Chazal say that when one says good bye to his friend it should be with a Dvar Halacha for in this light he will remember his friend. As the summer comes to a close let us remember Camp Kol Torah for what it stands for.

Let us have a Shabbos of great ruach, and hasmodoh in Limuid Hatorah so that it will last us through the year. Yehi Rotzon that we meet again next year in Yerushalayim Ha'bnuyah.

A Gutten Shabbos

Kesiva Vachasima Tovah,

Camp Kol Torah

On the 26^th of Menachem Av 5739 (1979) over 100,000 people crowded the narrow streets of Monroe, New York. They came to bid farewell to their Rebbe and Manhig, R' Yoel Teitelbaum, the holy Satmar Rebbe. But the crying by his levayeh was different than most. At a regular levayeh the close relatives grieve, and the others feel the pain somewhat, and sympathize with the family. By the bitter sobs in the crowd it was evident that tens of thousands present were close relatives. For the Rebbe wasn't merely a leader of the community. He was a father to all of his followers.

Not all of those present were of the Satmar community; there were many from other Chassidic groups. But even more impressive was the amount of people that came from yeshiva circles, and outright misnagdim. For in all echelons of Klal Yisroel the Satmar Rebbe evoked awe, and respect as a giant of Torah knowledge, tzidkus, kedusha, chesed, and uncompromising emes.

A number of biographies have been written about the Satmar Rebbe. A current author, a talmid of the Rebbe has published seven volumes of his biography and has not yet reached the most productive years...the last 40 years of his life! It therefore goes without saying that in these few lines we can only write anecdotes of his life...not a full description of it.

Rabeinu Yoel, and his older brother R' Chaim Tzvi (father of today's Satmar Rebbe Shlita) were born to their father R Chananya Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum the great Rav of Sighet, Hungary, and a leader of Hungarian Jewry. He was a scion of the holy Yismach Moshe, R' Moshe Teitelbaum. For many years R' Chananya Yom Tov Lipa had no children. Perhaps the reason was that many tefillos were necessary to bring these two holy neshomos down to this world. The tefillos of his Rebbe the saintly R' Chaim Sanzer (Divrei Chaim), and his father R' Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum the Yitav Lev coupled with His own tefillos brought him these two tzaddikim.

Even as youngsters the fame of these two "wonder sons" spread throughout Hungary. Their hasmodoh, kedusha, and zehiras in Mitzvos were already evident at a young age.

It was said that "Yoilish" the younger son world refrain from touching covered parts of his body so he could always be ready to learn Torah. A visitor to the home of the Sigheter Rov asked if it was true. The Rov led his visitor into a room there the three year old was fast asleep. He lifted his "tzitzis" and with them tickled the child's ear. In middle of his sleep the boy slipped his sleeve over his fingers, and raised his covered hand to scratch his itchy head.

Even as a young child he spent much time in cleaning his body to be fit for tefillah. This is why although he was an amazingly punctual person, and did Mitzvos with a great zerizus he would start davening late to make sure his body was cleaned.

His mother, not happy with the fact that he spent so much time on this, asked one of the most honored Chassidim to give her son mussar about the matter. He approached the child and said: "You don't wear Tefillin yet. Why must you spend so much time on having a Guf Noki?" The young child answered with temimus, "I must still utter the name of Hashem with my mouth. Isn't this a great enough reason to cleanse myself?" The man, stunned by the kedusha of this child went back to the rebbitzen, and said:" I am not fit to give this child mussar. May he continue in this path."

Hasmodoh

As a youngster his hasmodoh knew no bounds. From the time of his bar mitzvah until the outbreak of World War II, a period of forty years the Satmar Rebbe never slept on a bed, except on Shabbos.

A well-known Rosh Yeshiva once stayed at a hotel for a few days. On the second day he noticed that the room service did not come to make the beds. When he complained the maid said: "I'm sorry but the last rabbi that stayed here never slept in his bed so I thought that all rabbis do the same." It was clarified that the last rabbi that stayed there was the Satmar Rebbe.

Together with the hasmodoh he had a brilliant mind. R Yaakov Briesh, mechaber of the sefer Chelkas Yaakov once visited the Rebbe. He discussed with him a portion of his sefer regarding the difficult halachos of ribbis (interest in loans). He later expressed amazement about how the Rebbe mastered the subject even though he wasn't aware that Rav Breish was coming, and didn't prepare in advance.

