Thursday, Parshas Chayei Sarah, 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

This morning, a bris took place for the newborn son of R' Chaim Avrohom Kessler, at which the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

The Rebbe davened Shacharis in Yeshiva Gedolah, the Barach Moshe branch.
Before davening, the Rebbe put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochurim:
- the bochur Shmuel Yuda Stein.
- the bochur Baruch Avrohom Rosenfeld.

During the Torah reading, the Rebbe went to be hagbah. After davening, he recited the daily Tehillim shiur, on chapter 27, verse 4. Afterward, a lechayim was held with the bar mitzvah bochurim in his private room.

At about 2:15, the Rebbe arrived at Heichal HaMesivta, the Divrei Yoel branch, where a "Tzeischem L'Sholom" farewell gathering took place in honor of the Rebbe shlit"a, on the occasion of his departure on the uplifting trip to Eretz Yisroel on Motzei Shabbos.
Several nigunim were sung, and special verses composed for the occasion were sung. Then HaGaon Rabbi Simcha Sholom Steinberger shlit"a, rav of Beis Medrash Divrei Chaim and a rebbi in the yeshiva, spoke, expressing the bond between the Rebbe shlit"a and the talmidim of the yeshiva, and then presented the Rebbe shlit"a with a collective kvitel from all the talmidim of the mesivta. The Rebbe read through the kvitel for an extended time while the bochurim sang stirring nigunim.
The Rebbe drank a lechayim and blessed the rebbeim and talmidim of the yeshiva. He shared a Torah thought on the verse "I am on the way, Hashem has led me," and expressed with deep emotion how one prepares to travel for Shabbos to the holy site of Meron together with the members of the kehilla living in Eretz Yisroel and with the participation of the members of the kehilla from abroad. "Trembling and fear have seized us" because of the greatness of the holiness of the place, and how one can merit to come to such a holy place. However, we take strength that through the trait of kindness that is done for the poor of Eretz Yisroel, in that merit we will be able to approach the holy place. He also thanked the bochurim who went collecting money and who will surely merit all good. The Rebbe continued and said that, b'ezras Hashem, he will place the collective kvitel at the holy resting place, with the talmidim of the yeshiva in mind in Meron. He then asked the bochurim to exert themselves in learning for extended hours during the two weeks that he will be in Eretz Yisroel, and to make sure there is no laxity in the yeshiva's learning. Through the holy Torah one can connect to the Divine Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and ask for all good for us, "from there, and you from here." He then spoke at length in praise of the devout public traveling to Meron, chassidic young men traveling to the holy site of Rabbi Shimon in Meron with seriousness and elevation. "Know before Whom you are entering," before a flaming fire. It is a place from which holy influences flow, spiritually and materially, and we hope to be a messenger to carry the requests there and a messenger to receive and bring home all the good influences for each and every one. He concluded with abundant blessings.

Afterward, all the bochurim who had collected larger sums at the Rebbe's request for the "Rebbe's Fund for the Poor of Eretz Yisroel" had the opportunity to hand over the sums personally, together with a private kvitel that the Rebbe will take with him to Meron. The Rebbe then went into his private room, where he distributed shirayim from the Sukkah decorations to all the bochurim who had brought in larger sums, and warmly gave his holy blessing to the askanim of the campaign.
The Rebbe then davened Mincha in the Heichal HaYeshiva, and after Mincha the talmidim of the yeshiva escorted the Rebbe shlit"a with song and music. It concluded at about 3:30.

In the evening, the Rebbe officiated at the kiddushin at the chuppah of the mechutanim R' Yitzchak Eizik Kraus and R' Yoshe Bickel in the halls of Kinor Dovid.

Yechidus hours at his holy residence on Ohel Court were from 8:40 until 1:15 after midnight.

At about 10:30, the Rebbe went to the tenaim hall and read the tenaim of the mechutanim:
- R' Alexander Nachum Gottlieb and R' Dovid Leibush Jacobowitz.
- R' Yoel Landau, son of R' Menachem Binyomin, and R' Naftoli Yosef Weiss.

During yechidus hours, HaGaon Rabbi Avrohom Yaffe Schlesinger shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Geneva and rav of Beis Medrash Betzel HaChochma in the holy city of Yerushalayim, came for a visit. A pleasant conversation ensued, and the Rebbe honored him with a lechayim, bestowed his holy blessing upon him, and gave him his sefer Lev Aharon.

Also entering for yechidus was Rabbi Menachem Mendel Chitrik shlit"a, rav of the Ashkenazi community in Istanbul, Turkey, and vice president of the Association of Rabbis in Islamic Countries. A pleasant conversation ensued about Jewish life in the Arab countries, and the Rebbe bestowed his holy blessing upon him.

The Rebbe davened Maariv at about 11:30 and then continued receiving the public.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️