Tuesday, "B'tzeil HaKodesh" with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a - Visit to the Mehudar Slaughterhouse of Our Holy Kehilla for Guests in Postville, Iowa.

At dawn, around 6:05, the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered for Shacharis in our beis medrash Machzikei Hadas Kahal Yireim in Bethlehem,

and at 7:20 the Rebbe left his holy home in Bethlehem for a drive of a short hour to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Berlin, New Hampshire.

The plane that flew to pick up the Rebbe took off around 7:30 from Stewart Airport near Kiryas Joel, with only a select few meshamshim b'kodesh and HaGaon Rabbi, the Av Beis Din and Rav of our kehilla in Monsey shlit"a, on the way to New Hampshire, where the Rebbe boarded the plane. It took off at 8:45 in the morning, for a flight of two and a half hours to Postville, Iowa, to the mehudar slaughterhouse under the auspices of our holy kehilla.

At about 10:15 local time (which is an hour earlier), the Rebbe's plane landed at a small airfield in Wisconsin, not far from the slaughterhouse in Iowa, where two workers from the slaughterhouse were waiting.
The Rebbe traveled in their car to Postville, a drive of 25 minutes, to the mehudar slaughterhouse under the auspices of our holy kehilla.

The Rebbe arrived at the slaughterhouse around 10:45 local time, where the Rebbe warmly greeted HaGaon Rabbi, the Av Beis Din of Nitra in Monsey shlit"a, the rav hamachshir of the entire plant, and his son R' Mordechai, who oversees the entire operation of the slaughterhouse.

The Rebbe inquired of all the Chassidic coworkers who live in the surrounding area how life is in such an isolated place, both gashmiyus and ruchniyus, etc.

After putting on the necessary garments, the Rebbe went immediately into the plant, to the shechita section, where the Rebbe met HaGaon Rabbi, the Dayan and Moreh Tzedek of our kehilla in Boro Park shlit"a, who is there this week, according to the rotation, to stand watch over the kashrus in the plant on behalf of the hashgacha of our holy kehilla. The Rebbe checked the chalafim as is customary. The Monsey Rav shlit"a pointed out several new hiddurim and practices that have been introduced in the shechita process, and the Rebbe marveled at the exceptionally beautiful chalafim of the shochtim. He especially complimented the external supervisor who stands at the shechita and, per the Rebbe's instruction, serves solely to arrange the chalafim to make it easier for the shochtim.

The Rebbe then stood for a longer time and observed the entire shechita process, from when the animals enter the box, which is then turned over, and a shechita is performed with the animal lying down. There the Rebbe discussed with the rabbanim and those present all the chumros that have been introduced, noting that every few minutes the 4 shochtim switch among themselves in turn, so that the shechita takes place with a rare calm and peace of mind. The Rebbe expressed amazement at their skill in shechita.

Afterwards the Rebbe again checked chalafim, and discussed all matters of checking the chalafim, both the dry check and the wet check.

From there the Rebbe continued to follow the entire process in the plant, where the hide of the animal is removed and then the parts are divided. There they discussed precisely which parts of the animal are kosher and fit to eat and which parts are not used. The Rebbe stood for a longer time and watched the work in the cold refrigerator room, where nikur chamm is done on the sides of the animal with tremendous care.

Then the Rebbe went over to the lung inspections, and watched as the expert bodek, R' Moshe Basul, performs the internal checks with rare precision, and the expert bodek, Rabbi R' Chaim Betzalel Blum, performs the external check. They went over dozens of lungs for a longer time, and the Rebbe discussed each lung individually, going through all the details of the adhesions on it. The expert bodek Rabbi R' Chaim Betzalel also showed several lungs from the morning that raised interesting questions, on which the Rebbe and the rabbanim shlit"a discussed on the spot all the opinions and halachic differences regarding them.

Afterwards they went over to the nikur area. The Rebbe observed the entire nikur setup for a longer time together with the rabbanim shlit"a. The menaker showed all the parts that are cut away according to the instruction of the Rebbe shlit"a, that parts which would require nikur at all are not used by the Satmar meat businesses. The Rebbe admired his careful work.
The Rebbe also examined the entire hechsher setup, where every part of the animal is sealed separately and only by a Jew, with different colors, so that no confusion should arise.

The Rebbe also went through the nikur steps for the tongue, which is done according to the instructions he laid out.

Afterwards the Rebbe observed the stages of salting, rinsing and washing, which are done with precise supervision and with great care.

Around 2:30 local time, the Rebbe warmly bid farewell to the plant's employees, especially HaGaon Rabbi, the Av Beis Din of Nitra shlit"a, and his son R' Mordechai, and immediately traveled back to the airfield. The plane took off around 3:15 local time, and the Rebbe landed at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Berlin, New Hampshire at 6:45 New Hampshire time. From there the Rebbe traveled a short hour until arriving at his holy home at about 8:00 in the evening.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️