The Tshebiner Rov said: "I marvel at the charifus of the Brisker Rov, and the Brisker Rov marvels at my bekius. And we both marvel at the charifus, and bekius of the Satmar Rebbe." R' Yerochum Reiner, the Radziner Rebbe, a great gaon it his own right, always made sure to spend a few weeks vacationing with the Satmar Rebbe. The reason, he said, was he has not seen anyone to be such a boki in all areas of the Torah, and especially in all the Midrashei Chazal that most people never even heard of.

The many seforim: Divrei Yoel al Hatorah, Sha'alos Uteshuvos Devrei Yoel, Chiddushei Sugyos, Vayoel Moshe, Al Hageulah Vaal Hatimurah...all testify to the Rebbe's gargantuan accomplishments in all areas of the Torah.

A litvishe yeshiva man from Eretz Yisroel once sat neat the Rebbe at his Pesach seder. Although the Rebbe carefully measured the shiurim of the kezeisim for his guests this guest was not trusting of this, and was busily measuring on his own. The Rebbe amusedly said, "Are you sure you had the shiur?" After the eating of the matzos again the Rebbe jokingly said this, and again after the afikomen.

Finally the man who didn't seem amused answered, "Did the Rebbe have the shiur of tcheppen (teasing)?" The Rebbe was deeply disturbed that he offended the man when he only meant to have a friendly exchange. He begged for mechila a number of times, and asked that the man come to him after Yom Tov. When the man came to him the Rebbe asked why he had come to America. He answered that he was here to raise six thousand dollars to marry off his daughter. The Rebbe promised that he would get him the money, and insisted that in the future when he comes for the chasuna needs of his other children that he will take care of everything. In the end the Rebbe financed the weddings of all four of his daughters.

The following two stories were written by a grandson of the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva Horav Segal ZTVK"L.

A person once told the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva that he went to a famous eye doctor. This doctor said that by looking into the eyes of a person with his instruments he could tell if the man was suffering from diseases not even associated with the eyes. The patient asked the doctor if he was always able to do this or was he only able to do it sometimes. The doctor answered: "I am always able to do it except for one instance. Once I gazed into the eyes of a certain rabbi, and the inside illuminated so brightly that I wasn't able to see a thing." when the patient asked for the rabbi's name he said: Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum of Williamsburg.

When the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva heard this he exclaimed: This is why I always go to visit the Rebbe... to see his holy eyes that light up.

In 1979 the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva traveled to America. One of the men of the community, not yet blessed with children, asked the Rosh Yeshiva if he could give his name to the Rebbe in a kvittel to daven for him.

When the Rosh Yeshiva finished speaking with the Rebbe and left the room, a talmid reminded him of his promise to give the kvittel to the Rebbe. The Rosh Yeshiva prepared himself for hours learning mussar before he entered the room of the Rebbe. He said, "I can't just go back again without a lot of preparation."

"But the Rosh Yeshiva promised that he would give the kvittel. Either the Rosh Yeshiva should go back to the Rebbe, or promise himself that the man will have a child." The Manchester Rosh yeshiva answered: "It is easier for me to promise that to go back to the Rebbe again." Indeed he promised, and that year the man, and his wife were blessed with a child.

Avodas Hakodesh

Those who were zoche to be one of the thousands that spent Yomim Noraim and Sukkos with the Rebbe testified that the Rebbe went up to Shomayim, and took them with him. His avodah was like that not seen anywhere. People from all circles would come to the Rebbe's Hoshano Rabbah, which lasted a whole day, till right before Yom Tov. Between the Hakafos the Rebbe would deliver fiery Devrei Mussar which served as a cleanser for the Neshomas of those who were there.

People couldn't understand how the Rebbe, who was very frail had the strength to carry on such an avodah for a lengthy period of time. It was obvious to all that the strength came from a higher source.

The Rebbe suffered from pains in his legs. Yet on Simchas Torah he would dance for hours with the strength of a young man. Between Hakafos the Rebbe could not even walk to his seat. Yet the moment the next Hakafoh started he danced like no one else was able to.

In Hungary word of the Rebbe's Hakafos was even well known amongst the goyim. Once the mayor of the city, and an army officer came to witness the Hakafos. The mayor estimated that the Rebbe's Hakafos were equal to running over thirty miles. The officer commented that he would never punish any of his men in the army with the strenuous physical exertion of the Rebbe's Hakafos.

