Thursday, Parshas Behar, Lag B'Omer — 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

In the morning, before Shacharis, a bris took place for the son born to R' Yosef Zundel Weinberger, where the Rebbe served as sandek and mohel.

The Satmar Rebbe shlit"a davened Shacharis in the Heichal HaMesivta, Beirach Moshe branch. Before davening, the Rebbe put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochurim.
The bochur Avrohom Shlomo Appel.
The twins, sons of R' Yoel Powell.
The bochur Avrohom Yechiel Klein.
The bochur Yoel Berish Markowitz.

Afterwards, the Rebbe lit a candle in honor of the Divine Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. During the Torah reading, the Rebbe went up for hagbah. After davening, several bochurim, talmidim of the yeshiva, entered the Rebbe's private room and presented answers to the question the Rebbe had asked on Erev Lag B'Omer in the yeshiva.

At about 12:20, the Rebbe shlit"a entered the Heichal HaBeis Medrash for the Lechayim gathering in honor of Lag B'Omer, together with the talmidim of the Mesivta from all branches. Upon entering, the Rebbe danced in place for several minutes, and the singing of stirring melodies then continued. The Rebbe drank Lechayim and gave blessings to the bar mitzvah bochurim and to all the talmidim. Afterwards, the songs of the day were sung, Bar Yochai and V'amartem, and R' Shimon, son of R' Eliezer Dov Engel, of Yerushalayim, the holy city, led the singing of Amar Rabbi Akiva.

Then the Rebbe delivered words of Torah in honor of the day, a longer discourse on the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon had an aspect of the sword, and people were indeed helped; likewise today, when one prays at the holy tomb, those nearby effect good through the aspect of the sword, and for the Jews who rejoice with them and pray from afar, they effect all good through the aspect of the bow. The Rebbe then spoke with emotion about the tremendous merit that here in Kiryas Joel such a great honor is given to Rabbi Shimon, especially since it is a celebration of only Torah-observant Jews, chassidim and men of good deeds, "and a stranger shall not intermingle in our joy!" In a voice choked with tears, the Rebbe expressed his deep pain over the situation at the holy site of Meron: instead of Jews standing in the cave and shedding tears, gentile Jews sit there and eat with bare heads in the holy place. It is an aspect of "foxes walk upon it," Rachmana litzlan. He added that, Baruch Hashem, one hears that it is now a bit better and that Tehillim can already be recited at the tomb. This is surely the power of holiness of Rashbi, who has prevailed over the power of the Sitra Achra. He concluded with his holy blessings, that in the merit of the Divine Tanna, may all good be effected both from near and far.

After the words of Torah, the singing of joyous melodies continued, and the Rebbe rose and danced for an extended time. It concluded at about 1:30.

In the afternoon at about 5:30, the Rebbe davened Mincha in his holy home on Zanz Court.
In the evening at about 8:15, the Rebbe shlit"a entered for the pure tish in honor of the day in the great beis medrash in Williamsburg, in the presence of thousands of our chassidim, old and young. Upon arrival, the Rebbe broke out into a fiery dance in place for several minutes, and then the Rebbe shlit"a washed for the seudah in honor of the day. During the tish, the merit of lighting the candles in honor of the Divine Tanna was auctioned, and it was purchased and lit by the distinguished philanthropist R' Yoel Mittelman, who honored his father, the distinguished philanthropist R' Aharon Hersh Mittelman (of Boro Park), and by the distinguished philanthropist R' Menachem Lieberman, who honored his father, the esteemed R' Shlomo Yaakov Lieberman.

After the fish, the Rebbe drank Lechayim and blessed the entire gathering. During the seudah, stirring and joyous melodies were sung with song and praise. After the soup, the Rebbe shlit"a rose and danced in a blazing, fiery dance for an extended time, and the seudah in honor of the day then continued. After all the courses had been served, the songs of the day were sung: Bar Yochai, V'amartem, and Amar Rabbi Akiva.

After the songs, the Rebbe shlit"a delivered words of Torah on the teachings of the Divine Tanna Rashbi, explaining in several ways why Rashbi is alluded to in the initials of "Bereishis bara Elokim." The joy of Lag B'Omer is because the decree of death had ceased, for Rashbi put in light (or) and death (mes) became lights (me'oros). He blessed that we merit the "light" of Rashbi, and that from "mes" there be "me'oros," that Jewish homes be illuminated. On Lag B'Omer one can turn "mes" into "me'oros," and in the merit of the Divine Tanna one is helped with cures, livelihood, children, shidduchim, and all that is best. The Rebbe then mentioned that right here, on this spot, on Lag B'Omer, the chaburah of Yesodei HaTorah was founded, and since then they have already learned as many as 1,900 blatt of Gemara! On a thousand blatt they held examinations. This is the light of the Torah of Rashbi! He also mentioned the chaburah of Shoneh Halachos, which begins anew this coming Rosh Chodesh Sivan, starting from the beginning of Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim. This is a life with fear of Heaven and fear of sin. The Rebbe concluded with abundant blessings for the entire gathering.

After the words of Torah, joyous melodies in honor of the day continued to be sung, and the Rebbe shlit"a encouraged the gathering with fiery enthusiasm. For Birkas Hamazon, the Rebbe shlit"a honored HaGaon Rabbi Zalman Halberstam shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Czhakova.

A few minutes after the tish, the Rebbe shlit"a entered for Maariv. Before davening, the Rebbe lit 5 candles in honor of the holy hilula of the holy Rebbe R' Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zy"a. The baal tefillah was R' Yoel Friedman (of Boro Park). After Maariv, the Rebbe approached the amud for Sefiras HaOmer.

At about 11:00, the Rebbe shlit"a traveled to Boro Park, where the Rebbe paid a shiva call to the Rabbanim HaGaonim shlit"a, sons of the Av Beis Din of Sarvash zt"l. Afterwards, the Rebbe shlit"a returned to his holy residence in Kiryas Joel.

▫️ Satmara Niyes 🌴 ▫️