Thursday, March 23, 2023

Reb Michel Dorfman’s Pesach Customs


Heard from Reb Gershon Ginsburg

Once during the 1970s, Reb Gershon Ginsburg and his wife were visiting Yerushalayim, and asked their mentor, the prominent Breslov leader Rabbi Michel Dorfman, if they could join him for the Pesach Seder. He replied that he would be happy to have them as guests, as long as they did not mind the way he handled the issue of gebrokhts. Like most Breslover Chassidim, Reb Michel did not eat gebrokhts—but his wife did. And Reb Michel made no issue of using the same keilim and utensils for gebrokhts and non-gebrokhts during the entire Pesach.

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Reb Michel used potatoes for karpas.

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Despite his advanced age, he used actual chrein for morror. However, he also served romaine lettuce for those who preferred it to chrein.

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He recited the Haggadah with fervor, sang a few passages, according to the common minhag, and did not say vertlach. At the conclusion of the Seder, Reb Michel recited Shir HaShirim, and remained awake learning Torah until it was time to go to mikveh and daven ki-vasikin, as he did every morning.

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