Tuesday, Beis Iyar — Lag B'Omer, 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

The Rebbe davened Shacharis in Yeshiva Gedolah, the Birach Moshe branch. Before davening, the Rebbe lit five oil candles in honor of the Tanna, the Godly Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Afterwards, the Rebbe put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochurim:
- The bochur Yudel Acker
- The bochur Menachem Mendy Brach
- The bochur Yitzchak Tambor
After davening, a lechayim reception was held with the bar mitzvah bochurim in the Rebbe's private room.

At around 12:30, the Rebbe entered a grand lechayim reception in honor of the day, combined with a lechayim in honor of the kiddushin celebration of his grandson, the chasan HaRav Yechezkel Shraga Teitelbaum shlit"a, among the outstanding talmidim of the yeshiva, son of HaGaon Rabbi Yisroel Shalom shlit"a, Rav of the beis medrash.
Upon entering, the Rebbe danced in place for several minutes; then niggunim of inspiration were sung, and HaGaon Rabbi Yisroel Shalom shlit"a, Rav of the beis medrash, spoke.
The Rebbe drank a lechayim and bestowed blessings upon the chasan, the mechutanim, and the entire gathering.

The Rebbe honored individuals with the zemiros of the day.
- Bar Yochai and V'amartem: HaRav R' Meir Eliezer Friedman shlit"a, rebbi in our holy yeshiva.
- Amar Rabbi Akiva: the bochur Yechezkel son of Eliezer Dov Engel (Yerushalayim).

The Rebbe delivered words of Torah in honor of the day and expressed the emotions of the uplifting lighting ceremony, where thousands of Jews rejoiced with such fervor and joy beyond the natural order. This is only through the power of the Tanna Rabbi Shimon, who imparts holiness into everyone's heart—"Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu." He continued with words of joy in honor of the kiddushin celebration, and noted that "Vayar Elokim es ha'or ki tov" has the same numerical value as "Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai"; "tov" refers to a shidduch, as in "matza ishah matza tov." This is the connection between Lag B'Omer and a shidduch. He blessed all the bochurim with good shidduchim.
The Rebbe recalled the uplifting Shabbos at the holy site of Meron this past Shabbos Parshas Toldos, which was an elevated Shabbos with elevated Jews, and its impact still lingers to this day. He said that at that time, all members of the kehilla were encouraged to be careful with reciting the Ketores, both at Shacharis and at Mincha. Its source is in the holy Zohar, where Rabbi Shimon says that the Ketores brings down all good and is among the most precious things before Hashem. The Rebbe learned the Zohar with the bochurim inside, in its holy language, and encouraged the bochurim to take upon themselves to be careful with reciting the Ketores, saying that this is a segulah of Rabbi Shimon himself and surely a segulah that helps. He concluded with his holy blessing.

The chasan said the pshetl and the traditional singing was sung. The celebration continued with joyous niggunim, and the Rebbe stood up and danced for an extended time, then danced with the chasan and in a circle with the chasan and the mechutanim. It concluded at around 2:00.

At around 6:00, the Rebbe traveled to Williamsburg for the tish in honor of Lag B'Omer.
The Rebbe arrived at around 7:20 at his residence next to the Great Beis Medrash. At around 8:00, the Rebbe entered for Mincha in the Great Beis Medrash, upper level, Meir Zelig. Before Mincha, the Rebbe lit five oil candles in honor of the Tanna, the Godly Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Baal tefilla: R' Shlomo Zalman Stein.

After Mincha, at around 8:20, the Rebbe entered the tish in honor of the day, in the presence of thousands of members of the kehilla, together with the tenaim celebration of the Rebbe's grandson, the chasan HaRav Yechezkel Shraga Teitelbaum shlit"a, son of HaGaon Rabbi Yisroel Shalom shlit"a, Rav of the beis medrash, and son-in-law of the Beis Aharon Rebbe shlit"a. The kallah is the daughter of HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Horowitz shlit"a, son of HaGaon Rabbi Naftali Horowitz shlit"a of Rachov, London, and son-in-law of the Rav of our kehilla, Boro Park 15, shlit"a.
Upon entering, the Rebbe greeted the distinguished grandfathers and rabbonim shlit"a and danced in place for several minutes, then washed for the seudah in honor of the day. During the seudah, there was extended singing and zemiros.
The merit of lighting the candles in honor of Rashbi was auctioned, and R' Yisroel Stern and R' Aharon Tzvi Mittelman were honored with lighting them.

