#156 (s5761-03 / 11 Tishrei 5761)
THE UNPOPULAR TZADDIK
The word began to spread that Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz was very, very special.

THE UNPOPULAR TZADDIK

Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz was a spiritual giant in his generation. At first, his greatness was mostly unknown to his contemporaries, but he had no regrets; indeed, it suited him just fine. He spent his days and most of his nights in Torah-study, prayer and meditation. Rarely was he interrupted.

But then, the word began to spread, perhaps from fellow disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, that R. Pinchas was very, very special. People began to visit him on a regular basis, seeking his guidance, requesting his support, asking for his prayers, and beseeching his blessing. The more he helped them, the more that came. The trickle to his door became a stream, and the stream became a night-and-day daily flood of increased knocks at his door and outpourings of personal stories and requests for help.

R. Pinchas was bewildered. He felt he was no longer serving G-d properly, because he no longer had sufficient time to study, pray and meditate as he should. He didn't know what to do. He needed more privacy and less distraction, but how could he turn away dozens and even hundreds of people who genuinely felt that he could help them. How could he convince them to seek elsewhere, to others more willing and qualified than he?

Then he had an idea. He would pray for heavenly help in the matter. Let G-d arrange it that people not be attracted to seek him out! Let G-d make him be despicable in the eyes of his fellows!

"A tzadik decrees and Heaven agrees," they say. R. Pinchas prayed and so it became. No longer did people visit him. Not only that, on those occasions when he went to town, he was met with averted heads and a chilly atmosphere.

R. Pinchas didn't mind at all. Indeed, he was delighted; now he had all the time he could desire for study, prayer and meditation. The old pattern was restored - rarely was he interrupted. No one was coming to him to seek his guidance, request his prayers, or beseech his blessing.

Then the Days of Awe - Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur - passed, and there remained only four brief busy days to prepare for the Sukkos festival. Usually, or rather, every year until now, there had always been some yeshiva students or local townspeople who were only too glad to help the pious rabbi construct his sukkah-hut. But this time, not a single soul arrived. No one liked him, so no one even thought to help him.

Not being handy in these matters, the rabbi didn't know what to do. Finally, having no choice, he was forced to hire a non-Jew to build his sukkah for him. But the gentile did not possess the tools that were needed, and R. Pinchas could not get a single Jew in the neighborhood to lend him tools because they disliked him so much. In the end, his wife had to go to borrow them, and even that was difficult to accomplish due to the prevailing attitude towards her husband. With just a few hours remaining till the onset of the festival, they finally managed to complete a flimsy minimal structure.

As the sun slid between the forest branches and the Rebbetzin lit the festive candles, R. Pinchas hurried off to shul. He always made a point to attend the congregational prayers on the holidays; besides he didn't want to miss the opportunity to acquire a guest for the festival meal, something so integral to the essence of the holiday.

In those days in Europe (there being no Ascent), people desiring an invitation to a meal would stand in the back of the shul upon the completion of the prayers. The householders would then invite them upon their way out, happy to so easily accomplish the mitzvah of hospitality. R. Pinchas, unfortunately, did not find it so simple. Even those without a place to eat and desperate for an invitation to a sukkah in order to enjoy the festive meal, turned him down without a second thought. Eventually, everyone who needed a place and everyone who wanted a guest were satisfied, except for the tzadik, Rabbi Pinchas.

He trudged home alone, saddened and a bit shaken up at the realization that he might never have another guest, not even for the special festive meal of the First Night of Sukkos. Alas, that too was part of the price of his freedom.... It was worth it, wasn't it?

Pausing just inside the entrance to his sukkah, he began to chant the traditional invitation to the Ushpizin, the "seven heavenly guests" who visit every Jewish sukkah. Although not many are privileged to actually see these exalted visitors, R. Pinchas was definitely one of the select few who had this exalted experience on an annual basis. This year, he raised his eyes, and saw the Patriarch Avraham, the first of the Ushpizin and therefore the honored guest for the First Night, standing outside the door of the sukkah, maintaining a distance.

R. Pinchas cried out to him in anguish: "Father Avraham! Why do you not enter my sukkah? What is my sin?"

Replied the patriarch: "I am the embodiment chesed, serving G-d through deeds of loving-kindness. Hospitality was my specialty. I will not join a festival table where there are no guests."

The crestfallen R. Pinchas quickly re-ordered his priorities. He prayed that everything be restored to as it had been, and that he should find favor in the eyes of his fellow Jews exactly as before. Again his prayer was answered. Within a short time, throngs of people were again finding their way to his door; seeking his guidance, asking his support, requesting his prayers, and beseeching his blessing. No longer could he devote all or even most of his time to his Torah-study, his prayer, and to his meditation. But thanks to his holy Sukkot guest, this was no longer seen as a problem.

[Translated/adapted by Yrachmiel Tilles from Sippurei Chassidim and oral traditions.]

Biographical note:
Rabbi Pinchas Shapiro of Koretz (1726 - 10 Elul 1791) was considered to be one of the two most pre-eminent followers of Chassidism's founder, the Baal Shem Tov (along with his successor, the Maggid of Mezritch).

Yrachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and editor of Ascent Quarterly and the AscentOfSafed.com and KabbalaOnline.org websites. He has hundreds of published stories to his credit.

A 48 page soft-covered booklet containing eleven of his most popular stories may be ordered on our store site.