jews are relieved of all troubles.

Birkas Hamazon: the Rebbe's grandson Rabbi Yisroel Dushinsky shlit"a, son of HaGaon Rabbi Dushinsky shlit"a, Rav of Beis Medrash Ohel Feiga. They concluded at 2:40.

Yom Shemini Atzeres

On Shemini Atzeres morning at around 11:10 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash. Pesukei D'zimra: HaGaon R' Meir Zwibel shlit"a, one of the rabbonim of our holy kehilla in Williamsburg. The Rebbe approached the amud for Shacharis and Hallel.

Hotzaah and Hachnasah: HaGaon R' Avrohom Wolf Schnebalg shlit"a, moreh tzedek in our kehilla in Williamsburg, and Rabbi Sinai Teitelbaum shlit"a, son of the HaGaon Rav of our kehilla in Boro Park 15 shlit"a.
Pesukei Shema Yisroel: HaGaon R' Yoel Halberstam shlit"a, Rav of Beis Medrash Beis Shmuel, Divrei Chaim neighborhood in Kiryas Joel.

Aliyos. Kohen: R' Yoel Kahn (of Williamsburg). Levi: the Av Beis Din of Monsey shlit"a. Shlishi: the Av Beis Din of Williamsburg shlit"a. Revi'i: R' Yisroel Chaim Glick. The Rebbe called the name for the birth of his daughter, mazel tov. Chamishi: the Rebbe shlit"a.

After his aliyah, the Rebbe called the name of the newborn daughters of:
R' Kalman Eliezer Sapdi.
R' Eizik Kohn.
R' Moshe Strulovitch.
R' Kalman Eliezer Rubinstein.
R' Mordechai Schwartz.
R' Shimon Schwartz.
R' Yoel Reich (Jersey City).

Hagbah of the first Sefer: R' Yeshaya Wertzberger. Gelila: R' Yoel Bernatah.
Maftir: R' Fishel Rispler (of Williamsburg). Hagbah of the second Sefer: R' Elazar Gruber. Gelila: R' Chaim Shlomo Krauss.

Because of the great crowding of the many thousands of men entering after Yizkor, the Rebbe went out to put on the kittel for Tefillas Geshem before Yizkor.
Also, as on Yom Tov Shavuos, a new arrangement was put in place with the approval of the Rebbe shlit"a, and special partitions were set up in all the wings and on the south and north sides of the beis medrash to prevent danger to life when so many thousands of Jews go out and in at once.

The Rebbe shlit"a approached the amud and recited the prayer for rain, L'Dovid Mizmor and Kaddish. The gabbai, R' Yoel Kaufman, called out "Mashiv haruach umorid hagashem."
The Rebbe shlit"a blessed for rain with great arousal.

Opening for Geshem: R' Moshe Goldstein. Kah Keli: R' Yitzchak Ehrenfeld. Opening for Ane'im Zemiros: HaGaon R' Ezra David Chaira shlit"a, dayan of Kehal Charedim in Argentina. They concluded at around 3:00.

After several minutes the Rebbe shlit"a entered the great sukkah for Kiddush as is the custom. The Rebbe made Kiddush and tasted mezonos, kindel and fish.

The Rebbe shlit"a said Torah on the verse "Uvayom hashemini atzeres tihiyeh lachem," explaining that Shemini Atzeres is special for praying for one's personal needs. Personal needs are only something that remains for a person for later, and therefore it is a segulah for parnassah for Jewish children, who use the money for spiritual needs. They concluded at around 3:30.

In the afternoon at around 6:15 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the great beis medrash for Mincha. Baal tefillah: R' Shlomo Zalman Stein.

After Mincha the Rebbe shlit"a entered the great sukkah to take leave of the sukkah.
Yom Tov melodies were sung, the Rebbe drank lechayim and wished the Chevra Kadisha as is customary, and the entire congregation of thousands of men, and made a brocha on an apple.

They continued with melodies of arousal and "Hagleh Na."
The Rebbe shlit"a said Torah on the phrase "Hagleh na," that the mitzvah of sukkah brings down mercy and kindness revealed, so that it can be seen with the eyes. One must bring the holiness of the mitzvah of sukkah into the home. He also mentioned that one must offer praise and thanks to Hashem; Baruch Hashem it was a beautiful Yom Tov, and people were able to eat and sleep in the sukkah without interruption. So too may there be a whole year of uninterrupted kindness. He concluded with abundant blessings.

After the Torah, the Rebbe shlit"a threw apples for a longer time, in the custom of the Beirach Moshe zy"a and the Divrei Chaim zy"a before him. He then recited with emotion the prayer upon leaving the sukkah and the yehi ratzon. The Rebbe stood up and recited "L'shana haba'ah b'Yerushalayim" with holy fire, and broke into a fiery dance in the joy of a mitzvah, taking leave of Yom Tov Sukkos.

The Rebbe left the sukkah with holy dancing steps and entered the beis medrash, and danced around the beis medrash several times, leaning on the Av Beis Din of Monsey shlit"a and the Av Beis Din of Sighet shlit"a. They concluded at around 7:20, and the Rebbe went home.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️