{"id":561,"date":"2020-09-25T14:29:19","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T14:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/?p=561"},"modified":"2020-09-27T00:58:09","modified_gmt":"2020-09-27T00:58:09","slug":"the-satmar-dayan-speaks-his-mind-and-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/the-satmar-dayan-speaks-his-mind-and-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"The Satmar Dayan speaks his mind and heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019ve always known that the Satmar Dayan, Rabbi Mordechai Betzalel Klein, is a fighter for Yiddishkeit<\/em>. Having observed him from afar, it wasn\u2019t difficult to make out the spirit of the warrior for Torah that is his essence. But meeting him in person allowed me to see another dimension of the Dayan\u2019s personality: the sincerity that encompasses every action he takes and every word he speaks, and the middas ha\u2019emes<\/em> which pushes him to address challenging topics and dilemmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When conversing with the Dayan, one can feel his heart. Clearly enunciated in the conversation are his feelings about different topics, without timidity. It was a kavod<\/em> to speak with the Dayan and to hear his guidance in preparation for Yom Kippur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A leader, a warrior<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever since his arrival in Lakewood 40 years ago, the Dayan has seen his role as more than just leading the kehillah<\/em> entrusted in his hands. As a well-known mohel<\/em>, the rav hamachshir<\/em> of a hashgachah<\/em>, and a lochem milchemes<\/em> Hashem<\/em>, he often lets his voice be heard on many of the issues facing Lakewood. In fact, during the course of our conversation, the Satmar Rav of Lakewood, as he was officially named after the passing of the Satmar Rebbe the Beirach Moshe zt\u201dl<\/em>, was called to the phone more than once for input on various concerns that the Lakewood kehillah<\/em> is facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vort<\/em> he tells me during our candid conversation sheds light on his approach to matters that might be seen as controversial: The Yismach Moshe once said, \u201cRibono Shel Olam<\/em>, I am ready to never see light, but bring Mashiach already!\u201d The Dayan, a talmid<\/em> of Rav Moshe Aryeh Freund zt\u201dl<\/em>, ga\u2019avad<\/em> of Yerushalayim, as well as a staunch Chassid of the Satmar Rebbe zt\u201dl<\/em>, feels the same way about some of the problems against which he leads the fight. \u201cLet them think I\u2019m extreme. I don\u2019t care. I just want to bring about kvod Shamayim<\/em>!\u201d he tells me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ask the Dayan what lessons we are to learn from last year\u2019s tragic occurrences. From the certainty in his voice, it is clear to me that he has already given this question much thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRashi says in the beginning of Parshas Noach<\/em> that where there is a deficiency in kedushah<\/em>, the result is catastrophe. And Rashi adds these words: \u2018v\u2019horeges tovim v\u2019ra\u2019im<\/em>\u2019\u2014and the lives of tzaddikim are lost together with those of resha\u2019im<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s scary. But if you think about it, I think it is obvious. In Lakewood alone we lost so many tzaddikim, nebach<\/em>.\u201d The Dayan sighs. \u201cThe breaches in kedushah <\/em>caused by the internet are well known. We have to start taking this seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan shares another area about which he is concerned: kedushas beis haknesses<\/em>. \u201cLately,\u201d he says with obvious pain, \u201cthere is a practice that I have seen, and it bothers me very much: the lack of proper dress during davening<\/em>. Men come into shul and have no problem davening<\/em> with bare arms. The whole tzibbur<\/em> is wearing hats and jackets, and you want to daven<\/em> in your shirtsleeves? OK. Even short sleeves are fine. But to daven<\/em> with your arms completely revealed, besides not being respectful of the makom kadosh<\/em> you are standing in, is against halachah. The Mishnah<\/em> Berurah<\/em> (91:2) states clearly that one has to cover his body during davening<\/em>. The Nosei Keilim<\/em> explain that one has to dress as if he is standing before a king. If you had a meeting with President Trump, would you go dressed that way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd then there is the smartphone issue. I have to protest. What should I do, let this go on? People are not embarrassed to take out a smartphone in shul. It\u2019s terrible!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrival in America<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

How did the Dayan, who was born and raised in Eretz Yisrael, come to lead a kehillah<\/em> in Lakewood?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan shares some historical context. \u201cAfter the Yom Kippur War, the heilige<\/em> Rebbe z\u201dl <\/em>encouraged the Chassidim to leave Eretz Yisrael. It was extremely dangerous back then; the Arabs were always ready to attack. The Rebbe said that whoever could find a means to come to America should do so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan was learning in kollel <\/em>in Yerushalayim at the time. In 1974, eight years after his marriage, his father-in-law, Rav Menachem Mendel Friedman zt\u201dl<\/em>, moved to New York, where he became a maggid shiur<\/em> in Kiryas Yoel. Shortly thereafter, the Dayan and his family followed suit, settling in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several years after the move, his life took an unexpected turn. For many years the Dayan\u2019s father, Rav Eliezer Klein zt\u201dl<\/em>, had been the rav<\/em> of Be\u2019er Sheva, where 300 heimishe<\/em> families lived at the time. He was known as a talented orator who fought for kedushas Yisrael<\/em> and pure chinuch<\/em> in Eretz Yisrael. After his petirah<\/em>, the kehillah<\/em> wanted the rav<\/em>\u2019s son Reb Mordechai Betzalel to take over the rabbanus<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The young dayan<\/em> went to the Rebbe and asked him for advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rebbe looked at him and said, \u201cI know the kehillah<\/em> in Be\u2019er Sheva; they need someone to guide them, to give shiurim<\/em>. Go, but keep in mind that du darfst nisht gein l\u2019hishtake\u2019a sham<\/em>\u2014it doesn\u2019t have to be permanent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan had his answer. He moved back with his family and settled in Be\u2019er Sheva, arriving shortly before Rosh Hashanah 5739.