Raphaelwilmowsky: Created page with "'''Rabbi Pinchas Shapira of Koritz''' (1726 – 10 Elul 1790) was among the closest disciples of the Baal Shem Tov and one of the foremost tzaddikim of the early Chassidic movement. == Life == Rabbi Pinchas was born in Shklov in 1726 to his father Rabbi Avraham Abba, a scion of the family of Rabbi Nasan Shapira, author of the ''Megaleh Amukos''. In his youth, Rabbi Pinchas was a sharp opponent of Chassidus. For various reasons his family relocated to the Volhy..."

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Created page with "'''Rabbi Pinchas Shapira of Koritz''' (1726 – 10 Elul 1790) was among the closest disciples of the Baal Shem Tov and one of the foremost tzaddikim of the early Chassidic movement. == Life == Rabbi Pinchas was born in Shklov in 1726 to his father Rabbi Avraham Abba, a scion of the family of Rabbi Nasan Shapira, author of the ''Megaleh Amukos''. In his youth, Rabbi Pinchas was a sharp opponent of Chassidus. For various reasons his family relocated to the Volhy..."

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'''Rabbi Pinchas Shapira of Koritz''' (1726 – 10 Elul 1790) was among the closest disciples of [[the Baal Shem Tov]] and one of the foremost tzaddikim of the early Chassidic movement.

== Life ==

Rabbi Pinchas was born in [[Shklov]] in 1726 to his father Rabbi Avraham Abba, a scion of the family of Rabbi Nasan Shapira, author of the ''Megaleh Amukos''. In his youth, Rabbi Pinchas was a sharp opponent of Chassidus.

For various reasons his family relocated to the Volhynia region, a stronghold of Chassidic life. His father, who had been a [[Mitnaged]] — one who opposed the Chassidic movement — came to know Chassidus from within and eventually became a disciple of [[the Baal Shem Tov]]. The son followed his father's path and became one of the most celebrated Chassidim of his generation.

Rabbi Pinchas lived for an extended period in [[Koritz]], and later settled in [[Ostroh]].

== The Sick Prince ==

The [[Maggid of Mezeritch]] was accustomed to teaching Chassidus publicly before all who came to hear. Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz disagreed with this approach, holding that teachings of such sublime depth should not be shared indiscriminately.<ref>Despite being the Maggid's own disciple.</ref> Once, Rabbi Pinchas found several pages of written text lying in the street; when he picked them up, he saw that they contained the Maggid's Torah teachings. He thought to himself: this is what comes of failing to guard such exalted matters carefully.

The [[Alter Rebbe]] witnessed this and offered Rabbi Pinchas a parable:

:''A king's son fell gravely ill, and the physicians despaired of finding a cure. At last they declared that there existed a rare and precious gemstone which, if ground to powder and dissolved into a drink, could heal him — but this stone was the very jewel that adorned the king's crown, unmatched among the crowns of all kings. The ministers were loath to part with the crown, and all the more so since the prince's condition had worsened to the point where it was uncertain whether he could even swallow the remedy. They brought the question before the king. The king replied: the crown is precious, and the stone that adorns it is precious — but all of that is as nothing compared with the worth of the king's son. It is worthwhile to grind the stone even on the chance — perhaps one drop will enter him and save his life.''

The Alter Rebbe concluded: the teachings of Chassidus are precious, drawn as they are from the crown of the Almighty — but when the Jewish people are in danger, one must pour out those teachings freely, for perhaps one drop will enter and bring salvation.

It was while the Alter Rebbe was in Mezeritch that he received this teaching.<ref>''Sefer HaSichos'' 5708 [1948].</ref>

== Truth and Falsehood ==

It is told that when the Alter Rebbe once came to Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz, Rabbi Pinchas shared with him his own spiritual path: he had spent seven years laboring to truly understand what falsehood is; then seven more years working to distance himself from it; and only after that, seven further years acquiring the way of truth for himself.

The Alter Rebbe replied that while this path was a great one, it belonged to angels and singular individuals. His own view, he said, was that one should begin by cultivating the quality of truth — and from that, falsehood would fall away on its own, as light naturally dispels darkness.

Rabbi Pinchas of Ostila later noted that both approaches are hinted at in the [[Shema]]: the verse reads first ''and you shall see it and remember'' — and only then ''and you shall not stray'' — suggesting the Alter Rebbe's path of building the positive before removing the negative. Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz's path is also hinted at in the Shema: after ''and you shall not stray'' comes ''so that you shall remember and do'' — the positive deed follows the removal of the negative. And this, he noted, is why the Targum Yonasan renders that verse as ''and you shall be holy like the angels'' — for that path, of first uprooting the negative, belongs to angels and those of singular spiritual stature.

== His Torah ==

Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz left no book of his own authorship. According to tradition, a large manuscript in his own hand survived — but the descendants of Rabbi Pinchas, the celebrated printers of [[Slavuta]], held a received tradition not to publish it.

The main body of his teachings and stories associated with him were gathered by his disciples in ''Midrash Pinchas'' (vol. 1, Warsaw 1876; vol. 2, Lublin 1900) and in ''Midrash Pinchas HeChadash'' (Warsaw 1910). Selections from his teachings also appeared as appendices in various other works: in ''Ner Yisrael'' by the Maggid of Kozhnitz; as a separate pamphlet, ''Likkutei Shoshanim'' (Czernowitz 1858); in ''Nofes Tzufim'' (Lviv 1865); as a separate pamphlet ''Devarim Nechmadim'' (Czernowitz 1858); and in the anthology ''Geulas Yisrael'' (Lviv 1864).

In 2003, two volumes were published in Bnei Brak compiling his teachings and biography together with indexes and appendices, under the title ''Imrei Pinchas HaShaleim''.

== Passing ==

In 1790, Rabbi Pinchas left Ostroh intending to ascend to the Land of Israel. Along the way he stopped in [[Shepetivka]],<ref>His close disciple Rabbi [[Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetivka]] served as rabbi of that town, and Rabbi Pinchas's son — Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon's son-in-law — also lived there.</ref> where he fell ill and passed away on the 10th of Elul.

== His Disciples ==

* Rabbi [[Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetivka]]

== The Question of His Burial Site ==

During the Soviet era, the Communist authorities issued a demolition order for the cemetery in Shepetivka. In response, many families relocated the gravestones of their ancestors to the new municipal cemetery. A stone bearing the name ''Rabbi Pinchas son of Mordechai'' appeared in the new cemetery, and many mistakenly identified it as the grave of Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz.

The original gravestone of Rabbi Pinchas son of Rabbi Avraham Abba remained at its original location, on the property of a non-Jewish resident who restricted access to the site.

Based on the arguments of several researchers — among them the noted Jerusalem scholar Rabbi [[Gedalia Mazal]], a descendant of Rabbi Pinchas — and their approach to the responsible body, an ''ohel'' (a structure built over a tzaddik's grave for pilgrims) was erected at the original site, and the public has since begun to visit.

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Disciples of the Baal Shem Tov]]
[[Category:People of Shklov]]

Pinchas of Koritz - Revision history