The Excitable Kopuster Who Ended up in Lubavitch

Born near Nevel to a family of Kopust Chabad chassidim, Reb Michoel Dvorkin traveled to Lubavitch and became a staunch mekushar to the Rebbe Rashab. The Frierdiker Rebbe said about him that he was really a “Kopuster” – emotional and excitable – who ended up in Lubavitch…

R. Michoel Dvorkin (5626-5709) was born in a town near Nevel to a family of Kopuster Chabad Chassidim. After the passing of the Magen Avos of Kopust, R. Michoel traveled to Lubavitch and became a staunch mekushar to the Rebbe Rashab, and later had a deep personal relationship with the Frierdiker Rebbe. He lived in Eretz Yisrael and then New York in his later years, and was known for his heartfelt davening, nigunim, and Chassidishe stories.

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Walking out after a farbrengen in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s sukkah, R. Michoel, red-faced and dancing, began singing in Russian, “Nyet, nyet nikavoh,” there is nothing besides Hashem. [R. Michoel had worked in the lumber business and borrowed various Russian expressions he had heard there.]

The Rebbe Rashab, who was visiting his son’s home, stood by the door for some time to make out the words, and then said, “These are birurim of the forest… a tohu’diker ein od.” He then added, “Even something simple, when done earnestly, is good. But without feeling, even a profound insight is dead.”

When R. Michoel found out that the Rebbe Rashab heard his singing, he beat his head from emotion.

Years later, when the Frierdiker Rebbe was exiled to Kostroma, R. Michoel went ahead to prepare a home, mikvah, and even a cheder. When R. Michoel heard about the Rebbe’s release, he was overcome with emotion. He danced around the house holding a bottle of mashkeh and singing his niggun, “Nyet, nyet nikavoh.“

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Reb Michoel was a talented baal menagen, and he would sing niggunim with precision and emotion. When Reb Michoel came to America, he was recorded singing two nigunim, which the Rebbe later instructed Nichoach to include in an album.

When R. Michoel served as baal tefilah, he would often break down crying. Once, while learning a Purim maamar beginning Balayla Hahu, he came to the words “Hamelech” and began breathing heavily and crying as if it were Rosh Hashana…

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The Frierdiker Rebbe once noted that two Chassidim came from Kopust to Lubavitch, but they’re not the same. R. Mendel Leib [Abramson] is a “Lubavitcher” – calm and collected – who happened to have gone to Kopust, while R. Michoel is really a “Kopuster” – emotional and excitable – who ended up in Lubavitch…

For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com