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

At the time of Rabbeinu Tam, 8:47, the Rebbe entered the beis medrash for Maariv, wearing a borrowed tallis. The baal tefillah was R' Shalom Yitzchak Scheer.
The Rebbe approached Hallel with fiery enthusiasm. After davening, the Rebbe went up to the Aron Kodesh, wished the entire congregation "a gut Yom Tov," and went straight home to his holy residence. They finished at around 9:45.
At his holy residence, the Rebbe went to the mikvah.

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

At around 10:50, the Rebbe shlit"a entered the large hall in his holy residence for the holy Seder night, wrapped in his tallis over the kittel, and wearing a silver yarmulke. Like olive shoots around his table, the hundreds of chasanim, talmidim of our holy yeshiva, who merited to participate in the Sedarim on the night of the sanctification of the Yom Tov of Pesach, were seated around, as the king amid his entourage. The tables were set in a regal manner, with a masterful arrangement, which the devoted house bochur arranges every year with much effort and rare skill, so that everyone in every corner could take part in the uplifting moments in the shadow of holiness of the fulfillment of the mitzvos of the night, the recital of the Haggadah and divrei Torah, and the recital of Hallel with holy emotion and outpouring of the soul, which was conducted with deveikus and the joy of a mitzvah.

The Rebbe arranged the Seder plate and recited "Kadesh" and all the simanim in a pleasant voice, according to the accepted nusach of our holy Rebbes zy"a.

During the Seder, the Rebbe said divrei Torah 14 times: before Kadesh, after the first cup, at Karpas, Ha Lachma Anya, Hashta Hacha, Kol HaMarbeh Lesaper BiYetzias Mitzrayim, Kol Yemei Chayecha Lehavi Limos HaMashiach, Keneged Arba'ah Banim Diberah Torah, Baruch SheNasan Torah LeAmo Yisroel, V'she'eino Yodea Lishol, V'higadta L'vincha, V'hi She'amdah, Vayanunu, and Rabbi Akiva Omer.

During the Seder, the grandchildren, sons of HaGaon Rabbi Chaim Hersh Ashkenazi shlit"a, Rav of Beis Medrash Rav Tuv, recited the simanim in Yiddish.

The Rebbe said "Hineni muchan u'mezuman" for the mitzvah of the first cup, stood up, recited the Leshem Yichud for Kiddush, and made Kiddush with fiery holy enthusiasm. The lifting of the cup was done by the Rebbe's grandson, HaGaon Rabbi Chaim Hersh Ashkenazi shlit"a.
After Kiddush, the Rebbe motioned that everyone should make Kiddush.

Immediately after Maggid, the Rebbe said the "Hineni" 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.

Before Mah Nishtanah, 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 Nishtanah, the questions were asked in Yiddish by the grandchildren, sons of HaGaon Rabbi Chaim Hersh Ashkenazi shlit"a, and then by all the grandchildren together. At the Plagues, 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 recited the Leshem Yichud, the berachah of HaMotzi and Al Achilas Matzah with holy emotion, and ate the k'zeisim of matzah, and later the k'zeisim at Maror and Korech with deveikus.
At Shulchan Orech, the Rebbe ate the egg from the Seder plate, and immediately had the afikoman brought in and ate it before chatzos. The afikoman was "stolen" as is customary, by the Rebbe's grandson, the bochur Yissachar Berish, son of HaGaon HaTzaddik, Rav of Beis Medrash Beirach Moshe, shlit"a. After finishing the afikoman, the Rebbe waited for the entire Yom Tov meal to be served to all the participants, and in the meantime the Rebbe studied various Haggados.

The Rebbe recited Birchas Hamazon over the cup as is customary.
The Cup of Eliyahu was filled, the door was opened, and after the prayer of Shfoch Chamascha, which continued for several minutes with great arousal and emotion, the Rebbe's fourth cup was filled from the Cup of Eliyahu, and shirayim was sent down to all the participants as is customary. Then they continued with the recital of Hallel with great arousal and longing, especially at the piyut of Nishmas Kol Chai, where the Rebbe lingered with holy emotion, weeping and pouring out his soul. After the Seder, they continued with the piyutim, zemiros, and Yom Tov melodies. They finished at around 3:25, and the Rebbe went up to his private room, where the Rebbe recited Shir HaShirim with deveikus and holy emotion.

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