Velvel Kopp, a chosid who lived in Seattle and moved to Tsfas exactly 30 years before his passing, passed away on the 20th of Kislev, 5784.
He was 66.
One who delved into Torah Or and Likutei Torah with all of his being, he went up, after a battle with illness, just around the time that the Alter Rebbe was freed from the house of the opponent 225 years before.
Kopp came to chasidus in Seattle, where he had worked as a lawyer. He left his practice to learn in yeshiva, engrossing himself completely in Torah and Avodas Hashem. As one example, in the Tanya that he received from the Rebbe, Velvel Kopp wrote the translation of each word, doing so in chapter after chapter.
A professional who gave up a promising career to move to Eretz HaKodesh well before many English speakers did, he worked long office hours, yet would daven for hours and learned tremendously. He spent 8 years learning Shaar HaYichud of the Mitteler Rebbe, which the Rebbe describes as the Key to Toras HaChasisdus. He would also meticulously go through mesechtos of Gemara, each one individually, doing so even during his final stages of chemo, H”Y.
He dedicated much time to his children and grandchildren, singing and dancing with them, being there for them at all times and taking a real and personal interest in each one. Every Yud Tes Kislev he would call each one and ask them which new sefer they wanted. He was an oved Hashem who spent hours on Torah and Avodas Hashem while still working diligently and always being there for his children.
His eldest daughter relates how throughout the worst of his sickness, in addition to his continued learning, he would constantly make sure that his yarmulka was on. “If someone would say that Aba would have gone through fire for Hashem I’d say that I’d basically seen him do it.”
His story is one of “es mispar yomecha amalei,” a life that was filled to the exact allotted number of days. He was brought to Avodas Hashem by the Alter Rebbe and Yud Tes Kislev, he came to Eretz HaKodesh Erev Yud Tes Kislev exactly 30 years before his passing, his youngest child was born on Chof Kislev, the day of Velvel Kopp’s passing, which was in the hour that the Alter Rebbe was redeemed. There is the unbearable reality that his youngest child had his 16th birthday with this bitter tragedy. May the family feel the hope and blessings that their father will bring down for them and know that those who have passed will be back soon, especially Velvel Kopp who so clearly received an invitation to the Alter Rebbe’s own Chof Kislev farbrengen, after his special Avoda and purification.
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Velvel Kopp is survived by his children, Rabbis Mordechai Shmuel Kopp, Aryeh Kopp, Asher Kalil Kopp, Meir Nissim Kopp, Mrs. Rivkah Riva Betzalel, Mendy Kopp, Yehoshua Kopp, Menucha Rochel Kopp and Dovber Kopp and the many grandchildren who always felt his love and attention.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
