"Then the righteous shall see and rejoice, and the upright shall exult" - the night of Simchas Torah

At around 12:30 the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered to daven Maariv before chatzos. The baal tefillah was R' Yehoshua Mendlowitz, of the Shabbos Kodesh community. After Maariv, the Rebbe went to the mikvah.

At 1:15 the Rebbe shlit"a entered wrapped in a tallis for "Atah Horeisa." The opening of the Aron was by R' Moshe Eliezer Landau (of the Williamsburg community).

The Rebbe shlit"a said four Torah thoughts during the introduction.
The first: at the verse "Yedid Nefesh Av HaRachaman", through the mitzvah dancing, a holiness enters all 248 limbs and 365 sinews of a person, and one rectifies what one had damaged, and it brings one to feel the true sweetness of the holy Torah.
The second Torah thought: at the verse "V'sik Yehemu", and explained "Vayedabber Moshe es moadei Hashem el bnei Yisroel," that just as in the time when the Beis Hamikdash stood, so too in the future This World will be on a higher level between the heavens and the heavens of heavens, and therefore Shemini Atzeres is a Yom Tov of the future; and the tzaddikim come down here to This World. He mentioned the Zohar Hakadosh in Parshas Pinchas on the verse "Yismach Yisroel b'osav." And he continued, in the voice of a child, in tears, as we read "V'zos HaBracha asher beirach Moshe": the father z"l is present here among us, his coming is not an empty coming, he blesses the entire congregation that is present here and rejoices on Simchas Torah.
The third Torah thought: at the verse "Hagleh Na", to the Master of the World the work of one who toils in the rain is more precious than that of the angels; likewise, a Jew who is burdened with earning a livelihood and yet engages in Torah is more esteemed in Heaven than one who sits in the tent, and he has reason to rejoice in the Torah.
The fourth Torah thought: at the verse "B'reishis Toras'cha HaKadumah", besides being careful not to transgress the mitzvos, one must see to make use of one's time and not, chas v'shalom, waste it.

The introduction concluded at 3:45, and the Hakafos at 5:10.

During the Torah reading, those called up were: Kohen: HaRav HaTzaddik R' Yitzchak Tzvi Weiss shlit"a, Uhel Rav of Boro Park; Levi: HaGaon R' Efraim Moshe Levy shlit"a, moreh tzedek of our kehilla in Monsey; Shlishi: the Rebbe shlit"a, who recited the brachos in tears of joy; Hagbah: R' Chaim Yisroel Klagsbald (London); Gelilah: R' Efraim Fishel Kish. Chatzi Kaddish was said, and it concluded at 5:25.

The Rebbe shlit"a went home to his holy residence and immediately made Kiddush. Bentching was led by the bochur Anshel Ashkenazi, son of HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Henoch shlit"a.

On Simchas Torah morning at 11:45 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash. Pesukei D'zimra and Shacharis were led by R' Yaakov Yechezkel Gandel. The Kohanim duchened, it concluded at 1:20, and the Rebbe left for a short break.

At 1:50 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the beis medrash for "Atah Horeisa." The opening of the Aron was by R' Moshe Dovid Oberlander (of the Williamsburg community). The introduction concluded at 4:30.

The Rebbe shlit"a said Torah three times during the introduction and before the fourth and sixth Hakafos.
First Torah thought: at the verse "Yedid Nefesh", that Hashem acquires Jewish children through lifting (hagbaha), and the acquisition takes effect according to all opinions, because the Almighty bestows love upon Jewish children and the Jews draw themselves back to Hashem.
Second Torah thought: at the verse "V'sik Yehemu", on the verse "Vayedabber Moshe es moadei Hashem," through the mitzvah dancing the final Heh of the Name Havaya is rectified, and thus the Divine Presence rests and good blessings are bestowed with mercy.
Third Torah thought: at the verse "Hagleh Na", with brilliant and holy allusions, that through dancing with the five books of the Torah the sweetening of the harsh judgments is accomplished.
The Torah thought for the fourth Hakafa, the Hakafa of Moshe Rabbeinu: "Vayedabber Moshe es moadei Hashem" - "vayedabber" is a harsh expression. When Mashiach comes, Moshe Rabbeinu will show if, chas v'shalom, someone did not engage in Torah, that he delayed the redemption, and whoever did learn, that he hastened the redemption. He concluded with words of mussar and chizuk to take upon oneself good resolutions in Torah study.
The Torah thought for the sixth Hakafa, the Hakafa of Yosef HaTzaddik: Hashem bestows on a person strength and vitality, and with this he can, chas v'shalom, transgress Hashem's will. Now is the time to accept upon oneself to properly guard the eyes, in thought and in speech.

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