PART 2. TEACHINGS OF R' PINCHAS AND
R' RAPHAEL
There are many anecdotes about R' Pinchas and R' Raphael and many citations of their wise sayings in the Chassidic literature. Since their philosophies and practices were so closely connected, a representative sampling of both tzaddikim is given here.
R' Pinchas said: “Were I able to write what I say, I would enliven many souls” [127].
ON THE IMMANENCE OF G-D
R' Pinchas said: “‘Hear O Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One’ (Deuteronomy 6:4). The term echad [one] in the reading of the Shema, which proclaims the unity of G‑d, [requires us to] state that there is nothing in the whole world other than the Holy One, Who fills the whole earth with His glory. The principal intention [of the commandment to recite the Shema] is that we should consider ourselves null and void, and [understand] that there is nothing to us but the soul within us, which is part of G-d above. Hence there is nothing in the whole world except the One G-d. Our principal thought when reciting the word echad should be that the whole earth is full of His glory and there is nothing [in the universe] devoid of Him” [128].
R' Pinchas said: “‘The whole earth is full of His glory’ (Isaiah 6:3). His glory [kevodo] should be understood in the sense of ‘His garment,’ i.e., that G-d is enclothed, so to speak, in the corporeal. Hence, the whole earth is full of his glory implies [that G-d fills] all corporeality. Thus ‘G-d's glory’ refers to His clothing [i.e., ‘just as the body fills a garment, so G-d indwells in the world’]” [129].
R' Pinchas said: “[At the time of creation the light of G-d flowed from the sphere of the spiritual down to the physical world through a series of vessels or emanations.] But the vessels proved unable to contain the Divine Light. They broke. This primordial catastrophe is called shevirat hakeilim, the Breaking of the Vessels. You can better understand it with an analogy. Think of a man who is deeply troubled and depressed. Suddenly he receives an exhilarating piece of good news. His troubles are over. Instead of jumping for joy, the man will break down crying. The “bright light” of the good news was too much for him. Similarly, shevirat hakeilim means that the vessels broke because they could not encompass the brilliant splendor of the luminescent Divine Light” [130].
“Rebbe R' Pinchas spoke of the physical reality of millions of parallel worlds, long before it meant anything in physics or math. There is a word from him where he says that he believes with full faith that there are worlds that are now at every stage of creation, including some where the Maamad Har Sinai (Reception of the Torah) is happening right now” [130a].
R' Pinchas said: “‘If a man fulfills the commandments of the Torah, such as the commandment of the phylacteries, and says the formula prescribed by the Kabbalists, namely, “In the name of all Israel [I am doing this]” then he lifts up the whole universe to its “root” above, for the world is really G-d Himself, like the locust whose clothing is part of its own self [i.e. its own wings garb its body]. Therefore, he annihilates [by his action] the [outward] existence of the whole universe. And if we see that in spite of all this the world is still there, it is because the vital energy of G-d is always active and the world is incessantly renewed.’ In contrast, then, to classical Kabbalistic theurgy, where mitzvot transform the G-dhead's inner state, for Hasidism, mitzvot transform the worshipper's field of vision” [131].
R' Pinchas said: “A man must go within G-d” [132].
R' Pinchas said: “What is G-d? The totality of souls. Whatever exists in the whole can also be found in the part. So in any one soul, all souls are contained” [133].
“In all thy ways acknowledge Him” (Proverbs 3:6). “The following remark is attributed to Rabbi Pinhas of Koretz: ‘How then is it possible to know G-d in all ways? It is, because when G-d gave the Torah, the whole world was filled with the Torah. Thus there is nothing which did not contain Torah, and this is the meaning of the verse. Whoever says that the Torah is one thing and the profane sphere another is a heretic’” [134].
ON SELF-NEGATION
R' Pinchas said: “The divine is most present when I myself am most absent” [135].
R' Raphael said: “He who wishes truly to live should also wish to be more insignificant than anyone else” [136].
R' Pinchas said: “Great miracles can be performed for a man who truly considers himslf nothing [ayin]. For our Father Abraham, when he went to do battle with kings (Genesis 14), did not rely upon miracles. Rather, he went with sword and buckler, for he was on the level of ayin, and the Holy One performed miracles for him and took rocks [hardened soil] which He cast upon them, and so he conquered them. Therefore, it is stated of Nahum Ish Gam-zu that he took of the dust of Father Abraham (Ta'anit 21a), i.e., the quality of ayin which is symbolized by dust, for dust represents the most inferior level [of humility]. Therefore was that miracle performed for him. A man who is on the level of ayin is worthy of having the Shekhinah rest upon him. For of the Holy One we know that the whole world is full of His glory (Isaiah 6:3); therefore, when man considers himself to be ‘something,’ G-d is not within him” [137].
“According to R. Pinhas there is no substitute for absolute humility, hence miracles are never the outcome of concerted effort, as in the case of the effort of the Maggid during prayer. Miracles and changes in nature cannot be attained by means of contemplative prayer and the deliberate stripping away of the physical during prayer, but arise only from the annihilation of the ego. … At the base of R. Pinhas' passive attitude … is his great sensitivity to the potential for spiritual self-deception, and his recognition that every spiritual and religious effort includes the dangerous pitfall of pride that contradicts all possibility for life within the Ayin [nought]. R. Pinhas connects the world of Ayin with the transformations that arise from direct Divine intervention in the world. What is novel in his writings is his emphasis on the importance of not knowing, on the removal of self-consciousness, that is, pride. … Annihilation of the ego is a state of spiritual torpor and folly … But just as the secret of renewal in nature resides in sleep and awakening, thus the more foolish a man is in his own eyes, the more he is spiritually and physically renewed. These ideas should be understood in the light of R. Pinhas' extremely passive doctrine concerning spiritual techniques. Spiritual wonder and real renewal are recognizable in their being a gift from above and what is really given to man is his self-contraction” [138].
ON FAITH
R' Raphael said that he had asked his master, R' Pinchas, how to strengthen his faith and trust in G-d, and he replied: “Only the young require such advice. A mature Jew has had sufficient experience to trust in G-d's constant watchfulness over him” [139].
A disciple, tormented by wavering faith and unable to study, came to see R' Pinchas. The rebbe responded that, as a young man, he, too, had wrestled with questions and doubts. “About man and his fate, creation and its meaning. I was struggling with so many dark forces that I could not advance; I was wallowing in doubt, locked in despair. I tried study, prayer, meditation. Penitence, silence, solitude. In vain. My doubts remained doubts, my questions remained threats. Impossible to proceed, to project myself into the future. I simply could not go on.” Then, one day, when the Baal Shem Tov was visiting his town, R' Pinchas was led by curiosity to attend the gathering. “I was convinced that he was seeing me and no one else. … The intensity of his gaze overwhelmed me, and I felt less alone. And strangely, I was able to go home, open the Talmud, and plunge into my studies once more. You see, … the questions remained questions. But I was able to go on” [140].
