Monday, 3rd of Chol HaMoed Pesach — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

In the morning, the Rebbe put on tefillin in his holy home for the bar mitzvah bochurim.
- the bochur Moshe Eliyahu Lichtenstein.
- the bochur Lipa Rubinfeld.

The Rebbe entered for Shacharis at around 10:20.
- Baal tefillah: R' Elchanan Taub.
The Rebbe recited Vechrus verse by verse, and then proceeded to Hallel.

- Pesicha: R' Chaim Berish Filipp and R' Asher Yaakov Eckstein.
- Kohen: R' Yisroel Landau (of Williamsburg).
- Levi: Rabbi Shmuel Meir Lowy shlit"a.
- Shlishi: Rabbi Elimelech Eckstein shlit"a.
- Hagbah for the first Sefer Torah: the Rebbe's grandson, Rabbi Elazar Teitelbaum shlit"a, son of the Gaon, Av Beis Din of Williamsburg shlit"a.
- Gelilah: Rabbi Dovid Lichtenstein shlit"a.
- Revii: the Rebbe shlit"a.
- Hagbah for the second Sefer Torah: HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Hersh Eckstein shlit"a, moreh d'asra of the beis medrash in Buenos Aires.
- Gelilah: R' Yosef Leib Yakov (Yerushalayim).

- Musaf: the Rebbe's grandson, HaGaon Rabbi Yoel Glanz shlit"a, a moreh d'asra in our Williamsburg kehilla.
The davening concluded at around 11:45.

After davening, a bris of a newborn son took place at the home of Rabbi Elimelech Eckstein shlit"a, where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

During the afternoon hours, the Gaon HaGadol, the Dayan and Moreh Tzedek shlit"a came for a Yom Tov visit. A pleasant conversation ensued regarding the matters of Pesach, during which the Rebbe discussed various questions regarding the exalted ceremony of the giving of the matnos kehunah, and the Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing.

In the afternoon at around 3:40, the Rebbe entered the main beis medrash for the magnificent and exalted gathering, the "Maamad HaPayisos and fulfillment of the mitzvah of giving the matnos kehunah," in the presence of thousands of chassidim.
The Rebbe danced in place for several minutes, and throughout the gathering many Yom Tov melodies were sung, as well as melodies of the coming of Moshiach and longing for the complete redemption.
The chairman, HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Shabsai Kestenbaum shlit"a, one of the rabbonim of our Williamsburg kehilla, continued and presented the order of the lottery, and called up the two kohanim, Rabbi Eliyahu Shlomo Kohn shlit"a and R' Kapil Schonbrun, to be the appointees to conduct the lotteries to determine which kohanim would merit to receive the matnos kehunah from the Rebbe shlit"a. Rabbi Eliyahu Shlomo shlit"a began the order of the lottery. He called out "Come and conduct the lottery," and all the kohanim, members of Ahavas Kadumim and distinguished baalei batim, stood up on the bench and arranged themselves in a full circle. Then Rabbi Eliyahu Shlomo shlit"a removed the shtreimel from R' Yitzchak Elyakim Schwartz to show where the lottery begins, and then approached the Rebbe shlit"a to receive a number for the lottery, as explained in Chazal. The Rebbe chose the number 180 (ten times chai), and Rabbi Eliyahu Shlomo shlit"a conducted the lottery among the kohanim, counting each one's finger and going around the circle several times until the designated number was reached. The winner of the lottery was R' Yaakov Yoel Kohn, who honored his father, Rabbi Avrohom Kohn shlit"a of Nassau, to serve as the winning kohen.
Then the second kohen, R' Kapil, conducted the second lottery for the kohanim who sit in the tent, approaching the Rebbe shlit"a to receive a number for the lottery, then removing the shtreimel from Rabbi Yoel Moshkovitz shlit"a and conducting the lottery in the same manner with the same number. The winner of the lottery was R' Yoel Friedman, who honored his father, R' Yitzchak Eisik Friedman, to serve as the winning kohen.

During the gathering, the Rebbe delivered 4 divrei Torah.
In the first dvar Torah the Rebbe gave a holy blessing to all the kohanim who merited to take part in the lottery, that we should soon merit to fulfill the order of the payisos in the third Beis HaMikdash, and the singing continued with melodies of inspiration.
Then the Rebbe delivered the second dvar Torah and discussed the details of the mitzvah, bringing out that although according to several opinions the mitzvah of matnos kehunah does not apply nowadays, the Mechaber says that whoever is stringent, a blessing will come upon him. He continued with a reason for the mitzvah: that it comes to say that Klal Yisroel should give the matnos kehunah to Hashem, who is, so to speak, a Kohen. The "zeroa" (foreleg) is the instrument of action, the "lechayayim" (cheeks) is the power of speech, and the "keivah" (stomach) is the power of eating. One must give over the body to Hashem: use the hand only for mitzvos and good deeds, giving tzedakah and acts of kindness; use the mouth only for davening with kavana and learning with diligence; and eat only kosher of the highest standard, in order to have strength for the service of Hashem. In that merit, Hashem will also give us the "zeroa, lechayayim and keivah": "zeroa" — "Hashem will again set His hand a second time," and "Israel saw the great hand," and Hashem will redeem us from exile and bestow livelihood in great abundance from His wide and great hand; "lechayayim" — "the blessing of Hashem, it enriches," and Hashem will bless everyone with all the best; "keivah" — Hashem will heal all the sick of Israel.

