Fiery words of kodesh from the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a yesterday at the central seudah of the hilula of the Beirach Moshe zt"l, regarding the gravity of not keeping "Zman Rabbeinu Tam" in Kiryas Joel and in its surrounding areas on all sides, and the directive of the founder of the Kiryah, the Beirach Moshe zt"l, to keep Rabbeinu Tam, and the psak halacha which obligates all residents of Kiryas Joel and the surrounding areas.

= Part 1 =

"I want to bring up here a matter from the teachings of my uncle z"l, may his merit protect us. He was known to be particular about the opinions of Rabbeinu Tam regarding tzeis hakochavim, when the night begins. In his eyes, if one performed a melacha on Motzei Shabbos before the time of Rabbeinu Tam's opinion, it was a serious concern of chilul Shabbos. Very recently, some individuals settled, established a yeshiva and are setting up a kehilla in the areas surrounding Kiryas Joel, and they are starting to do melacha on Motzei Shabbos before the time of Rabbeinu Tam's opinion, with the claim that this is their custom. "I want to say this: all the residents of Kiryas Joel, 'all' — and I want to include also all the residents of the areas surrounding Kiryas Joel — are talmidim and chassidim of my uncle z"l, zy"a, and follow his light in all matters. Until today, no one was found who breached the fence in such a grave matter. It is simple and clear that Kiryas Joel and its surrounding areas on all sides have the status of a 'place that has a custom,' as with the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam: whoever comes to this place is obligated to follow the stringency of the place he went to. This is clear."

"This is not comparable to a halacha found in the Shulchan Aruch regarding accepting Shabbos on Erev Shabbos, where the law is that if the majority of the congregation accepted Shabbos, the minority is drawn after the majority; there the Magen Avraham says that each shul is judged on its own. There it speaks of Erev Shabbos, where people accept Shabbos early while it is still day; it is not an obligation, and there is no single opinion that one must accept Shabbos so early, before nightfall. Jews want to accept Shabbos even earlier on Erev Shabbos; there the law is that one shul cannot compel another beis medrash, and each has its own ruling.

"Where it concerns the power of a stringency in halacha, one must follow the custom of the place. 'This matter is very painful, and it pains every person for whom the honor of my uncle z"l is dear and important to him.' It is a severe affront to his honor that in the areas around his city, his psak, in which he was very stringent, is being transgressed. My uncle z"l is the mara d'asra of Kiryas Joel; all the surrounding areas are considered like his place, and therefore it is simple and clear that one may not change his psak!!"

For the sake of peace and for the sake of the honor of my uncle z"l, I sent distinguished emissaries to discuss the matter in order to avoid disputes, and to my sorrow, I did not succeed.

"I want to ask every person who feels, or knows, that he has the ability to influence this matter, to use his influence and thereby prevent much aggravation and a great dispute."

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️