R' Pinchas taught: “You must be wholehearted with the Eternal your G-d” (Deuteronomy 18:13). From the Torah and all of the Prophets there are only two commandments that must be performed ‘with the Eternal your G-d.’ In terms of ‘wholeheartedness’ the text only says, ‘You must be wholehearted with the Eternal your G-d.’ Similarly, regarding the value of humility, the prophet says, ‘Walk humbly with your G-d.’ The reason is that in both of these commandments one can easily fool others; one can pretend to be pure while his heart is filled with cunning and wicked schemes. Similarly it is taught that humility can be faked. … [therefore] wholeheartedness and humility must be performed with G-d, who examines our hearts for health or pride [and cannot be fooled]” [141].
“[G-d banished man from the Garden of Eden.] He drove away the man, and stationed the cherubim at the east of Eden, and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24). R' Pinchas said: ‘The fiery ever-turning sword has a universal meaning for all of us. It represents the obstacles and temptations we encounter in our attempt at achieving closeness to G-d. G-d is the Tree of Life and there are many deterrents that block our path to him’” [142].
“Rebbe Pinchas of Koretz taught that a holy spark falls and burns inside a Ger. It compels him to complete his Geirus and actually does not give him any choice in this matter. Only after his Geirus is the Ger given free choice” [142a].
“In the city of Ostrow one Shavuos three prominent tzaddikim—the city's rav, the town's maggid, and the renowned tzaddik R' Pinchas'l of Koritz, all talmidim of the eminent Baal Shem Tov—were deliberating the inyan [matter] of spreading grass on the ground on this holiday. Their interpretations varied one from the other, the Gemara concurring with none satisfactorily. R' Pinchas'l, aware of the greatness of the ailing R' Hirsch who lived in a rundown hovel on the outskirts of Ostrow, suggested they visit the impoverished old man to wish him a good Yom Tov and perchance he would offer some illuminating insights. After all, R' Pinchas'l had once heard his rebbe, the great chassidic master himself, declare that it was the zechus [merit] of R' Hirsch that protected the town from various adversities.
“The tzaddikim found R' Hirsch sitting on his bed engrossed in the Shulchan Aruch. He asked them to be seated on the only other furnishing in the bare room—a broken bench that leaned against a wall for support. R' Hirsch, in response to their quandary, expounded on a narration in the Gemara: R' Ada had once decided to leave his home and family in order to spend his time learning in a yeshiva. To his wife's voiced concern regarding their children's welfare and how she would go about feeding them in his absence, R' Ada proffered simply ‘Mi shelimu kurmei b'agmah?—Has all the grass in the field dispersed?’ R' Hirsch intoned, ‘Now what kind of an answer is that? And yet his wife was appeased. Did he mean to infer that she take her hungry children out to the field and feed them grass, like the animals? Animals, lacking the intelligence to seek parnassa [livelihood], are entirely dependent on their Creator's benevolence. Had man not deemed to act against G-d's directive and eat from the eitz hadaas [Tree of Knowledge], he too would have basked in the bounteousness of his Creator without sweat or headache. But since he thought himself to be smart enough to be his own boss, he now scrambles for a living by constant exertion. Nonetheless, he who harbors true faith in G-d, believing wholeheartedly that Hashem is the “nosein lechem lechol bassar” [the giver of bread to all flesh] is granted ease of parnassa … with the compassion He confers upon the animal that is totally reliant on His chesed [kindness]. By referring to the grass in the field, R' Ada essentially assured his wife that with ultimate faith in Hashem, they would never go hungry’” [143].
ON PRAYER
“The people imagine that they pray before G-d. But this is not so. For prayer itself is the essence of divinity” [144].
R' Pinchas said: “G-d is prayer” [145].
“Concerning the words in the Scriptures: ‘He is thy psalm and He is thy G-d,’ Rabbi Pinhas said the following: ‘He is your psalm and He also is your G-d. The prayer a man says, the prayer, in itself, is G-d. It is not as if you were asking something of a friend. He is different and your words are different. It is not so in prayer, for prayer unites the principles.’” He added that when a man thinks of his prayer as something separate from G-d, he is like a beggar receiving alms from the king, but when a man knows that prayer is G-d, he is like a prince taking whatever he needs from his father's storehouse [146].
R' Pinchas said: “The essence of prayer is d'vekut [cleaving to G-d] with the Creator of the world; and the essence of d'vekut is hitpashtut ha-gashmiyut [a state of elevated mystic consciousness where one is divorced from any awareness of materiality or the body], which is similar to the exit of the soul from the body” [147].
A Chassid once asked R' Pinchas why he prayed without making a sound and without moving his body, whereas the davening of other rebbes was often done in a loud voice accompanied by gestures of enthusiasm. R' Pinchas replied: “When a Zaddik prays, he cleaves in truth to G-d, and loses all sense of corporeality, as if his very soul had departed from his body. The Talmud tells us that in some people the soul leaves the body only after great agonies and convulsions, whereas in others it departs as quietly as one draws a hair out of milk or offers a kiss” [148].
“[Human] experiences conform to a divine reality. This premise undergirds numerous Hasidic teachings, for instance, those about being in states of gadlut and katnut—expanded or truncated consciousness, matching the state of the G-dhead. A vivid example is found in the teaching of R. Pinchas of Koretz that when people feel no desire to pray, it is a sign that the divine realm itself is out of alignment, the cosmic letters of the divine name fragmented, or the sefirotic configurations turned ‘back to back.’ But when people prepare to pray, they force a realignment in heaven, thus altering the worshipper's own inner experience” [149].
“… the spiritual teachings of the founders of Hasidism [the Maggid, R. Dov Ber of Mezerich; R. Yaakov Yosef of Polnoy; and R. Pinhas of Koretz] transformed the largely ascetic world view they had adhered to initially into a new and positive relationship to material reality. The purpose of worship, they taught, is to illuminate material life in the light of G-dhead through an emotional and conscious effort. R. Pinhas of Koretz, however, preferred passivity and spontaneity in the worship of G-d as opposed to the activism of the other two” [150].
It was said about R' Pinchas: “He strongly urged that one should not drive oneself [in prayer] with the intention of attaining to the holy spirit, but should serve [G-d] in simplicity. And if one should be worthy of attaining it, it will come of itself. Then he—may his memory be a blessing—told a story about a certain [person] who had prayed in order to attain to the holy spirit. But the prayer created a barrier, so he attained the spirit without the holiness” [151].
R' Raphael asserted that a person can pray in any language, even a non-Jewish one, asking Hashem to fulfill his needs. For example, he can repeatedly pray, “Hashem, give me parnassa!” His prayers will be answered, because prayer is very powerful [152].
R' Pinchas said: “When a person prays for a certain thing many times and is not answered, he should go on praying and not give up, since everything depends upon the hidden light, which is revealed daily in the world” [153].
R' Pinchas said: “The world is filled with G-d's Light, but [because of our sins] … there is a separating screen that prevents us from seeing it—like clouds that obscure the light of the sun … And during prayer, it is through our words of prayer, which are called wind⁄spirit, as it says, ‘the ruach [wind⁄spirit] of G-d spoke through him’—that the ‘clouds’ are dispersed. And this is also the reason for our swaying in prayer” [154].
R' Pinchas once told R' Raphael that his grandfather would visit nonbelievers and tell them that he did not care about their impious deeds; he only asked them to say the Shema daily. Many men heeded his request and became men of faith [155].
