Editing Satmar Chassidus

Satmar Chassidus is a Hungarian chassidic court in the chassidic style that became one of the largest courts in the United States, originating from the city of Satu Mare in Romania. It was founded by Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, and after him, the court was led by his nephew, Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, who also served as president of the Eidah HaChareidis. After his passing in 2006, the court split between his two sons, Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum and Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (known as Zalman Leib). The centers of the court today are in Williamsburg. Satmar chassidim also live in Eretz Yisroel, mainly in Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak (in "Shikun Satmar" in the city, where about 250 families reside).

== Connection with Chabad Chassidus ==
During the Yossele Schumacher affair, there was a connection between the Satmar court and Lubavitch when, under the instruction of the Satmar Rebbe, a delegation was sent to consult with the Rebbe on the matter.

Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, the "Berach Moshe," visited the Rebbe in 1958 to request protection for Satmar following a struggle between them and the Zionists. Rabbi Moshe later said that of all the Rebbes he visited, the Rebbe was the only one whose views matched his one hundred percent. The Rebbe told him that he doesn't come out publicly on the matter because he's concerned about how effective it would be, but behind the scenes he is actually working on the matter. At a farbrengen held afterward on 12 Tammuz, the Rebbe mentioned the matter.

The poet R' Tzvi Yair Steinmetz, who was Rabbi Moshe's friend since childhood, would meet with Rabbi Moshe in the late 1970s (while Rabbi Yoel of Satmar was still alive) and would write to the Rebbe afterward about these meetings. In a letter from 1977, R' Tzvi Yair writes about a meeting with Rabbi Moshe, noting: "At the end of the long conversation, he emphasized that he is full of admiration for the work of the Rebbe and his shluchim in making baalei teshuvah... and that he knows about the mikvaos on all the campuses and that he came out to defend the Rebbe's interests in Miami. He also whispered in my ear that he suggested to his uncle the Satmar Rav several years ago to cooperate with the Rebbe in matters of strengthening Yiddishkeit... He said he would very much like to speak with the Rebbe if it were possible for him." In the margins of a letter from 1982, he notes again: "Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum told me truthfully that he is one of the Rebbe's chassidim and appreciates his activities, and that he urged his uncle [= the author of 'Vayoel Moshe'] to cooperate with Lubavitch in strengthening matters of Yiddishkeit."

Rabbi Meir Zayontz, who was close to the Satmar court, met in the early 1980s - under the Rebbe's instruction - with the Rebbe Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum. The purpose of the meeting was to influence Rabbi Moshe to stop the acts of violence by Satmar thugs against Rabbi Mendel Wechter. They met, but the Satmar Rebbe claimed that he has no control over the thugs in his court and that he is too weak compared to them. Finally, after Rabbi Zayontz spoke to him firmly and conveyed a message from the Rebbe against the thugs' actions, the Satmar Rebbe agreed to promise that as far as it depends on him, he would issue a clarification that he opposes the acts of violence and his official institutions would also issue a protest against these actions (this was before Satmar thugs attacked Rabbi Wechter). Rabbi Zayontz made many efforts over the years to stop the violent acts of Satmar people against Chabad chassidim.

On several occasions, the Rebbe instructed Crown Heights community activists to learn from the conduct of Satmar chassidim in Williamsburg in communal work, noting with praise their calculated and energetic work in matters of the Williamsburg neighborhood and in general.

== Satmar's Conflict with Chabad Chassidim ==
During Operation Entebbe, tensions between Chabad and Satmar Chassidus intensified. This was due to differing perspectives on giving thanks to Hashem for the miracle - while Chabad saw it as a miracle, Satmar claimed it was a ma'aseh satan (act of satan) and illusion since it was carried out by the Zionists.

In winter of 1977, Satmar thugs threw stones at a Mitzvah Tank several times.

In Shevat 1977, Satmar chassidim came to the Ohel and behaved disrespectfully and brazenly. At the Tu B'Shvat farbrengen, the Rebbe spoke strongly about this matter, saying: "If we call this 'painful', it would be too mild... even if this was a cemetery of completely simple people... it's obvious to anyone with intelligence and every Yid, and even non-Jews understand this..." The Rebbe extensively described inappropriate behavior that occurred in the past in Rostov near the Rebbe Rashab's tzion, and how the Frierdiker Rebbe warned those involved to correct their behavior, and when they refused to listen - they were severely punished. The Rebbe called on all those involved in what happened at the Frierdiker Rebbe's tzion to do complete teshuvah and correct their actions. It is said that one of those chassidim indeed went there and asked for forgiveness and mechilah, while the other refused to go and suddenly became ill and passed away.

On the seventh day of Pesach 1977, Satmar chassidim violently and cruelly attacked Chabad chassidim who came, as they did every year, to Williamsburg in a parade. At the Acharon Shel Pesach farbrengen held the next day, the Rebbe spoke about the shocking event, quoting the possuk read in the Torah that day "Hashem will fight for you, and you shall remain silent," concluding not to react to the serious incident and to rely completely on Hashem to handle it in His ways. However, the Rebbe clarified that the "silence" should not be interpreted as inaction - on the contrary, one should act and add in Torah and mitzvos and in "rising early and staying late in the beis medrash." The Rebbe also clarified that this instruction not to react was not because of mechilah chas v'shalom on the honor of those who were hurt in the parade. Regarding the severity of the act, the Rebbe said this was a painful and shocking thing, something unbelievable that happened, and in public no less. The Rebbe thanked the chassidim who participated in the parade for not being drawn into using "the hands - the hands of Eisav" and only used "the voice - the voice of Yaakov" which nullifies the control of the hands of Eisav.

