Satmar Rebbe Condemns Modern Wedding Music as 'Abomination'

Thousands of Satmar Chassidim gathered in Williamsburg on Lag BaOmer to celebrate the engagement of the Satmar Rebbe's grandson, but the joyous occasion became the backdrop for an unprecedented rebuke of modernization creeping into Haredi weddings. The Satmar Rebbe, shlita, delivered a fiery address condemning contemporary musical styles and dance that have infiltrated traditional celebrations, declaring them to be in the category of "sheketz teshaktzenu" - utterly abominable.

The engagement united two distinguished Satmar lineages. The groom, son of HaGaon Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum, serves as Rav of Beis Medrash 'Yisrael Shalom' of Kehillas Yeitav Lev in Kiryas Joel. The bride is the daughter of Rabbi Moshe Horowitz, son of HaGaon Rabbi Naftali Horowitz of Rachov, London, and son-in-law of HaGaon Rabbi Shalom Eliezer Teitelbaum, Rav of the Satmar community on 15th Avenue in Boro Park. Both families trace their lineage directly to the revered Berach Moshe of Satmar, zt"l, making the union a double celebration within the chassidus.

Engagement Celebration for the Grandson of the Satmar Rebbe (Photo) (Photo: Bechatzros Satmar)

A Sharp Rebuke of Contemporary Trends

During his address, the Admor connected the joy of the engagement to the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, delivering profound Torah insights before pivoting to address what he characterized as a spiritual crisis. The Rebbe expressed deep anguish over the infiltration of modern musical styles and dance into Chassidic weddings, stating with unprecedented sharpness: "This is in the category of sheketz teshaktzenu v'taev te'avenu" - you shall utterly detest it and abhor it.

The Rebbe's words reflected profound pain at witnessing Chassidic celebrations incorporating musical genres that he asserted do not align with "the spirit of Yisrael Saba" - the authentic Jewish soul. He urged the community to distance itself from what he termed "the influences of the street and the coarse camp," calling for vigilance in both dress and music at simchas.

In his drasha, the Admor explained that according to the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, one follows the machshava, the intention. When a Jew performs a mitzvah with genuine affection and devotion, he stated, the forces of impurity cannot seize it. Even mundane labor for parnassah, when undertaken with the intention of using those earnings for mitzvos, becomes part of the mitzvah's preciousness before Hashem, the Rebbe clarified.

Praise for Modesty Efforts and Children's Dress

The Satmar Rebbe also commended the community activists in Williamsburg for their efforts in strengthening tznius standards among women, both in head coverings and general attire. He emphasized the importance of these initiatives in preserving the community's spiritual integrity.

Additionally, the Rebbe addressed a specific halachic practice regarding children's clothing, urging parents to ensure that garments close from right over left, as advocated by the holy Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov, zt"l, whose yahrzeit falls on the evening following Lag BaOmer, the 19th of Iyar. This attention to detail in children's dress, the Rebbe noted, reflects the broader commitment to maintaining authentic Jewish practice in every aspect of life.

Twenty Years of Torah Growth

The Rebbe marked a significant milestone during his address, noting with emotion that exactly twenty years have passed since the founding of Chevuras 'Yesodei HaTorah' on Lag BaOmer 5766 (2006) in that very location. This initiative was among the first major reforms instituted by the Admor immediately upon assuming leadership on the 26th of Nissan 5766, following the passing of his father, the Berach Moshe, zt"l.

"Baruch Hashem, today we stand twenty years later with a tremendous proliferation of Torah learners in our kehillah and throughout the world, studying daf after daf and masechta after masechta within the framework of these chevrusos," the Rebbe stated. In preparation for the upcoming Shavuos holiday, he encouraged the community to study from the sacred sefer 'Bnei Yissaschar,' further emphasizing the importance of deepening Torah knowledge.

The Admor concluded his address by invoking the memory of the Yetev Lev institutions established by his great-uncle, the Divrei Yoel, zt"l, immediately following the Holocaust. "This is the father of all our institutions," he declared, calling upon chassidim to support these foundational mosdos with generosity. He closed with blessings for the chassan, the mechutanim, the distinguished grandparents, and all the chassidim assembled.