Sunday, Parshas Lech Lecha — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

This morning a bris took place for the newborn son of R' Yoel Avigdor Kahana, where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

The Rebbe davened Shacharis in the Beis Medrash HaGadol. Before davening, the Rebbe put on tefillin for the bar mitzvah bochur, the bochur Naftali Tzvi Horowitz.
After davening, a lechayim took place with the bar mitzvah bochur in the Rebbe's private room.

At around 2:00 the Rebbe set out on the way to the Kalahari Center in Pennsylvania, where the "gathering of learners and siyum of half of Shas" took place, hosted by the 'Chaburas Yesodei HaTorah' of our holy kehilla, with the participation of thousands of our chassidim, members of the chaburah, both those completing and those beginning.
The Rebbe arrived at around 3:30 and entered the beis medrash, where thousands of our chassidim, members of the chaburah, were seated learning the last ten blatt of Maseches Kiddushin. The Rebbe looked around with emotion among the learners and gazed upon them with great nachas for an extended time. Afterwards the Rebbe sat down on the dais of honor, where the Rebbe engaged in Torah study.
After a few minutes the Rebbe went into his private room, where the Rebbe davened Mincha; the baal tefillah was R' Mendel Kaufman.

After Mincha the Rebbe returned to the beis medrash and observed the written examination taken by the thousands of learners on the last ten blatt of Maseches Kiddushin.

After the examination, the Rebbe delivered an introductory shiur on Maseches Bava Kamma, beginning with rare emotion, "Baruch Shehecheyanu v'kiyemanu v'higianu lazman hazeh!", seeing such a large gathering of learners and those completing. He then explained with clarity the four primary categories of damages (the Arbaah Avos Nezikin) with contemporary examples so that they would be well understood, and he left a question on the sugya for the thousands of learners, concluding with words of encouragement and a blessing for the learners. Afterwards the Rebbe went into his private room.

At around 6:20 the Rebbe arrived at the grand seudah in honor of the Torah, in celebration of the siyum on Maseches Kiddushin and half of Shas. Upon entering, the Rebbe greeted the distinguished rabbanim at the head table and washed for the seudah.
The chairman, HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Shabsi Kestenbaum shlit"a, one of the rabbanim of our holy kehilla in Williamsburg, continued the program and called up the esteemed philanthropist R' Akiva Hersh Klein, patron of the chaburah in Kiryas Joel, the esteemed philanthropists R' Yechezkel Dovid Berkowitz and R' Avrohom Brach, patrons of the chaburah in Williamsburg, and then R' Yoel Heller, R' Mendel Kaufman and R' Yitzchak Michael Jacob, among the leading askanim of the chaburah, to come receive a gift from the Rebbe shlit"a.

Afterwards the master of ceremonies, R' Chaim Shlomo Fischer, spoke with eloquent words and a brief historical overview of when the Rebbe shlit"a founded his Chaburas Yesodei HaTorah about 20 years ago. He brought out that the holy Yetev Lev zy"a had instructed his children to bless and bestow good influences by delivering divrei Torah, and he related that the Rebbe shlit"a delivered over sixty Torah talks during the month of Tishrei alone! He asked the Rebbe shlit"a to bestow abundant blessings upon the entire gathering in all matters.

At around 7:10 the Rebbe delivered a dvar Torah on the verse "Lech lecha mei'artzecha etc. — v'heyei bracha," noting that we stand today at a siyum of half of Shas of a chaburah established nearly twenty years ago, "and I too am a member of the chaburah from the day it was founded." Baruch Hashem, today there are such chaburos all over the world and much Torah has been spread through the chaburah. The holy Torah bestows all blessings and will surely take effect upon all the learners of the chaburah. He spoke in praise of the members of the chaburah who learn one daf a day with quality, and pointed out that in this hall one sees many parents with their children and even grandchildren who all completed the maseches — "Fortunate is he and fortunate is their portion!" He concluded with a call to our chassidim, both those present here and those not present: whoever does not yet have a fixed shiur should join one of the chaburos of our holy kehilla, either Chaburas Yesodei HaTorah or Chaburas Toras'cha Sha'ashuai. The main thing is that it be with total consistency — to learn, to review, and to be tested.

The Rebbe concluded and thanked the distinguished donors who support the chaburah, first and foremost R' Akiva Hersh Klein, as well as R' Yechezkel Dovid Berkowitz and R' Avrohom Brach, who, besides their great efforts to elevate the honor of our holy kehilla and mosdos, come to the aid of the chaburah, and all the other askanim, each one by name be blessed. "May the Holy One, blessed be He, repay their deeds and grant them very great reward." He concluded with his holy blessing to the entire gathering.

After the dvar Torah, melodies of inspiration and devotion to Torah study were sung as a preparation for the siyum of the maseches. Afterwards HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Rubin shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Ziditshov in Kiryas Joel, spoke.
The Rebbe completed Maseches Kiddushin and began Maseches Bava Kamma, recited the Hadran and Kaddish, and then went out into a festive dance for an extended time together with the gathering of thousands, with great emotion and Simchas Torah joy.

At Birkas Hamazon the Rebbe honored the esteemed philanthropist R' Akiva Hersh Klein, and the Rebbe recited Sheva Brachos for several of our chassidim who are chasanim. Afterwards the Rebbe bestowed his holy blessing upon the organizers of the event. The event ended at around 8:45 and the Rebbe davened Maariv in his private room; the baal tefillah was HaGaon Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Matzen shlit"a, one of the rabbanim of Hisachdus Avreichim in Williamsburg.
At around 9:15 the Rebbe set out on the way home to Kiryas Joel.


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