Tuesday, Chol HaMoed

The Satmar Rebbe shlit"a entered the Great Beis Medrash for Shacharis at around 10:10. Shacharis: HaRav R' Elchanan Taub. The Rebbe recited "Vekharos" verse by verse, and went to the amud for Hallel.

At the Torah reading, the following were honored. Pesicha: HaGaon R' Chaim Hersh Mendlowitz shlit"a and R' Yoel Weinberger. Aliyos. Kohen: the Rebbe's grandson Rabbi Nachman Kahana shlit"a; Levi: R' Shmuel Berger (of Williamsburg); Shlishi: the baal bris R' Chaim Bentzion Neiman; Hagbah of the first Sefer Torah: R' Chaim Berish Pilof; Gelilah: R' Shabsi Yaakov Wertheimer; Revi'i: the Rebbe shlit"a; Hagbah of the second Sefer Torah: R' Yitzchak Teitelbaum; Gelilah: R' Yisroel Mendel Schwartz. Musaf was led by HaGaon R' Yechezkel Lax shlit"a, a moreh tzedek in our kehilla. The davening concluded at around 11:50.

After davening, the bris of the newborn son of R' Chaim Bentzion Neiman took place, at which the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

In the afternoon at around 3:15, the Rebbe came for a visit to the Heichal HaTorah in the Great Beis Medrash, where the Rebbe looked around with great nachas at the many learners, and then returned home to his holy residence.

In the evening at around 7:30, the Rebbe davened Mincha at his holy residence on Route 1 (Zanz Street), and then traveled to Williamsburg to deliver the word of Hashem at the annual gathering in our great beis medrash in Williamsburg.

At around 9:05 the Rebbe arrived at the Great Beis Medrash and davened Maariv. The baal tefilla was from the Shabbos Kodesh, HaRav R' Shlomo Zalman Stein. After Maariv, the Rebbe counted Sefirah before the amud.

After Maariv, the Rebbe went up to the Aron Kodesh, where the Rebbe prayed a silent prayer, and began the derasha with an in-depth pilpul on the sugya of "mitzvos tzerichos kavanah," which the Rebbe has been learning in recent weeks in the Heichal HaYeshiva. He then moved on to a drush and the sugya in honor of Yom Tov, and afterward to words of aggada and mussar. In the course of this, he strengthened the chaburos of our holy kehilla in Torah learning, especially the "Shoneh Halachos" chabura, which is beginning a new cycle, and he spoke out regarding matters of tefilla, tznius, technology, and chinuch of children.

The Rebbe shlit"a then spoke about the current situation regarding the chinuch decrees in New York, the obligation that rests on every Jew, each man and his household, for the sake of Hashem and His holy Torah, to send to the government our opposition to the decrees on chinuch by sending the letters against the new guidelines. The Rebbe described the storm that the letters created in the past in the government corridors, and said that this strength must not be weakened; if fewer come in this time, they will interpret it as a sign that the opposition has, chalilah, weakened. The Rebbe then spoke out forcefully and expressed his pain over the askanim who are working on the decrees, "Unfortunately they are traitors! They are working on compromises with the government, yimach shemam. I am standing here in a holy place, in a beis medrash, and I want to give testimony: they came to me for me to give my approval for compromises. They agreed with me that we must make compromises and that I should give my approval. Jews with beards and peyos who wear shtreimels came to me in Kiryas Joel to ask that I, too, agree. They agree, and I should also give my approval." The Rebbe then spoke about the severe prohibition of Zionism, the gravity of the very Zionist idea and of establishing a state before the coming of Moshiach, and concluded with abundant blessings for the entire tzibur. It ended at around 11:00.

After the derasha, the chassidim had the privilege of greeting their Rebbe for the Yom Tov. For an extended time the Rebbe shlit"a stood, and the entire crowd passed by to bless and be blessed with the blessing of the Yom Tov. Afterward, the Rebbe traveled home to his holy residence in Kiryas Joel.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️