R' Pinchas said: “Let us draw G-d into the world, and all need will be satisfied. A prayer which is not spoken in the name of all of Israel is no prayer at all” [156].
R' Pinchas said: “If you feel the urge to praise, praise G-d; if you feel the urge to blame, blame yourself” [157].
“Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz [taught] the supreme importance of prayer, and the personal nature of prayer at its deepest level: ‘The Torah is a bride's ornament. Therefore, one may explain it to others. But prayer is itself divinity as Scripture says: “[G-d] is your praise and is your G-d,” (Deuteronomy 10:21) [so that each person receives] in accordance with what is deemed appropriate by G-d. “[Her husband is] known in the gates (she'arim)” (Proverbs 31:23)—“[The Holy Blessed One is known and cleaves to each person] according to the measure [sha'ar] of their understanding” (Zohar I, 103b). Therefore, one is unable to explain it [prayer] to others’” [158].
R' Pinchas said: “There are certain things you cannot teach another person. For example, a tightrope walker must balance his body very carefully. He gyrates and twists to maintain a perfect equilibrium. Now, if someone were to learn to imitate his movements, thinking, ‘At this point, the acrobat moved to the right, there he moved to the left—I'll do the same thing,’ he surely will plunge to the ground after the first step. The same applies to serving G-d. Prayer cannot be imitated. Everyone must find his own individual approach to the service of G-d” [159].
R' Pinchas said: “All that is important is rare. Millions and millions of people inhabit the earth, but only a few are Jewish. Among the Jews, only a few are learned. Among the learned, only a few are pious. And even fewer are those who know how to pray correctly” [160].
R' Pinchas said: “In our code, we read that we should not avoid the proper religious rites because we are ashamed of those who ridicule us. This means that we should not be ashamed to perform any religious rite. How do we know this? We learn it by observing those who scoff at us. If they are bold in their ridicule of those who serve the Lord, how much bolder should we be in serving Him!” [161].
R' Raphael said: “It is said in the holy books that the early hasidim would express their kavvanah [concentration in prayer] verbally [before the act]” [162].
R' Pinchas followed the Baal Shem Tov's custom to declare, before praying, “I hereby bind myself to all the tzaddikim of the generation” [163].
R' Pinchas taught that one should daven [pray] early in the morning [164].
R' Pinchas said: “I love to pray at sunrise, before the world becomes filled with hatred and vanity” [165].
“The colleague-student of the Besht, R. Pinchas of Korets …, … prayed at dawn, preferring to offer his devotions ‘before the world is filled with foolishness and vanity’” [166].
The school of R' Pinchas said: “In certain books, concerning the [statement] written in the Shulchan ‘Aruch that one ought to concentrate when saying the four-letter divine name [Tetragrammaton] [on the fact that G-d is] ruler of all, who was, is, and will be, they say that it is difficult to concentrate on this every time one mentions this name. Therefore, [concentrating on it] once is sufficient” [167].
R' Pinchas said: “Through prayer we re-create the angel MeTaT every day anew. Therefore, one must be very careful not to skip a single word from the prayer, and every word must be said slowly and with concentration. And if, Heaven forbid, a person swallows the words and skips, he has created a demon … he has created a kind of angel without hands or feet, and then his body hurts him and he experiences all kinds of suffering, because that crippled angel that he created pursues him. … the letters of the prayer are chambers that are very far from one another, which is why it is so very difficult to pray. Because, really, a person is very far from true prayer. … Therefore, there is no need to look forward to any other experience of vitality than to just say the words slowly, even in a dry way, until eventually he will slowly warm up and feel more enthusiastic. (Therefore, someone who comes in the middle of the prayer has already lost out on so much, because the rest of the minyan started an hour earlier and has already managed to warm up. By the time the group gets to Baruch She'amar, they already can say it with some vitality and enthusiasm, and he has lost out on this)” [168].
“It is told of Rabbi Pinhas of Koretz that: ‘He said to someone who had been in the Land of Israel, that he should picture before himself, during the time of prayer, its views and scenes, with their seas, lakes, and rivers, and its [Jewish] inhabitants—and he will see how great is the power of these scenes to help his prayer’” [169].
ON HOLY BOOKS
R' Pinchas of Koretz used to thank G-d that he had not been created before the publication of the Zohar [Book of Splendor]. He said that the Zohar had preserved him for Judaism [170].
“Rabbi Pinchas devoted many hours for the study of the Zohar, and instructed his disciples to learn Zohar every day. He said that the study of Zohar is a good remedy for sustenance and conquering all traces of arrogance” [171].
R' Pinchas said: “Be heedful not to allow three days to pass without studying the Zohar” [172].
R' Pinchas said: “Whoever says that the words of the Torah are one thing and the words of the world another, must be regarded as a man who denies G-d” [173].
Lamm notes: “There are some scholars … who point to a statement of R. Pinchas of Korets … as proof for the notion that early Hasidism had little regard for the study of Torah. Thus we have in the name of this hasidic master: ‘In this generation we do not engage in the study of Torah as in previous times, for now great yir'ah [perhaps: fear of sin] has spread throughout the world and therefore the study of Torah [had to substitute]. There are a few places where Torah is studied; there, there is no yir'ah’ (Likkutim [Gleanings] of R. Pinchas of Korets, p. 21d, no. 23; this was published at the end of a work by R. Yisrael of Koznitz, Ner Yisrael [Vilna, n.d.]. A later edition of this work [Piotrkow, 1914] does not include these Likkutim of R. Pinchas, and it mentions that the first edition was published in the lifetime of the author, ‘the Maggid of Koznitz’)” [174]. In Weiss's essay “Torah Study in Early Hasidism,” he presents essentially the same quotation, translating yir'ah as “awe.” He states that, just as R' Mendel of Premyslan emphasized devekuth over Torah study, this “daring utterance” of R' Pinchas indicates that he favored awe over Torah study [175].
Lamm continues: “However, one cannot disregard the claim of R. Yitzchak Isaac Yehudah Yekiel, the Admor of Komarno, that such a statement cannot be attributed to R. Pinchas. In strong language, he insists that ‘such words were never uttered by the holy R. Pinchas, who was a constant guardian of the Torah and encouraged people to study Torah lishmah [Torah for Torah's sake], for that is the source of life for the Jew.’ The author maintains that the above statement is a forgery, ‘for many Likkutim [of R. Pinchas] have come down to us, and none contain such a comment.’ He informs us that he himself is in possession of a copy of the Likkutim that was in turn copied from that of R. Zvi Elimelech [of Dinov], who certainly could be trusted, and this copy made no mention of the statement in question. R. Yitzchak Isaac of Komarno attributes it to ‘some scoffer who published nonsense’ (Netiv Mizvotekha, p. 84, no. 14; published first in 1858 and several times thereafter, and recently reissued (Brooklyn, 1970) with marginal notes)” [176].
“Their siddurim were: Siddur Arizal, printed in Lwow in 5544 (1784—by R' Asher Margolios). They did not want to pray from another siddur, because the rabbi himself (R' Pinhas of Korets) prayed from this siddur and he esteemed it highly. I heard … that when the siddur was first printed in Zholkva they did not like it and none of the Tzaddikim could stand it. When this siddur was printed, they grabbed it like a precious stone and esteemed it highly. I once heard that the siddur of R' Shabsai is also one of ours” [177].
