Novardok is becoming popular in Eretz Yisroel, and they are printing loads of Novardok stories in: עַ לוֹנִ ים weeklies. Outsiders who heard about the Alter got the impression that he was a super-serious person, with all his Shviras HaMiddos and years of Hisbodedus (seclusion from people), etc. The truth was the extreme opposite. He was total joy and Laibedikeit (liveliness); a bundle of positive energy.
R' Kalman Goldberg Zatzal was one of his “Cossacks”, and when R' Kalman came to the USA he became a Talmid of R' Ahron Kotler Zatzal. He remarked that R' Ahron was very similar to the Alter. I don’t know all the details, but a friend of mine once saw R' Ahron Zatzal, and he mentioned that R' Ahron was very alive; always moving and always on the go, doing and doing. The Alter had a Shita to be like this, and would say: "מְ 'דַ ארְ ף זִ יךְ רִ ירֶ ען אוּן קֶ ערֶ ען" i.e., a person should always be in a Z'rizus mode, accomplishing, growing, and trying to move forward.
(However, I didn’t notice this so much with all Novardokers that I knew). I also heard from Rebbetzin Bender ע"ה that they were full of pep and energy. They produced lots of charismatic personalities (in the name of R' Nekritz Zatzal). The Olam HaTorah was curious about them; they were indeed unique. There were those who started off with a critical opinion, until they actually met them and saw how normal they were, and how they were ahead of everyone in many areas.
For example, I remember R' Nosson Wachtfogel Zatzal, whose opinion of Novardok skyrocketed as soon as he met R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal. He didn’t stop raving over him, as a: צַדִ יק יְסוֹד עוֹלָּם major Tzadik. His admiration knew no bounds. And R' Nosson kept telling me more and more praises about him. R' Ahron Kreiser Zatzal, who was the: אַרִ י שֶבַחַבוּרָּה “lion” among the Alter Mirrer Talmidim, was his biggest Chasid (fan).
When R' Chaim Halperin Zatzal suddenly lost his son, who was a father of a large family, the Rosh Yeshiva’s of BMG, the Mashgiach, and R' Ahron Kreiser Zatzal all came to be Menachem Avel. They were amazed at his Hanhaga (manner), and said: “When you see such a person, you start holding from Novardok”. Just to give an example of how in touch Novardokers were with themselves, R' Chaim Halperin Zatzal told me: “Do you know what deep-down is really bothering me? That people are saying that I’m not such a Tzaddik, since this happened to me. And I’m getting a punishment for something”.
This is called being “מְבַרֵר probing your Middos”. The Steipler Zatzal once warned somebody that he’ll be in trouble in the next world, Chas V'shalom, since in Shamayim they make a: בִ ירוּר probe on motives you didn’t realize were the fallacy of your actions. Being: מְבַרֵר “probing” helps you pinpoint what your true problem is, which often boils down to a Redifas HaKavod issue, and Kavod is just: הֶבֶל הַבָּלִים a bunch of hot air. (Mesilas Yesharim). This is one reason why Novardokers had an easy life. “It’s all just silly Redifas HaKavod”.
