One Motza’ei Shabbos Kodesh, parshas Eikev, the Tosher Rebbe sat at Melave Malka with his Chassidim and related:
This upcoming twenty-sixth of Av is the Yahrzeit of the holy Satmar Rav. Even before he was born, the Sanzer Rav, author of Divrei Chaim, testified as to his upcoming greatness. Rav Yoel’s father, the author of Kedushas Yom Tov, was childless for many years and when he came before his Rebbe, the Sanzer Rav, the Divrei Chaim promised him in a letter that he would have children blessed by Hashem. His prophetic words were, of course, fulfilled: the Kedushas Yom Tov had two luminaries, his sons Rav Yoel of Satmar and Rav Yoel’s brother, the holy author of the Atzei Chaim of Sighet, as well as several daughters. From the sanctity and righteousness of these two brothers alone, we see that the Sanzer Rav’s blessings were fulfilled and that the Kedushas Yom Tov merited children blessed by Hashem. The Kedushas Yom Tov’s grandfather, the Yetev Lev of Sighet, was similarly blessed at his wedding by Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Rymanow that he, too, would merit children, generations blessed by Hashem. Obviously the Satmar Rav was one of the blessed descendants of this beracha.
(The Tosher Rebbe Shlit’a related the story of the Yetev Lev’s chassuna in greater detail on Motza’ei Shabbos Parshas Toldos in the context of Rav Hirschel of Rymanow’s Yahrzeit.)
Rav Hirsch of Rymanow was a Kohen and had the minhag to bless Klal Yisrael, bestowing abundant berachos and goodness upon them. Whatever he said was fulfilled. When he was younger, before he became well-known, he still had great power to dispense berachos, as I heard from my grandfather about the chassuna of the Yetev Lev of Sighet and this is the story he told me (here the Tosher Rebbe Shlit’a retold the story heard from his grandfather):
When the Yetev Lev married the daughter of Rav Moshe Dovid Ashkenazi, the Av Beis Din of Taltsheva, the grandfather, the author of Yismach Moshe, gave his son Rav Elazar Nissan (the father of the chosson) a certain amount of money to distribute as tzedaka to the poor who were present at the chassuna. Amongst the poor there was one particular pauper who, having received the allotted amount of tzedaka which Rav Elazar Nisan distributed to each one, insisted that he add more money to the amount and asked for a certain very large sum - so large that Rav Elazar Nissan kindly told him that the money was not his and he could not use his discretion to give one pauper such a princely sum. He turned and went to his father, the Yismach Moshe, related the pauper’s request and asked him what to do.
“I wish to see this pauper,” said the Yismach Moshe, and from his room the crowd parted so as to allow him to peer through the door and see the face of the anonymous pauper who had requested such a sum of tzedaka. When the Yismach Moshe saw who it was, he turned to his son, Rav Elazar Nissan, and told him to give the poor man the entire sum of tzedaka he had requested, without arguing.
When the pauper received the money, he blessed Rav Elazar Nissan and the Chosson, the Yetev Lev, with a great beracha, promising them that from this marriage would come forth generations of holy righteous descendants. Afterward, he vanished without a trace.
Many years later, when the Kallah’s father, the Taltsheca Rav, prepared to move to Eretz Yisrael, his son-in-law, the Yetev Lev, accompanied him to visit many Rebbes and Tzaddikim, among them Rav Hirsch Rymanower. The Yetev Lev immediately recognized his face – it was the pauper who had attended his wedding so many years before, who had blessed him with descendants who would be Tzaddikim. Among those descendants was the Satmar Rav.
When the Satmar Rav was a six-year-old lad, he merited to visit the holy sanctuary of Rav Mordechai’leh of Nadworna. Rav Mordechai’leh asked the young child what he was studying in cheder. Rav Yoel answered that he studied Chumash with Rashi’s commentary. Rav Mordechai’leh farhered (tested) him and was pleased to see he knew the material well. He then told him to be very diligent in studying Chumash with Rashi every week, saying, “Mordechai’leh knew several great men, who, in their older years, they did not know where HaKodosh Boruch Hu dwells, because they were not diligent in studying Chumash with Rashi.” He promised the young Rav Yoel that if he would diligently study Chumash Rashi week by week, he would rise to very high levels.
The holy Satmar Rav fulfilled these words all his life. The words of Rav Mordechai’leh were very precious to him: every day after davening, while still adorned in tallis and tefillin, the Satmar Rav studied Chumash and Rashi; even in his old age when this practice was difficult and taxing for him, he never gave it up.
The Satmar Rav’s kochos in Tzedaka were very great. He would give out huge sums to the poor and destitute, looking after their needs and helping to care for them.
When he was Rav in Kruly in his younger years, the Satmar Rav asked his gabbai to invite the wealthy Rav Chaim Shtern of Pest and explain that he had an urgent and important matter of business to discuss with him. When Rav Shtern arrived in Kruly, Rav Yoel explained the reason for his summons: “You should know that in Pest, there are approximately forty families I know of who are so destitute that they cannot even put bread on their tables. I am asking you to please see to it that at least their needs for Shabbos are taken care of.”
Rav Chaim answered Rav Yoel, “Surely I will fulfill what the Rav is asking of me, on one condition – that the Rav does not make me a Chassid!”
Rav Yoel smiled and answered sweetly, “Mein tei’ere kind (My precious child)! Why, if you fulfill my request and take care of fulfilling the needs of the poor, I will be your Chassid!”
(Based on Avodas Avodah Sichos Kodesh II)
