Editing Pinchas Korf

Rabbi Pinchas Korf  (known as Pinya; 20 Iyar 5695 - 20 Tammuz 5781) was a Mashpia Klali and Mashgiach at Tomchei Tmimim Ohalei Torah Crown Heights, a member of the World Headquarters for Bringing Moshiach, and one of the most prominent and respected mashpiim in the King's neighborhood, Crown Heights. In 5774, he was appointed as mashpia and mashgiach at the Central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva at 770.

== Life History ==
Born in Kharkov, Ukraine on 20 Iyar 5695 to his father, the mashpia Rabbi Yehoshua Korf. In 1947, he left Russia together with his family during the Russian exodus. His family settled in Pocking, and he was among the first students at Tomchei Tmimim Pocking and later at Tomchei Tmimim Brunoy, where he studied under Reb Nissan Nemenov. In 1953, he traveled to study at 770 in the Rebbe's presence.

In 1954, on Friday morning of 18 Elul, the Rebbe entered the zal of the Central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva 770 during seder chassidus, and only Rabbi Korf  was present. The Rebbe turned to him with a smile and said: "A ben yochid fun Tomchei Tmimim? (An only son of Tomchei Tmimim?)"

In his youth, he went to study at Tomchei Tmimim Montreal.

In 1971, when naming his daughter Nechama Dina, wife of Rabbi Shmuel Abba Nemirovsky from Crown Heights, during Shabbos morning services at the Rebbe's minyan in 770, the gabbai announced "Nechama Dina bas Reb Pinchas." The Rebbe turned toward the bimah and instructed the gabbai to announce "Harav Pinchas!"

Once when passing by during dollars distribution, the Rebbe asked him about his son Yosef, "Vos mit [what about] Yosef Yitzchak?" From then on, he was called Yosef Yitzchak (his mother's father was Reb Yitzchak Lahm).

== Public Activity ==
After his marriage in 1961 with Mrs. Chaya Golda Lahm, granddaughter of the Shochet and Bodek Rabbi Pethachiah Lahm[1], he was a Rosh Mesivta in Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Newark, and later moved to Montreal to be a Mashgiach in Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim.

In 1970, he moved to Crown Heights and was appointed as Mashpia in Yeshivas Ohalei Torah. Simultaneously, he was very active in various organizations spreading Yiddishkeit and Chassidus, including Tzeirei Agudas Chabad New York (where he gave many Chassidus classes in New York neighborhoods), Mivtza Mezuzah and FRI.

On 15 Sivan, Erev Shabbos Parshas Behaaloscha 1983, while giving a Tanya class in Williamsburg, he was attacked by several Satmar chassidim who opposed the teaching of Chassidus classes. He was injured and his beard was cruelly cut.

At a gathering that took place in 770 in the days following the shocking incident, Reb Pinyeh was invited to share what happened. He briefly described the details of the incident and concluded with a call to continue engaging in the holy Mivtzoyim with greater vitality and mesirus nefesh.

On 17 Tammuz of that year, the Rebbe gave a special sicha in which he strongly addressed the incident and connected it to Rabbi Korf's name, 'Pinchas'. In the transcript of the sicha this matter was not mentioned, and in the editing, the Rebbe wrote to the transcribers "Missing regarding the hint to the parsha - that occurred with '''Pinchas'''".

The Rebbe called in his sicha for Satmar rabbis to express protest against the incident (and also against the stabbing of Rabbi Mendel Wechter about two weeks later), and when they refused to do so, the Crown Heights Beis Din led by Rabbi Zalman Shimon Dvorkin placed a cherem on products under the supervision of the Satmar Beis Din.

After Maariv on Shabbos, the gabbai in 770 announced, in the Rebbe's presence, that a seudas hodaah would take place at the Korffamily home. This was without the family's knowledge, and apparently at the Rebbe's instruction. Hundreds of Anash and Tmimim came to Reb Pinyeh's house and farbrenged with him for many hours.