At around 9:00, the reading of the tenaim took place.
A kinyan was made.
- Witnesses to the tenaim: R' Shaul Friedman and R' Aharon Moshe Schlager.
- Guarantors: R' Avrohom Brach and R' Yosef Mordechai Kahana.
- The Rebbe honored his mechutan, the Beis Aharon Rebbe shlit"a, with reading the tenaim.

Afterwards, the Rebbe warmly blessed the chasan, the mechutanim, the grandfathers, and the entire gathering. The celebration continued with joyous niggunim, and the Rebbe stood up and danced. The seudah continued, and after the meat course, the zemiros of Bar Yochai, V'amartem, and Amar Rabbi Akiva were sung.

The Rebbe delivered words of Torah in honor of the tenaim celebration, linking the joy of a chasan and kallah to Rashbi, and bestowed abundant blessings upon the chasan, the mechutanim, and the distinguished grandfathers, the rabbonim shlit"a. He then continued with aggadah and Torah thoughts in honor of the day, explaining that if a Jew, Heaven forbid, commits a transgression, the forces of impurity come and snatch away all his mitzvos; but if one performs mitzvos with affection, the forces of impurity cannot snatch them away. All this is according to the view of Rabbi Shimon, who holds that a "davar sheein miskaven" is permitted, since we follow intent. Similarly, when a person works with the aim of having money to be able to fulfill mitzvos with it, the work demonstrates his love of the mitzvah and is precious before Hashem.
The Rebbe continued with fiery words of chizuk: Rabbi Shimon instills holiness in every Jew so that we should have the strength to fight against impurity and the tests in the streets, both in the gentile streets and in the Jewish streets, the "camp of coarse people" etc. We must not conduct ourselves like them, nor learn from them, nor from their conduct, their melodies, their clothing, etc. The Rebbe spoke with pain about the melodies and dances sung and danced at many so-called frum weddings, which disgust every upright Jew, and said that it is a disgrace and a shame that this takes place at chassidic weddings: "You shall utterly detest it and abhor it."
The Rebbe praised the askanim of our holy kehilla in Williamsburg who brought about an awakening in matters of tznius among righteous women, with lectures and gatherings, both regarding women's hair and women's clothing. Likewise regarding boys' clothing, to make garments that close right over left, as the holy Rebbe R' Mendele of Rimanov zy"a, whose yahrzeit falls this evening, the 19th of Iyar, strongly urged.
The Rebbe continued and said that twenty years ago, on Lag B'Omer 5766, on the site of our Great Beis Medrash, the "Chaburas Yesodei HaTorah" was founded. Baruch Hashem, we stand today twenty years later, and the number of those learning Torah has multiplied, both in our holy kehilla and throughout the world. They learn daf after daf, perek after perek, and masechta after masechta; they review and are tested. "Ve'atah hayisi li'shnei machanos": our holy kehilla, Baruch Hashem, has two chaburos, and most members of the kehilla are connected to one of them. He spoke words of preparation for the upcoming Yom Tov of Shavuos and encouraged learning the holy sefer Bnei Yissaschar as preparation for receiving the Torah.
The Rebbe mentioned the Yetev Lev institutions that the Rebbe, the holy Divrei Yoel zy"a, established right after the war, which later ignited all the institutions of our holy kehilla around the world. He said that this must be the first priority for every member of the kehilla, and that it should be supported with a generous spirit, because it is the father of all our institutions! He concluded with abundant blessings for the entire gathering.

The celebration continued with Lag B'Omer niggunim, and the Rebbe stood up and danced with fiery enthusiasm.
For bentching, the Rebbe honored the grandfather, HaGaon Rabbi Naftali Horowitz shlit"a.
It concluded at around 10:30. On his way out, the Rebbe blessed the kallah.

A few minutes later, the Rebbe entered for Maariv in Heichal Tehillos Yosef. Before Maariv, the Rebbe lit candles on the occasion of the holy hilula of the holy Rebbe R' Mendele of Rimanov zy"a. Baal tefilla: R' Shlomo Zalman Stein.

After Maariv, the Rebbe comforted the mourners of the Peketa family, who were sitting shiva for their father, R' Shalom Peketa a"h.

Afterwards, the Rebbe comforted the mourners of the Franzoz family, who were sitting shiva for their father, R' Dovid Franzoz a"h.
Then, at around 11:45, the Rebbe traveled home to Kiryas Joel.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️