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As green card holders, the family couldn\u2019t be out of the United States for more than a year. Toward the end of the following summer, the Dayan began making plans for their visit to America. Knowing that he would have to be with his kehillah<\/em> for the Yamim Nora\u2019im, he decided to travel to America to his Rebbe for Shabbos Mevarchim Elul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI came to the Rebbe Thursday night, the twenty-fourth of Av, and I knew I\u2019d made the right choice,\u201d the Dayan says. \u201cWhen the Rebbe gave me his hand, I felt a shudder run through my body. He had such a heilige <\/em>countenance, it was overpowering. His face literally shone. At the age of ninety, despite never allowing himself the luxury of a good night\u2019s sleep\u2014he used to go to sleep after alos<\/em> for an hour and a half before starting his daily avodah<\/em>\u2014he did not have a single wrinkle on his face.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan spent an uplifting Shabbos\u2014the Rebbe\u2019s last on this world\u2014in the presence of the Rebbe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Kabbalas Shabbos<\/em>, the Rebbe motioned to his gabba\u2019im<\/em> to help him rise when the tzibbur<\/em> reached Bo\u2019i b\u2019shalom<\/em>. Vivid memories of the Rebbe dancing that evening, the shine on his face belying his weakened physical state, remain etched forever in the mind of anyone who witnessed that dance, including the Dayan. The Rebbe didn\u2019t usually dance at that point in the davening<\/em>, but that Shabbos was different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one could have foreseen what the Rebbe must have known, but a mere 36 hours later, the world was changed forever:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShabbos morning the Rebbe got Shishi<\/em>, as was his custom every week. It was Parshas Re\u2019eh,<\/em> and due to the way the aliyos<\/em> were distributed, the final pasuk <\/em>in the Rebbe\u2019s aliyah<\/em> was \u2018Lema\u2019an yitav lecha ul\u2019vanecha acharecha, ki sa\u2019aseh hayashar b\u2019einei hashem<\/em>\u2014So that it shall be good for you and for your sons after you, for you will do that which is straight in the Eyes of Hashem\u2019(Devarim<\/em> 12: 25). What an appropriate finale to a life dedicated to doing ratzon Hashem<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan continues, \u201cThe next morning at seven a.m., the news of the Rebbe\u2019s petirah<\/em> broke. It is hard to describe or even imagine the feelings of the Chassidim. Our world came to a halt. At the levayah<\/em>, I squeezed myself through the crowds and managed to carry the aron<\/em> for a few short moments, a zechus <\/em>I couldn\u2019t give up on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few months later, the Dayan was asked by the newly crowned Satmar Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe, to lead the Satmar kehillah<\/em> in Lakewood. The Rebbe zt\u201dl<\/em> had been correct: the position in Be\u2019er Sheva was only temporary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mehalech halimud<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ask the Dayan if he would like to discuss the topic of limud Torah<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe?\u201d he responds with his trademark humility. \u201cI can talk about the Torah of my rebbi<\/em>, Rav Moshe Aryeh Freund zt\u201dl<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan shares how as a young bachur<\/em> he would marvel at the hasmadah<\/em> of Rav Freund, who would be up until 2:30 a.m. every night, learning with a bren<\/em>, and would be back in yeshivah at 6:30 in the morning, ready to daven<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rav Freund would give three shiurim<\/em> each day. The first one took place immediately after davening<\/em>, when he was still crowned in his tallis<\/em> and tefillin<\/em>. He would learn an amud<\/em> of Shulchan Aruch<\/em>, Orach Chaim<\/em>, reading the words of each of the Nosei Keilim<\/em>, teaching the bachurim<\/em> the importance of learning the halachah directly from its source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every day, Rav Freund would give a shiur<\/em> in Chovos Halevavos<\/em> before starting the daily blatt shiur<\/em>, instilling in the bachurim<\/em> the importance of yiraso kodemes l\u2019chochmaso<\/em>\u2014that one\u2019s fear of Heaven must precede his Torah learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gemara shiur<\/em> that followed is what laid the foundation of the Dayan\u2019s mehalech halimud<\/em>. \u201cThe shiur<\/em> was focused on the pashut pshat<\/em> in the Gemara, Rashi<\/em>, and Tosafos<\/em>. The focus was to crystallize each word of Rashi<\/em> and each word of Tosafos<\/em> and to understand exactly what they wanted to express. We would learn two and a half blatt<\/em> a week, not bekiyus<\/em>, b\u2019iyun<\/em>! It just looked a little different from today\u2019s iyun<\/em>. Today, many bachurim<\/em> focus much more on the Acharonim<\/em> and the lomdus<\/em> than we did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan shares an anecdote as a case in point. \u201cI was once giving shiur<\/em> in beis