The Satmar community is known for many things. It has an amazing network of chesed instilled by the Rebbe and carried out until this day by the Rebbitzen TLIT"A. Millions of dollars of tzedaka are distributed by them, and others benefit from their amazing Bikur Cholim organization. The Rebbe also instilled in his kehilla the ability to live, and look like yidden did for hundreds of years. He taught that our tzurah (appearance) should not change just because we are in a foreign land in golus.

The Shitah

Perhaps what Satmar is best known for is its uncompromising shitah about Eretz Yisroel. It is a shitah misunderstood by most people, and scorned by many either because of ignorance or blatant disregard of the truth. To be sure, many Gedolei Yisroel did not agree with the Rebbe but they took his opinion seriously, and held him in high esteem.

In fact the Satmar shitah is not one conjured up by the Rebbe rather it is based on an open Gemorah in Meseches Kesubos Daf 111a. At the time of Churban Bayis Rishon, Hashem made Klal Yisroel swear 2 shavuos: Firstly, that during the years of golus they would not attempt to return to Eretz Yisroel with force. Secondly, they may not rebel against the nations of the world. With this Hashem made the goyim swear that they would not oppress us more then necessary. This was considered a simple fact for many generations.

When Zionism started raising its ugly head in Europe in the late 1800s many gedolim fought against it. The Rebbe's father the Kedushas Yom Tov stood like a beacon of light to guide yidden away from it. The Rebbe carried on the tradition of his ancestors.

The fights however, came with a heavy price. The Rebbe was vilified and degraded in the Zionist publications in Europe, and in Eretz Yisroel. In building his community, it would have been much easier financially had the Rebbe not spoken out so vehemently. But the Rebbe was not guided by ulterior motives. He was guided only by the truth.

One of the greatest compliments paid to the Rebbe came from the Brisker Rav, himself a fighter against Zionism. When the Satmar Rebbe was nominated to be head of the Eida Hachuredis, the Charedi community, in Yerushalayim there were those opposed because he was a Chassidishe Rebbe. The Brisker Rav strongly supported the nomination saying: The Satmar Rebbe is the only one that could lead the war against Zionists. The Rav was greatly mechabed the Rebbe in every one of their encounters.

The Rebbe wrote two brilliant seforim promulgating his shitah: they are Vayoel Moshe and Al Hageulah Vaal Hotimurah. During all of the Israeli military victories people scoffed at Satmar. Look how min Hashomayim they show us how wrong you are. The Rebbe was ridiculed for being so out of touch with the times. But he stood his ground not flinching far a moment. Like Avrohom Avinu who is called Ivri because he stood opposite the rest of the world.

Many yidden shattered by the Holocaust put their hopes in Zionism. Others, sincerely motivated by a love for Eretz Yisroel invested their lives for the country. Unfortunately with the downward spirit of the Israeli leaders who openly disclaim Torah, and are willing to compromise the security of the country for international fame there is a lot of disappointment throughout the populace. Millions of Israelis nurtured on secular Zionism have no connection to Yiddishkeit. How great are the eyes of the chachomim who could see many years into the future.

ZECHUSO YOGEIN OLEINU!

In 1935 Sir Robert Watson Watt discovered radar. Radar determines how far away you are from an object. Radio waves are transmitted to the object. The sound bounces off the object and returns after a while like an echo. The further away the object the longer it will take for the sound to return. Radar helps ships know how far away they are from other ships. Every airport has radar scanners in the control tower to help plains avoid collisions. A very fine invention indeed.

Yet since the beginning of the briah, bats have been using radar through the instincts, and physical traits given to them by Hashem. Let us see some of the interesting facts behind this.

1. The bat lets out a high pierced shriek in short bursts. We cannot hear these sounds because their high frequencies are beyond our ability to hear.
2. How do they produce such sounds, when we cant? It has a highly specialized larynx (voice box), and the sounds come out through special horn-rimmed nostrils.
3. Why doesn't the bat become deaf from such high pitched sounds? Because Hashem gave it big muscles in its large ears. To reduce the ability of the ear to accept these sounds thereby protecting the bats.
4. Why must the sound be at such a high pitch? Because if it were like a regular sound it would get muffled by the regular sounds of day to day life; trees rustling, winds blowing, birds chirping. To get a clear sound it must be much different than the regular sounds.
5. Once the bat gives off the sound it has the sense to judge by the reflection of the sound just how far away it is from any object.
6. A man in the West Indies once foolishly entered a cave that had a colony of several hundred bats. He disturbed their peace. Hundreds of them swirled in every direction without even one collision.
7. A little brown bat can fly through a wire fence in complete darkness within a space of 24 centimeters!