R' Raphael said that one should pray only from the Luria prayer book in the Lemburg edition or in that of R. Shabtai of Rashkov, not from newer versions [178].
“Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag used to tell the story of a great Kabbalist of the last century, Rabbi Pinchas, from the village of Korits. Rabbi Pinchas had no money even to buy Ari's The Tree of Life, and was forced to teach children for half a year in order to earn the money needed to purchase this book” [179].
R' Pinchas also studied the Pardes Rimmonim [Orchard of Pomegranates], by R' Moses ben Jacob Cordovero … and the works of R' Isaac Luria. In addition, he studied Maggid Mesharim [Preacher of Righteousness], by R' Joseph Karo. In Koretz, he was influenced by R' Isaac ben Joel Hakohen, the author of the Brit Kehunat Olam [Covenant of Eternal Priesthood] [180].
“His students [those of Rabbi Pinhas of Koretz] wrote in his name that he considered the Beit Yosef's book Maggid Meisharim to be a great and important work, that its words were of heavenly origin, and that it should certainly be esteemed; the book almost never left his table” [181].
“The rebbe [Rabbi Raphael of Bershad] told us that we should always have placed before us a little Chumash [Pentateuch] to look into each and every minute, together with Rashi's commentary—like what is said about the king: ‘and it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, so that he learns to fear the Lord’” [182].
According to a “typically paradoxical Hasidic tale, … Rabbi Phinehas of Koretz—an associate of the Baal Shem Tov—was a great scholar of the Moreh Nevukhim [Guide of the Perplexed, by Maimonides]. It is alleged that he studied the Guide day and night and had mastered it completely. [Heschel states:] ‘The Guide was so near and dear to him that he studied it from cover to cover more than a thousand times. He refused to depart from this book and would never lend it to any man, since he believed that having the Moreh Nevukhim in the house was a magical protection that preserved one's fear of heaven. (In Yiddish: s'iz a segule far yiras shomayim.)’ How ironic that The Guide of the Perplexed, a book that reconciled the laws of nature with Judaism and rejected all superstitious beliefs—specifically condemning the reliance on segulot, or magical amulets, as idolatrous—should be cherished by its devoted Hasidic reader, who claimed to have read it more than a thousand times, in such a perversely superstitious, talismanic fashion” [183].
Holy books that have segulas [powers to influence] associated with them: “Reb Pinchos of Korets told his son that learning Nevi'im [Prophets] strengthens emunah [faith]. … Ohr Hachaim [Light of Life]: Reb Pinchos of Koritz says it's a shmira [protection] for the house. … Sharei Kedusha [Gates of Holiness] (Reb Chaim Vital): Reb Pinchos of Koritz says raises up a person ‘m'bechinas eitz hadaas tov v'ra’ [as a test of the tree of knowledge of good and evil]” [184].
R' Pinchas said that reading the Zohar is good for parnassa [livelihood] [185].
“In regard to a number of a person's needs, such as his livelihood, or to various difficulties that a person might be in, the Rebbe [Rabbi Pinhas of Koretz] would instruct him to say the whole Book of Psalms, from beginning to end, without a break”; one should not even break to say the customary Yehi Ratzons after each part of the work but must say these prayers at the end of the recitation [186].
“It is written of Rabbi Pinhas' great disciple, Rabbi Rafael of Bershad that he said: ‘It was an important obligation in the eyes of the Rebbe, his memory for a blessing, to complete the recitation of the Book of Psalms twice each week, once without a break, and once with. He himself would say one of the five books of the Book of Psalms each day. In my youth I used to finish the Book of Psalms once each month, but the Rebbe told me to say more than that, without setting an exact amount, but just according to the heart. And he told me to say all the Book of Psalms, without interruption, once each month’” [187].
R' Pinchas said: “I did not merit the fear of Heaven until I studied ‘Chovot HaLevavot’ [Duties of the Heart, by Rabbi Bachya Ibn Pakudah] a thousand times” [188].
R' Pinchas held the book Toldot Yaacov Yosef [The Generations of Yaacov Yosef (of Polnoye)] in high esteem. He said, “The Rabbi of Polna printed a thousand copies of his book and sells each one for a gold piece. But I am willing to pay a thousand gold pieces for a single copy of the book” [189].
ON THE ROLE OF THE TZADDIK
“[R' Pinchas] emphasized in his teachings that one can really be considered a Tzadik, a saintly person, if he does not possess even a speck of evil within himself and does not see any evil in others” [190].
R' Pinchas said: “After his death a Tzaddik ascends from one degree to another, higher and higher, until he becomes first a sacred letter, then a sacred thought and finally a sacred name” [191]. Similarly, R' Pinchas said: “Many years after a zaddiq enters the future world, he is transformed into a divine Name, and he becomes a light for the fear of G-d” [192].
R' Pinchas said: “Every person may change the course of history; it is in the power of every individual to shorten exile.” Wiesel comments: “Therein lies Rebbe Pinhas' originality. In his teachings, he barely mentions the central role of the Tzaddik, the Just Man, as mediator between heaven and earth, as the instrument chosen by G-d to make His will known and implemented. Instead he stresses the importance of each individual, no matter how saintly or how ignorant. It is enough to fulfill certain basic and practical commandments to enable the Redeemer to appear in our midst for one hour—to one other human being, and then to more and more” [193].
ON MAN'S PLACE IN THE WORLD AND MESSIANIC REDEMPTION
R' Pinchas said that mankind was created last for the following reason: if he is deserving, all of nature will be at his service; if he is undeserving, all of nature will be arrayed against him [194].
R' Pinchas said: “The world is like a book that can be read in either direction. There is the power of creation, making something out of nothing; and there is the power of destruction, making nothing out of something” [195]. Pinson adds that, reading forward, one can observe the physical creation in the sequence of progressing from ayin [nothingness] into yesh [existence]; but reading backward, one realizes “how all of creation emerges from the divine ayin” [195a].
R' Pinchas said: “Whatever exists as a whole also exists in part. Thus, in every soul all souls are contained. If I change and grow as an individual, I also contain in myself the person I want to help, and he contains me in him” [196].
R' Pinchas said: “The world was created in such a way that a new entity can only arise by destroying what existed previously. The chick only emerges from the egg after the shell has broken, and the stalk of wheat only germinates after the seed kernel has decomposed. In the same way, the ‘light of Moshiach’ that will illuminate in the Messianic era was concealed within the destruction of the Holy Temple; the only way Moshiach could be revealed was for the previous Holy Temple to cease to exist” [197].
The Messiah, according to legend, is to be born on the 9th of Ab, the day when the Holy Temple was destroyed. R' Pinchas explained that a seed sown in the earth must fall apart so that the grain can sprout from it. It must dwell in deep secrecy, until its strength is resurrected. “To doff a shape, to don a shape—this is done in the instant of pure nothingness. In the husk of forgetting, the power of memory grows. That is the power of redemption. On the day of destruction, power lies at the bottom of the depths, and grows.” That is why the Messiah's birth is on the date of the destruction of the Temple. [Kaschak comments: “The Messiah's birth at the moment of greatest pain and loss teaches us that life is cyclic, that birth and death are linked and that every ending is followed by a new beginning. It also follows the paradoxical Kabbalistic notion that the greatest light is that which emerges out of the greatest darkness”] [198].
