Reb Yechiel Halperin, also known as Yechiel “der Chazan,” possessed a beautifully sweet voice and served as the chazan for the Yomim Noroim for the Rebbe Rashab in Lubavitch and later on for the Frierdiker Rebbe. He was also known as Reb Yechiel der Meshulach, as he was a fundraiser for Tomchei Temimim in its first years.

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As a young man, Reb Yechiel worked in Charkov. While Reb Yechiel’s grandfather was a chossid of the Alter Rebbe, Reb Yechiel grew up lacking a real chassidishe chinuch.

Once, the chossid Reb Bere Volf Kozevnikov of Yaketrinislav visited Charkov, where he spoke about the chassidim’s way of life. Reb Yechiel was immediately inspired and traveled immediately to Lubavitch. He arrived shortly after the passing of the Rebbe Maharash and remained in Lubavitch for close to a year.

He later moved to Moscow and served as the chazan of a large shul. Soon after, the Rebbe Rashab visited Moscow, and Reb Yechiel assisted him during his stay. It was during that visit that the Rebbe Rashab taught him the nusach of many parts of the davening for the Yomim Noroim.

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The Frierdiker Rebbe writes:

“There were about forty bochurim learning in Tomchei Temimim, and I received letters from the cities in which Reb Yechiel fundraised for the yeshiva, saying that Reb Yechiel said there were about four hundred talmidim!

“I wrote to Reb Yechiel asking him why he’s exaggerating ten times more than the truth. He responded to me that he is not exaggerating, because he does not say there are four hundred bochurim, rather there are four hundred talmidim. Since every bochur uses all of his ten kochos for Torah and avodah, there are four hundred talmidim.

“When I wrote this to my father [the Rebbe Rashab], he replied, ‘Indeed so, one must use all of his ten kochos in order for his learning to be done properly.’”