Leil Zos Chanukah — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

The Rebbe davened Maariv at around 6:00. Before Maariv, the bochur Shneur Zalman Eckstein lit the menorah.

At around 9:20 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the Beis Medrash HaGadol for the kindling of the Chanukah lights, in the presence of thousands upon thousands of men. The Rebbe greeted HaGaon Rabbi Av Beis Din of London shlit"a, HaGaon Rabbi Dayan and Moreh Tzedek of Munkatch Monsey shlit"a, and other distinguished rabbonim who had come as guests to bask in the shadow of holiness. The Rebbe poured in the oil and recited the blessings over the lighting with holy fire.
Afterwards the Rebbe said the zemiros and stirring niggunim of hisorerus were sung, and the choir sang the piyutim as is customary. At the end, R' Shlomo Hersh Eckstein sang Mizmor Shir Chanukas as is customary, after which the Rebbe distributed coins to the children of the choir.

The Rebbe shlit"a went up to the holy table and the stirring niggunim of hisorerus continued for a longer time.
Then the Rebbe shlit"a delivered holy words of Torah discourse and pilpul on the sugya in Maseches Shabbos regarding "kovsa zakuk lah," continuing with elevated analyses. Among other things, he explained that Aharon HaKohen himself descended to kindle the menorah at the miracle of Chanukah, and each year when a Jew lights the Chanukah candles he receives a spark from Aharon the holy Kohen, which kindles his soul, blesses every Jew, and bestows all good influences.

Afterwards the uplifting gathering continued with song and music, with several niggunim of hisorerus, while the Rebbe shlit"a delivered four more holy discourses, with longer words of aggadah and Chassidus, on the fact that the initial letters of "Banecha kishtilei zeisim saviv l'shulchanecha" equal in gematria "Chanukah."
First Torah: The Rebbe spoke at length with heartfelt emotion that on Chanukah one must pray for upright children, that they should sit at home "around your table" and not graze in foreign fields, just as we say in the Leshem Yichud, "May my offspring and the offspring of my offspring be Torah scholars," etc. The niggunim of hisorerus "Vihi Zari" and others were sung, as the Rebbe wept at length.
Second Torah: On Chanukah, cures descend for all of Klal Yisroel, and we pray that we should, chas v'shalom, not need to be in the hospital, but that all children should be "around your table." The niggunim of hisorerus "Midas HaRachamim Aleinu Hisgalgelu" and others were sung.
Third Torah: During the days of Chanukah we must pray to merit a sweetness and pleasantness in Torah, for which the Chanukah lights are a special segulah. The niggunim of hisorerus "V'haarev" and others were sung.
Fourth Torah: During the days of Chanukah we must pray that we be able to engage in Torah together with our children with toil in Torah, that "Your children be like olive saplings around your table" through Torah study. The Rebbe continued with very powerful words of chizuk to understand "You chose us from all the nations": no matter what flame one has in Yiddishkeit, even if there is only a small spark, Chanukah bestows a great light, like the miracle of the olive oil. One must forget what was and begin anew. In Hallel we say "He raises the poor from the dust, from the trash heaps He lifts the needy," because these are the days of Chanukah! Hakadosh Baruch Hu lifts every Jew from the dust and raises us to Him. He concluded that on Chanukah we praise Hashem "in the multitude of people is the glory of the King," "Declare the greatness of Hashem with me, and let us exalt His name together," a whole congregation together, and he bestowed many blessings upon the entire congregation.

Niggunim of joy and thanksgiving began, and the Rebbe rose and broke out into a fiery dance for an extended time, and afterwards continued to encourage the fiery dancing of the thousands in attendance for a long while.

The Rebbe drank lechayim and blessed the entire congregation. Afterwards the Rebbe distributed a set of his sefer Lev Aharon — Moadim to the singing bochurim of the choir. The gathering ended at around 11:45.

At the Rebbe's holy home, HaGaon Rabbi Av Beis Din of London shlit"a, who is currently here, came for a visit. The Rabbi conveyed greetings from our holy kehilla in London, and especially from the yeshiva gedolah and the kollel. A pleasant conversation ensued in pilpul regarding the words of Torah of the Rebbe shlit"a. The Rebbe honored him with a lechayim and bestowed his holy blessing upon him.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️