Following these events, the next year before the seventh day of Pesach 1978, those responsible for the parade asked the Rebbe whether to continue holding the parade to Williamsburg on the seventh day of Pesach as every year or not, and in response the Rebbe instructed to ask the rabbonim. The rabbonim, led by Rav Zalman Shimon Dvorkin ruled, in accordance with the police and in light of information received about Satmar thugs planning to repeat their actions with additions, that one should not go because of pikuach nefesh, and since then the practice of having a parade to Williamsburg on the seventh day of Pesach was stopped.

On 15 Sivan 1983, Rabbi Pinchas Korf, who gave a Tanya shiur in Williamsburg, was severely beaten by Satmar thugs and his beard was cut off. Three weeks later, on 9 Tammuz, Rabbi Avraham Mendel Wechter, a Satmar chassid who became a Chabad chassid and influenced others from the Satmar community to learn Chabad Chassidus, was severely beaten by their thugs, his beard and peyos were cut off, and after they stabbed him with a knife all over his body including his throat, he was thrown unconscious and in critical condition, without clothes, on a busy street in the southern industrial area of Brooklyn. These events caused a great uproar in the Charedi community and rabbonim from all groups signed protests against these actions. Following these events, Chabad rabbonim ruled that it is forbidden to eat meat under their hechsher (even if there is another hechsher) and that it is forbidden to eat products under their hechsher alone (without another hechsher) and also placed a cherem on certain companies. At the farbrengen the following Shabbos, the Rebbe supported this ruling saying that "there is nothing after the beis din's ruling" and therefore everyone is obligated to obey the ruling.

== Further Events and Rebbe's Response ==
The Rebbe addressed these events strongly at the Chag HaGeulah farbrengen of 12 Tammuz that year, firmly protesting against the perpetrators, connecting it to the events of the Frierdiker Rebbe's arrest - noting that even the Jews who "learned and separated" who were among the Yevsektzia who arrested and interrogated the Frierdiker Rebbe didn't even think to threaten to touch his beard and peyos. The Rebbe also protested against the rabbonim from that group who supported them with silence, and against the rabbonim who protested against them with forced protest, just to fulfill their obligation.

During that period, Rabbi Wechter was offered by his friend, an important Yid and talmid chacham from Satmar Chassidus, to sit and talk with him privately, not in a way of victory but as one friend to another. Rabbi Wechter wrote to the Rebbe that he thought this was a good opportunity to explain chassidus pleasantly and bring that Yid, from whom many learn, closer to Toras Chassidus Chabad. In response, the Rebbe answered: "- not to argue (with them). For now, they don't understand what is being spoken about them, and note from Chazal Pesachim 66b whoever gets angry etc."

The Rebbe also said there is concern whether to include such Jews who have no shame to behave this way in a minyan, since one of the signs of Am Yisroel is that they are "bashful, merciful, and performers of kindness."

In 1985, following words of disrespect and mockery written in the "Der Yid" newspaper published by Satmar against learning daily Rambam, mayim acharonim, and the eternality of Toras HaChassidus and its spreading, the Rebbe instructed not to read the newspaper because of bitul Torah, moshav leitzim, and concern for weakening faith in Toras HaChassidus. The Rebbe also mentioned not to go to their shuls and not try to bring them closer and "the owner of the vineyard will come and eliminate its thorns."

== Recent Developments ==
In 2012, the parade to Williamsburg was unofficially renewed, and several Chabad bochurim also went several times to the parade at the Satmar shul and met with the Rebbe Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda.

On Purim 2012, a Purim shpiel was held in the beis medrash of the followers of Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda's faction where they mocked the Rebbe.

Der Yid newspaper published an apology notice about the incident without explicitly mentioning Chabad chassidim.

In Adar 2010, Rabbi Yisroel Yosef Hendel, rav of the Chabad community in Migdal HaEmek and one of the rabbonim of the Chabad Beis Din, clarified that the accepted practice not to eat from Satmar hechsher remains in effect, as no one changed the previous piskei din.

In Kislev 2019, Satmar institution heads in London boycotted the Yud Tes Kislev farbrengens held in London and the mashpia Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson.

Today, the friction between Chabad and Satmar has decreased, and the Rebbes Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum and Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum are friends of Chabad. Additionally, visits are conducted by Chabad rabbonim and askanim to the Satmar Rebbes. There are also Satmar chassidim who learn Chabad chassidus seforim and participate in chassidishe farbrengens, including through Heichal Menachem and the Tanya study organization.

== Additional Reading ==

* Rabbi Meir Zayants, "A Life of Blessing", Chapter Fifteen: My Connections with Satmar (page 203 onwards)
* Binyamin Lipkin and Yossi Elituv, "In All My House He is Faithful", The Life Story and Works of Rabbi Shneur Zalman Gurary, Chapter Nine: Yada Arichta (from page 268 onwards)
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