Even after 3 Tammuz 1994, he continued to believe in the Rebbe as Melech HaMoshiach and farbrenged extensively about the importance of proclaiming "Yechi" and accepting the Rebbe's kingship as Melech HaMoshiach, and also gave classes on the Dvar Malchus sichos.

Following the passing of the Mashgiach and Mashpia of the Central Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim at 770, Rabbi Yitzchak Springer, he was called in 2014 to fill his position. He sat daily for part of the day in the small zal, and during afternoon hours in the center of the large zal in a special place arranged for him. He would farbreng occasionally on special days with the yeshiva students, such as on Rosh Chodesh etc. In his farbrengens, he would sing many niggunim.

== His Passing ==
Due to complications from the coronavirus, he was hospitalized for nearly a full year, during which he continued to strive with all his strength in avodas Hashem, in davening, learning Chassidus, and maintaining his study schedule, until on the morning of 20 Tammuz, Parshas Pinchas, 2021, he passed away from cardiac arrest. His levaya passed by 770 with hundreds of Anash and Tmimim participating, and from there continued to Montefiore Cemetery where he was buried.

For the Shloshim, family members published a collection reprinted from a memorial book to be published later called 'Tiferes Pinchas', as well as a booklet 'Nichoach V'Taam Shel Paam', his life story as written by one of his grandchildren.

On his first yahrtzeit, his family brought a Sefer Torah into 770 for the elevation of his soul. The completion of the writing was held at the family home, after which everyone walked in an impressive procession toward Beis Chayeinu, where hakafos were held, and finally walked to the Ohalei Torah hall where the seventh hakafa was conducted.

== A Chassidishe Parsha ==
His classes on Sefer HaSichos 5751-5752 were written by his student (and later grandson) Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Raksin, and were published in the column '''A Chassidishe Parsha''' - farbrengens of the Mashpia Rabbi Pinyeh Korf, in the Kfar Chabad weekly magazine, for a year.

Later, everything was printed together in a booklet published as a teshura at the wedding of one of his descendants.

== Family ==

* His son, Yosef Yitzchak Korf  (see above regarding his second name).
* His son, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Korf  - The Rebbe's Shliach in Toronto, Canada.
* His son, Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Korf  - The Rebbe's Shliach in California.
* His son, Rabbi Ben Tzion Korf  - Spiritual Director at Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Miami.
* His son, Rabbi Pesachya Korf, Crown Heights.
* His son, Rabbi Shalom DovBer Korf  - Mashpia at Yeshivas Ohel Torah.
* His son-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Grozman - The Rebbe's Shliach to Moshav Migdal.
* His son-in-law, the Sofer Rabbi Moshe Marinovsky, The Rebbe's Shliach to Kfar Daniel.
* His son-in-law, Rabbi Yisroel Landau - The Rebbe's Shliach to the Hebrew-speaking center in Toronto, Canada.
* His son-in-law Rabbi Shmuel Abba Nemirovsky - Crown Heights.

== Further Reading ==

* '''Sefer Zikaron - Tiferes Pinchas''' (Print) Vol. 1, 20 Menachem Av 2021
* '''Sefer Zikaron - Tiferes Pinchas''' (Print) Vol. 2, 20 Tammuz 2022
* '''A Chassidic Parsha''' Chassidic farbrengen on the weekly Torah portion by Rabbi Pinchas Korf, Teshura Roxin - Korf, Sivan 2023
* '''The Attempt to Separate Between Hiskashrus and Moshiach is Fundamentally Flawed • Rabbi Korf'''
* Shneur Grozman's column about his grandfather Rabbi Pinchas Korf
* Chabad Rabbis: '''Forbidden to Use 'Hisachdus HaRabbanim' Kashrus from Satmar''', Kfar Chabad Magazine Issue 99 p. 12
* '''The Mashpia Who Never Knew Rest | After the Passing of HaRav HaChossid Pinchas Korf  OBM'''
* '''Bridging the Generation Gap''', Interview with Rabbi Korf  • '''What I Learned Just from Watching Reb Pinye''' (English)
* '''Chassidic Stories from His Words'''