R' Pinchas said: “A person who can find good in everyone is in the category of Moshiach … Moshiach will come to the defense of all of Israel, even the wicked. We now stand at an especially propitious time, for we have recently witnessed many miracles and great wonders around the world, and the tzadikim of our generation have given testimony that we are on the threshold of the Redemption” [199].
R' Pinchas's Parshas Vayeira is a commentary on the words “… and Avrahom was one hundred years old when his son Yitzchok was born.” Why was Yitzchok not born during his parents' youth? Because Yitzchok was the first person to be born a Jew. A Jew is above the laws of nature, just as Yitzchok's birth was, and this phenomenon has stayed with the Jewish people throughout all our years of exile, defying logic. As it says in the Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin: “Three things come as a surprise: Moshiach, a found article, and a scorpion.” The birth of Yitzchok is the first step in the coming of Moshiach [200].
“As for the Ibn Ezra who complained about the Kalir [an early liturgical poet who was severely criticized by Abraham Ibn Ezra], [R' Pinchas] said: ‘I like to defend the Ibn Ezra. … The Tannaim and the Amoraim were close in time to the destruction of the Temple, which still gave illumination, having only recently been removed. And the recent Tzaddikim in these generations are close to the light of the Messiah; there is no novelty then in their attaining the truth. … But the Ibn Ezra was far removed from the destruction [of the Temple] and also far removed from the Messiah, and, therefore, he did not attain the level of the Kalir.’ Rabbi Pinchas, however, emphasizes the period of the Temple, and not necessarily that of the revelation at Sinai, as the focus of holiness in the past” [201].
R' Pinchas said: “Until the birth of the Baal Shem Tov, the Jewish people always looked backward: How many years has it been since the destruction of the Temple? From the birth of the Baal Shem Tov onward, the clock has been ticking toward the future. With each new year, we look forward, realizing how much closer we are to the Redemption” [202].
R' Pinchas said: “If I so desired, I could bring the Messiah as easily as I can lift a straw; but I prefer to rely on the Almighty. And He relies on man” [203].
ON DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Although many Jewish theologians, including Maimonides, thought that Divine Providence was limited to human beings, in proportion to their intellectual and moral character, R' Pinchas of Koretz believed that Providence extends even to inanimate objects [204].
R' Pinchas said that even a piece of straw lying on the ground does so at G-d's decree. Divine Providence dictates that it lies with one end facing this way and the other end facing the other way [205].
“One time the Rov [Rebbe Pinchas] came into the Beis HaMidrash [house of study] and saw a shtender [lectern]. He said that even this shtender is being judged on Rosh HaShanah if it will last the year or break” [206].
ON GOOD AND EVIL
R' Pinchas said: “G-d esteems highly the good deeds of men that are known only to those who perform them and their Maker” [207].
R' Pinchas said: “A righteous person does not take leave of this world until he does a great mitzvah, and in this way he insures that he will cleave to Hashem” [208].
The Koretzer Rebbe said: “Within us are all the qualities, good and evil, … but they are unborn, and we have the power to beget them. We can transform evil qualities into good, and good into evil” [209].
R' Pinchas said: “It is possible for a person to correct the world, while the evil continues to cling to him. The Besht revealed this thing [to Menahem Mendel of Bar]: that one must descend to Gehinnom on behalf of G-d, may He be blessed. And this is alluded to in the gemara [Talmudic aphorism], ‘Greater is a sin for its own sake [than a mitzvah for its own sake]’” [210].
R' Pinchas said: “A man cannot be consciously good unless he knows evil. No one can appreciate pleasure unless he has tasted bitterness. Good is only the reverse of evil, and pleasure is merely the opposite of anxiety. … And G-d said: ‘There can be no goodness in man while he is alone without an evil impulse within him. I will endow him with the ability to do evil, and it will be as a help-meet to him to enable him to do good, if he masters the evil nature within him.’ Without the evil impulse, man could do no evil; but neither could he do good” [211].
R' Pinchas said: “It is true that G-d is able to do whatsoever He wills. But man has the similar power, by virtue of his free will” [212].
R' Raphael said: “See not evil in another and good in thyself, but see good in another, and evil in thyself. … Criticize not another's conduct, but only thine own” [213].
R' Nachman of Breslov quoted R' Pinchas as saying: “why in my silent prayer to G-d, when no one can hear but me and G-d, do I say ‘Forgive us our Father, for we have sinned’? Because I need to ask G-d to forgive G-d's own part in my sin, for how can I do anything in this world without G-d?” [214]. In “Via passiva in early Hasidism,” Weiss notes that this statement regarding G-d's coresponsibility in man's sinful acts is recorded in Hayyei Moharan but does not appear in collections of R' Pinchas's sayings [215].
According to Schatz Uffenheimer: “There are not many sources in Hasidism which explicitly teach that the responsibility for ‘sins’ devolves upon G-d. In his article concerning the ‘Via passiva’ in Hasidism, Weiss mentions R. Pinhas of Korets as the sole representative of this viewpoint, following an allusion to this in Hayyei Muhar'an. R. Pinhas indeed speaks about G-d's indirect responsibility for man's sins, although he primarily stresses the positive aspect of the subject—namely, that G-d also prevents man from sinning. But Weiss quite justifiably felt that R. Pinhas does not belong among the ‘metaphysical’ thinkers within Hasidism, and that his entire outlook is even explicitly and clearly anti-metaphysical. His approach to the question of sin likewise indicates a more ethical, ‘popular’ understanding of the meaning of such ‘events.’” Schatz Uffenheimer adds, in a footnote: “It is worth noting here the proximity of the subject of the immanent existence of G-d within man to the question of responsibility for the sin performed by man” [216].
R' Raphael said: “Nothing, great and small, could exist were it not for His help. We find that all the obstacles [to observing the] prohibitions, or even thoughts, are from the Almighty alone. And without His ‘help,’ I would become a meshumad [apostate]. But if you ignore this principle, you may think that you are ‘something’ and value yourself as a man of virtue [a sheiner yid]. [You say to yourself,] ‘I went away from sin and I am clean of sin.’ But the result is that G-d leaves him, for every haughty-hearted person is an abomination to G-d, and he and I cannot live [in the same place]. Then he finds himself in the grasp of his Urge and be caught in its trap and do whatever it tempts him to do. And [R. Pinhas] said that all this is because of the compassion of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His great kindness which is continuously over the soul, he is seduced in order to fail through a [small] thing in order to remind him that without the help of G-d he is worth nothing. [If] he does not remember through a small thing, he would stumble in a great thing until he comes to … [unclear] the belief in his own power … Then he must break himself very much, until he knows that he himself becomes nothing and very small, and then he becomes a vessel prepared to accept help and assistance from G-d, may He be blessed” [217].