midrash<\/em> on the famous Tosafos<\/em> on daf beis<\/em> in Bava Basra<\/em>. When I was done, a yungerman<\/em> came over and told me that he had learned the Tosafos<\/em> many times before, but he had never realized how much the Tosafos<\/em> is saying, how much lies behind each word of Tosafos<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A heavenly revelation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a little boy in Be\u2019er Sheva, Mordechai Betzalel was privy to many of the happenings in the life of his father. The Dayan shares an outstanding tale which he heard from the protagonist himself, as a hisorerus<\/em> for the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rav Eliezer Klein was sitting at home with his son when a man named Reb Yaakov walked in and asked to speak to the Rav. Sixty years later, the Dayan recalls that conversation clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reb Yaakov said that upon his arrival in Eretz Yisrael after the War, the Zionists succeeded in pulling him away from the religious upbringing he had received as a boy in Europe. First his peyos <\/em>were cut off, then kashrus went. Very soon he had abandoned shemiras<\/em> Shabbos<\/em> as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly thereafter, he began experiencing frightening dreams in which his deceased father, dressed, in his words, \u201clike on Yom Kippur,\u201d warned him sternly that he must do teshuvah<\/em>. This happened three times, but he kept on laughing it off, blaming these visions on his guilty conscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, one Friday night, everything changed. Yaakov had just returned home from the movies, and he headed for the light switch to turn on the lights. Suddenly, in the dark, he heard a voice calling out from behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dayan\u2019s eyes shine as the story unfolds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYankel, Yankel! Are you going to continue to do aveiros<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrified, Yaakov turned around and saw his father, wearing his tallis <\/em>and kittel<\/em>, standing in the room, his face somber. Yaakov could not believe his eyes. Was he dreaming again? He was completely awake, and yet his father, who had passed away years before, was standing before him!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn\u2019t have much time to think before he heard his father speak again. \u201cI warn you, this is your last chance! If you don\u2019t do teshuvah<\/em>, your life will be cut short.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with that his father disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeling faint, Yaakov\u2019s mind was made up: he was \u201ccoming home.\u201d The next morning he walked to the mechanic shop where he worked and excused himself, telling his boss he wasn\u2019t feeling well and needed a day off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaakov made his way to Bnei Brak, to the home of the Chazon Ish. He walked into the room, and before he could even open his mouth, the Chazon Ish took one look at him and said, \u201cYour father was by me too. He told me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaakov froze, incredulous. He had come to tell his story, and the Chazon Ish knew it already!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chazon Ish put down his head. After 10 long minutes, the tzaddik lifted his head again and spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany people have sadly gone off the path, but they never get a hisorerus<\/em> from shamayim<\/em>. There must be a mitzvah that you did that is protecting you. Tell me, what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaakov thought for a moment and then said that even after abandoning Torah and mitzvos, he never declined a request to come to shul to complete a minyan<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that,\u201d the Chazon Ish said. \u201cDo you remember ever being moser nefesh<\/em> to bring a Yid to kever<\/em> Yisrael<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly it dawned on him. Of course Yaakov remembered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me the story,\u201d the Chazon Ish said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaakov related that at the onset of the Holocaust, two women from a neighboring town came to Yaakov\u2019s town and said that a 12-year-old boy had passed away, and since all the men in their town had been deported, there was no one to bury him. Yaakov\u2019s father told his young son, also 12 years old, to go bring the niftar <\/em>to their town. \u201cGott geit zein mit dir<\/em>\u2014Hashem will be with you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaakov went. He had the boy tied onto his back, and, ignoring the heavy weight and the terror of being caught by the Nazis, made the half-hour trek back to his town, where he helped his father bury the niftar<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chazon Ish heard this and said, \u201cThat mitzvah isn\u2019t letting you become a goy<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is never too late to do teshuvah<\/em>!\u201d the Dayan concludes, his face aflame. \u201cLet us use these days to return fully to our Tatte<\/em> in himmel<\/em>, who is waiting with open Arms. And we\u2019ll be zocheh<\/em> to a gut, gebentsht yahr<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve always known that the Satmar Dayan, Rabbi Mordechai Betzalel Klein, is a fighter for Yiddishkeit. Having observed him from afar, it wasn\u2019t difficult to make out the spirit of the warrior for Torah that is his essence. But meeting him in person allowed me to see another dimension of the Dayan\u2019s personality: the sincerity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":573,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[19],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevoiceoflakewood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}