The matnos kehunah — the zeroa, lechayayim and keivah — were brought in and placed on the pure table before the Rebbe shlit"a.

Then the Rebbe delivered the third dvar Torah with words of drush on the topic of kehunah, and the singing continued with several melodies.

Then the Rebbe delivered the fourth dvar Torah with great emotion, saying that we are preparing to fulfill such an important mitzvah in the presence of a multitude, the glory of the King, and we give thanks for the past and pray for the future, that we should merit to fulfill all the mitzvos of Hashem with joy and love, to learn and teach, to guard, to do and to fulfill, in complete health. The Rebbe enumerated all 24 matnos kehunah, which correspond to the 24 books of Tanach. The mitzvah of giving the zeroa, lechayayim and keivah, which is the nineteenth of the 24 matnos kehunah, corresponds to Megillas Eichah, and the segulah of this mitzvah is to transform Megillas Eichah, that we should merit the coming of the true Redeemer and it will become a Yom Tov. The Rebbe concluded with abundant blessings to all the kohanim, that we should soon merit to receive all 24 matnos, and a blessing to the entire congregation, that we should soon merit to fulfill the giving of all 24 matnos kehunah with the coming of the true Redeemer, speedily in our days.

The Rebbe discussed the questions regarding the brachos at the giving of matnos kehunah and the bracha of Shehecheyanu. The Rebbe went out to his private room, where he put on a new bekeshe in order to be able to make the bracha of Shehecheyanu properly.

The Rebbe returned and the singing continued with melodies of preparation with great inspiration. Then the Rebbe approached the performance of the mitzvah. The kohanim who won the lottery stood on the two sides, and the Rebbe stood up and recited a Leshem Yichud and made the bracha "Baruch... Melech HaOlam, asher kideshanu... lehafrish matanos" without Hashem's name and kingship, and then a Shehecheyanu with Hashem's name and kingship with great inspiration. The kohanim sat down and the Rebbe handed over the zeroa to the kohen Rabbi Avrohom Kohn shlit"a, the lechayayim to the kohen R' Yitzchak Eisik Friedman, and the keivah (on which no lottery was held because it cannot be eaten) the Rebbe chose to give to the mishmash of the Rebbe, R' Shmuel HaKohen Friedman.
Then the Rebbe set out in a festive dance for a longer time with great emotion, and the singing of joyous melodies continued for a longer time.

The chairman, HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Shabsai shlit"a, announced that at the request of the Rebbe shlit"a, all the kohanim would stand and recite the passage of Birkas Kohanim in order to bless the entire congregation with Birkas Kohanim.
The Rebbe stood up and the kohanim recited the entire passage from "Vayedaber Hashem" until "Va'ani avarchem," so as to avoid all halachic questions.
After Birkas Kohanim the Rebbe drank a lechayim and wished the kohanim and the entire congregation well. Then all the kohanim present went over, and the Rebbe distributed to all the kohanim a piece of meat. The gathering concluded at around 6:15. On the way out, the Rebbe warmly thanked the askanim who helped bring about the magnificent gathering, and especially Rabbi Boruch Stern shlit"a, one of the heads of Hischadus HaAvreichim of Williamsburg, HaGaon Rabbi Shlomo Shabsai Kestenbaum shlit"a, and Rabbi Mordechai Katina shlit"a, who stood at the head of the entire procedure.
The Rebbe shlit"a was escorted out with song and music, and the Rebbe went home to his holy residence.

Before Mincha, the tzaddik Rabbi Chaim Meir Twersky shlit"a, son of the Skverer Rebbe shlit"a, came for a private audience in the Rebbe's holy home for Yom Tov. A pleasant conversation ensued regarding the matters of Pesach, and the Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing upon him.

Also coming for a private audience was HaGaon Rabbi Hershel Rosenfeld shlit"a, moreh d'asra in Shikun Skver and editor of the Halichos HaChaim pamphlet. A pleasant conversation in halacha ensued and the Rebbe bestowed from his holy blessing upon him.

At around 8:15 the Rebbe davened Mincha, and at around 9:20 Maariv in his holy home, at the Zanz cheder.
Between Mincha and Maariv there were private entry times for chassidim.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️