“The Talmud tells us that Torah study in the days of Rav Yehudah was nowhere near as extensive or penetrating as that of later generations; his students devoted all their time to one tractate—Nezikin, the laws of damages. Yet, in a period of drought, Rav Yehudah only had to remove a single shoe to signal the onset of a fast, and the rain would come pouring down. Later generations mastered the entire Talmud with the greatest subtlety, yet they could not produce such salvation. The holy Rav Pinchas of Koritz commented: ‘The Talmud says that their studies were entirely over how to avoid damages. That is: how not to damage the mouth with loshon harah, how not to damage the eyes with forbidden glances, how not to damage the body with non-kosher foods. This gave them such spiritual merit that even the slightest prayer, as in the case of Rav Yehudah, immediately brought about rain’” [218].
R' Raphael said that R' Pinchas had often reminded him of the Baal Shem Tov's warning to avoid pettiness when performing religious duties [219].
“Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz entered the House of Study, and his disciples fell into a profound silence. He asked: ‘What were you talking about just now?’ ‘We were saying how afraid we were that the Yetzer [hara, evil inclination] will pursue us.’ ‘Don't worry,’ said he. ‘You haven't reached that point yet. Right now, you are still pursuing it!’” [220].
“Someone once came to Rav Pinchas of Koretz, zt”l, and asked a question that was obviously troubling him. ‘In Taanis 9, we find that Chazal [our Sages] cite the phrase … “you shall surely give a tenth of your earnings,” and reinterpret the second word as t'asheir instead of t'aser. This alters the meaning to, “Give a tenth, so that you will become wealthy.” Here we have an assurance that if we faithfully give away a tenth of our earnings, we will be successful financially. I have given ma'aser [a tithe] assiduously my whole life. Why, then, have I have not merited wealth?’ Rav Pinchas answered, ‘Let me tell you a true story about my neighbor that sheds light on your question. My neighbor is a wagon driver. He has good horses and he cares for them with great devotion, always providing them with the best food and shelter possible. As expected, the horses have always performed well, and they run with great endurance in all types of weather. One time, the horses failed to follow orders. Although they were hitched to their wagon and primed to travel, they simply refused to move. Since their owner knew that his animals lacked nothing, their obstinacy infuriated him. He figured that they needed to be taught a lesson. He began to beat them, all the while repeating his command that they start moving. An onlooker shouted at the wagon driver, “You are cruel to your animals! They have done nothing wrong! How can you expect them to move if you have the brakes engaged?” This is your problem too,’ explained the Rav. ‘Giving ma'aser can propel one's financial success forward just as the horses hitched to the wagon will propel it toward its destination. However, if the brakes are engaged at the same time, the driver won't get anywhere at all. If you are braking by failing to observe Shabbos and kashrus properly, the horses are not to blame for your inability to reach your goal. You must release the [brake] mechanism by doing teshuvah [repentance] and changing your behavior!’” [221].
“And Yaacov called to his children and said to them, ‘Gather together and I will reveal to you what will be your lot in the end of days.’ So they gathered together and they listened to their father Yisrael” (Genesis 49:1-2). What was the character of this gathering? R' Pinchas of Koretz, a student as well as a colleague of the Baal Shem Tov, suggested that this gathering can be explained by the Talmudic expression, ‘Aseh oznecha k'afarkesis.’ (Make your ears like a funnel. Strain your ears to hear⁄listen well to what is being said. Chullin 89a). He explained in the name of his friend and fellow student of the Baal Shem Tov, R' Nachman of Horodenka, that sometimes there is a limit to what can be accomplished by Yisrael even through prayer. A Jew's transgressions simply make it impossible for him to bridge the distance between himself and the Creator. What can be done? The distance can be bridged only in one way; by every Jew joining together, hand in hand until this Jewish chain reaches all the way to the Throne of Glory. Then Hashem surely will not be able to ignore our entreaties. This is the meaning of “Aseh oznecha k'afarkesis.” Jews need to learn from the Tribes, the sons of Yaacov who gathered together to hear their revered father's final words, to consolidate all their ears together until they become one enormous ear. Such an ear is surely capable of hearing everything. Since the Talmud says, ‘All Jews bear ultimate responsibility one for the other’ (Shavuos 39a), in this way nothing will be missed, no nuance neglected. The lessons needed to be learned will be grasped, and we will always be able to help each other to go in a proper path of Divine Service” [222].
R' Pinchas said: “When you believe that everything is from Him, blessed be He, then there is no evil or bad at all—there is just all good” [223].
ON SADNESS AND FEAR
R' Pinchas said: “If a person constantly keeps his mind focused on doing good deeds, his mind will be free from thoughts that lead to sadness” [224].
R' Pinchas said: “When a person is afraid of something, he is actually subjugated to that very thing. If he is not afraid, he remains above it” [225].
R' Pinchas said: “V'yordim bo, V'hi'nei Hashem nitzov olov, v'hi'nei Hashem nitzov olov. … Even when a person feels a descent, things are going badly, Hashem is there for him” [226].
R' Pinchas said: “There is one who prays in sadness because of his state of melancholy (lit. ‘black bile’) and imagines that he prays with great fear. Likewise, there is one who imagines that he prays with great love and this is because of his state of euphoria (lit. ‘red bile’). However, when one is in a state of [true] love of G-d, and shame thereby descends upon him and he wants to praise G-d and triumph over the evil impulse for His sake, that is good. For man is only called a servant of G-d through fear and love. He must see to it that fear should descend upon him [from Above] and not inspire it in himself. True fear occurs when shuddering and trembling descend upon him such that because of the fear one does not know where he is, his thoughts have become purified, and his tears roll down of their own accord. But when this is not the case, then even if it appears that one loves G‑d, that certainly is not so. For this is the gate to the Lord (Psalms 118:20). Fear is the gate to love, and if one does not enter the gate, which is fear, how can he attain love? When one is in the above state [i.e., self-generated melancholy or euphoria], he is not even a ‘servant,’ and is certainly not capable of having fear descend upon him. This is not the proper service for a Jew; it is simply a service by rote. One [who is in this state] imagines that he actually serves G-d in joy, but it is nothing more than foolish joy. Therefore, let him return to G-d with all his heart and all his soul” [227].
R' Pinchas taught: “He who has no desire to go up to Eretz Yisrael is poisoned with bitter darkness” [228].
R' Pinchas said: “The Sages stated, ‘Evildoers are filled with remorse.’ What are they regretful for? … An upright person believes that G-d guides the affairs of the world, and that man's fate is in the hands of the Almighty. Such a person never regrets his righteous acts. When things go wrong, he knows that it is G-d's will. By contrast, bad people deny the omnipotence of G-d. When their enterprises falter, they constantly blame and reproach themselves with ‘I should've, I could've, why didn't I!’ It is true, their lives are full of regrets” [229].
R' Pinchas said: “The root of gloominess is pride. An arrogant person thinks that the world owes him honor and respect. He always feels slighted, believing that people disdain and snub him. As a result, he always is in a somber mood. A humble man cheerfully accepts everything that comes his way” [230].
R' Pinchas said: “Sadness is rooted in haughtiness, because one thinks that he deserves what he desires” [231].
ON REPENTANCE
According to Schatz Uffenheimer, “Pain and regret over one's failures and transgressions became the archetypal religious sin in Hasidism, signifying that sin was measured in terms of a new criterion—namely, the psychological state of man. ‘Repentance’ as a religious value continued to play a dominant role in Hasidic thought, but it was no longer based upon remorse or regret over past deeds, but upon the consciousness that man intends to sin no more and that he does not make light of sin as defined by the halakhah [Jewish law]. The person who repents is simply required to decide that he no longer intends to perform the acts of sin” [232].
“The Koritzer rebbe … says that the Jewish people repented at the moment of the Churban [destruction of the Temple]. At that moment they were fulfilling the will of Hash-m, and therefore the Keruvim [angel-like figures atop the Holy Ark] embraced” [233].
R' Raphael said: “If a man sins and is contrite, the Lord will aid him to full repentance. It is well to remember this axiom: ‘Man has only the power of free choice; everything else is in G-d's hands.’ Therefore, if a man chooses to repent, G-d will perform all else required for the accomplishment of his choice. But even the free will of a man needs the help of G-d to maintain it intact, lest it lapse into weakness” [234].
“R. Pinkhas … taught proper behavior as a means of influencing people to change their ways for the better: ‘When I wish to reprove someone, I mention to him words of wisdom that give him spiritual inspiration, as Scripture teaches us: “Wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it” (Ecclesiastes 7:12). And wisdom is an aspect of the soul. Even by telling anecdotes, we can influence a person to change his ways for the better. But in our times, some people just reprove someone so that he repent, but the person is unable to do so by himself without the help of others’” [235].
R' Pinchas said that one should not be satisfied with merely telling a sinner to repent; one must help him to repent [236].
“Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz said that the power of teshuva [repentance, return] can been seen in a worm's burrowing its way through the soil to the sun. It's not an expression of thought, but of the soul's movement, the life force. This force is apparent throughout creation” [237].
R' Pinchas explained the creation and transformation of angels, saying that good deeds turn into angels; however, if the deed is imperfect, the angel is also imperfect. It may be mute or malformed, with an arm or leg missing. Tikkun, or repair, of these imperfections can be accomplished only by the repentance of the person who brought the imperfect angel into being. As stated in the mystical cosmology of the Ari (R' Isaac Luria), every good deed raises up a fallen spark [238].
“A chossid once asked Rav Pinchas of Koretz, zt”l, ‘We find in the Sefer Chassidim, that even though the Gemara in Taanis 12 tells us that fasting is good for destroying the bad parts of a dream like a fire destroys the bad parts of flax, it only refers to one who has repented. All the fasting in the world, however, will not avail for one who does not do teshuvah. The Sefer Chassidim goes on to tell of someone who had a bad dream on Shabbos and tried to ameliorate it by fasting that day and the next. Unfortunately, his dream came to be in all its detail because he failed to do teshuvah. My question is, if someone has a bad dream why not just concentrate on doing teshuvah instead of fasting, since this is the main objective of the fast anyway?’
“The Rebbe answered, ‘Fasting is preferable for a very simple reason. The more physical something is, the more we find of it in this world. For example, there is more inanimate matter in the world than animate life. Likewise, there are far more non-Jews than Jews in the world. Even within the Jewish people itself, there are more wicked people than righteous. And within the overwhelming majority of people, there are more bad or useless thoughts than good. Most people have a hard time focusing on any good thought for more than half an hour or so. This is especially true of someone whose day is almost entirely focused on mundane matters. To feel connected all the time to spirituality in such a situation is rare indeed! Anyone who fasts in order to come to teshuvah is involved in doing a mitzvah the entire day, and this is true even if he finds it difficult to focus on the teshuvah aspect of the fast throughout the day.’ Rav Pinchas added, ‘Another reason why fasting is better is that it naturally subdues the physical. This is a great help for one who wishes to do teshuvah. One can come to the highest levels while fasting. It is very rare that one who understands the purpose of the fast will fail to come to true teshuvah!’” [239].
ON LOVING THE EVIL-DOER
“In his teachings, R. Pinchas preached universal love, even love of the most sinful people in humanity, because only such love can hasten the coming of the Redeemer” [240].
[R' Pinchas of Koretz] once said: “Who is a consummate tzadik? He who loves a consummate rasha [wicked person]. Who is an incomplete tzadik? He who loves an incomplete rasha.” Ginsburgh explains: “In the inner [depths] of one's soul, it is the very highest level of tzadik that reaches down in love to raise up the very lowest level of rasha. The inherent goodness of the consummate tzadik sweetens the existential suffering of the consummate rasha” [241].
R' Pinchas said: “One must love even the sinful, but must hate their actions. Although it is forbidden to be close to the wicked, one must still love them, so that perhaps they will return to the path of the Torah. As our Rabbis teach us regarding Aharon, ‘He loved peace and actively pursued peace and brought people closer to Torah.’ (Pirkei Avot 1:12) By loving his fellow men, Aharon brought them close to Torah, bringing them back to the correct path. Although the Gemara (Pesachim 113) says that if one sees his friend sinning, it is a mitzvah to hate him, Sefer Hatanya (ch. 32) limits this to a friend who generally observes Torah and mitzvot, yet has spurned proper rebuke. However, regarding a person with whom one is not friendly in this manner, we find in Pirkei Avot, ‘Hillel was fond of saying, “Be a student of Aharon—love peace … love G-d's creatures, and bring them closer to the Torah.”’ This refers even to those who are distant from Torah and the service of G-d, and for that reason are referred to merely as ‘creatures.’ They have to be drawn with bonds of love, hopefully bringing them back to serve G‑d” [242].
R' Pinchas said: “How can we daven for someone to do teshuva? Are we not taught, ‘All is in the hand of heaven, except for the fear of heaven?’ But Hashem includes all souls, and whatever is in the Whole is also in each part. Each soul therefore includes all other souls. When you yourself do teshuva, you can bring your neighbor to do teshuva. This is because you are included in your neighbor, and your neighbor is included in you” [243].
R' Raphael said: “Love the man of wickedness. Why? Because he will then love you, and love will unite his soul and yours. As a consequence, inasmuch as you hate wickedness, you will transfer your hate to him, thereby causing him to repent and turn from evil to good” [244].
R' Raphael said: “A man should not think contemptuously of his ability to do good. Let him but choose and G-d does the rest. Is there any limit to G-d's ability?” [245].
“From our teacher, the rabbi, Rabbi Raphael [of Bershad] … may his light shine upon us: ‘“You shall love your neighbour as yourself” said Rabbi Akiva: “This is the greatest principle of the Torah.”’ The SHeLaH (R. Isaiah Horowitz, c. 1570-1626) poses the question that this is all very well with respect to [commandments] between one person and another, but with respect to [commandments] between a person and G-d, what is there to say? See there. At first, he—may his light shine upon us—said: ‘According to the plain meaning, when a person loves, the Shechinah rests upon them. In this way, “all workers of iniquity are dispersed” (Psalms 92:10) and it is easy to fulfill the Torah.’
“Later he expounded along the lines of what is written in the writings of R. Fradl … that this is by virtue of not being impatient with one's fellows, but accepting everything with patience, without one's heart becoming agitated and being impatient about the slightest thing. Without all this, it is impossible to fulfill ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’ unless one has set aside the attribute of impatience, which is [derived] from the attribute of Power [Gevurah], and in this way, does not use the attribute of Power in matters of this world. [Then] it is easy [to utilize] the power of this attribute to be fearful and agitated before the blessed G-d. And this is the greatest principle of the Torah” [246].
R' Pinchas said: “My Rafael knows how to love the most wicked evil-doers!” [247].
R' Pinchas said: “If men did not sin, the Lord would have no occasion to employ His attributes of mercy, compassion, and the like, but only His attributes of justice. Therefore, it follows that even sinners please the Lord; they bring into play His worthiest attributes” [248].
ON LOVING ONE'S FELLOW JEWS
“[Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz] spoke at length about the love of Israel, [saying] that one must love every individual of Israel, and when you sees that someone hates you, you must love them more, for Israel is a Throne for the Shechinah [Presence of G-d] and for holiness. When—G-d forbid!—there is a rift between them, as it were, a hole, an empty space, is created in the Throne, and then, in this way, holiness falls into the [power] of the ‘shells’ [kelippot] [of evil]—G-d forbid! Therefore one must love others a great deal in order to close up the empty space [in the Throne]. Let no one say: ‘I cannot enter into this quality’ for this is a lie. Certainly, by oneself, one may not be able to [do this], but with the help of the blessed G-d, one can attain to the service of the divine [and thus to the love of Israel]. This quality can bring the Messiah, i.e. by loving every person, even the completely wicked, for hatred without cause destroyed our Temple, and because of our sins, it is still ‘dancing’ among us. Therefore, one must strive to bring oneself to this quality” [249].
“R. Raphael's teachings [deal] with love of fellow-humans and [with] one's being hopeful of his own good capabilities” [250].
R' Raphael said: “Do you desire that people love you? Love them first” [251].
R' Raphael loved peace and unity in the Jewish people. He said: “Any disagreement between Jews causes a breach to appear in the Throne of Holiness through which unholy spirits enter. Hence it is the duty of every Jew to love and to befriend anyone who has disagreed with him, and thereby to repair the breach. When Israelites are united, they become the very Throne of Holiness, the Shekinah dwells in them, and all holiness descends upon them” [252].
In his last year, R' Raphael said: “Put aside all Mitzwoth and labor to unite Jewish hearts” [253].
R' Raphael overheard his wife scolding her maid. He rebuked her, saying: “You have no right to give pain to a Jewess. A child of Israel is very, very precious” [254].
R' Pinchas said: “He who truly loves another can read his thoughts, whether good or evil” [255].
Arthur Green, in a memoir concerning his mentor, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, says: “Heschel … liked to tell the Hasidic tale of Rabbi Raphael of Bershad who invited a group of his disciples to come share with him in a ride in his coach. ‘But there is not enough room!’ a disciple cried out, ‘the rebbe will be crowded.’ The master replied: ‘Then we shall have to love each other more. If we love each other more, there will be room for us all.’ Heschel understood that all of humanity rides in that coach, one that can be either the divine chariot of G-d or the crowded, sealed railway car [i.e., to the concentration camp]. The choice, he insisted, is a human one, and we who have escaped the terrors of hell are here to help all our fellow humans make that choice” [256].
“Long ago in a far away land, Reb Pinchus of Koretz, a very holy Rabbi and follower of the Baal Shem Tov, became really aggravated by the ever-increasing number of people that came to ask for a blessing. The word had gotten around that whether a person needed help with problems about their health, children, or livelihood, a blessing from Rabbi Pinchus always seemed to help. So there was a constant stream of people visiting Rabbi Pinchus from far and near to get his holy blessing. Now, Rabbi Pinchus was a quiet man who was devoted to his study of the Holy Torah. The interruptions from the people waiting for a blessing finally became so frustrating to him that he prayed, ‘Dear G‑d, please make people hate me so they won't come anymore and disturb my studies.’ Now, a prayer from such a holy man does not go unheeded. Sure enough, people began to feel repulsed by Rabbi Pinchus, and soon no one came to visit.
“Alas, Rabbi Pinchus was very happy with his new-found freedom. Every day he immersed himself in his studies of the Holy Torah. And so it was until the Holy day of Succoth approached. The wife of Rabbi Pinchus, the Rebbetzyn, always arranged to have someone help build their Succah (a little booth covered by s'chach … something that grows from the earth and is no longer attached, such as branches cut from trees). But this year, everyone was so repulsed by Rabbi Pinchus that they refused to help. Finally, the day before Succoth, a non-Jew reluctantly helped her and the Succah was built just in time for the holiday.
“The first night of Succoth, Rabbi Pinchus sat in his Succah having a holiday meal and studying the Torah. Just then, an old man, with a long white beard and dressed in a long white robe appeared at the door of the Succah. Rabbi Pinchus knew it was a supernal guest, Avraham Avenu [Our father Abraham]. Legend has it that a different supernal guest visits the Succah every night of Succoth and on the first night the guest is Avraham.
“‘Avraham Avenu, please come into my Succah,’ said Rabbi Pinchus. ‘Oh no,’ answered Avraham, ‘I only visit in Succahs where there are guests.’ And then he disappeared.
“Rabbi Pinchus realized that he was wrong in praying to be left alone. G-d wants people to help each other more so than studying the Holy Torah. So he again prayed to G-d, ‘Please forgive me.’ And from that day, Rabbi Pinchus lent a ready ear and gave a strong blessing to anyone who approached him” [257].
“When a group of people join together for the sole purpose of advancing in their service of Hashem, then all six hundred thousand root souls of the Jewish people become a part of their endeavor. This is similar to what Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz said about the Kabbalistic declaration made before performing a mitzvah. ‘By virtue of the One that is hidden and concealed, in the name of all Israel. …’ When a person intends to fulfill a mitzvah, and attempts to connect to the entire Jewish people by making this declaration, it actually arouses the entire Jewish people to repent. It accomplishes this by awakening the Divine spark that is hidden within each and every Jewish soul. This becomes all the more clear in light of what the Midrash says on the verse, ‘The twisted cannot be corrected … this is talking about the person whose friends joined together to fulfill a mitzvah, and he failed to be counted among them.’ Every time that Jews gather as one for the sole purpose of fulfilling Hashem's Will, ‘G-d is present among the G-dly convocation’” [258].
ON DIFFERENCES
“The Baal Shem Tov taught that every Jew is a cherished land. Just as the earth has precious stones and metals hidden within, so does every Jew have treasures hidden within him. One of his disciples, Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz, expanded on this thought by adding that within every person there is something precious that is not found in any other person” [259].
R' Raphael asked his teacher why all faces are different. R' Pinchas answered that all men are created in the image of G-d. Every person takes part of G-d's image from a different place, and thus their faces differ, but together these images make up Man [260]. R' Pinchas said: “The difference is in minds, not only in faces” [261].
R' Pinchas once was told about the philosopher Spinoza, who asserted that man's nature is on the same level as that of animals. R' Pinchas laughed, saying that the free-thinker should be asked whether animals can also produce a Spinoza [262].
“Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz was asked, ‘Why did G-d create the non-Jewish nations who are so brazen in their sinfulness?’ He replied, ‘Just as He created darkness to make you appreciate light, so did He create non-Jews to demonstrate the greater virtue of the Jewish people’” [263].
Once, someone read to R' Raphael a statement that we should love non-Jews since they were created by G-d. This idea pleased him immensely [264].
R' Pinchas said: “In the synagogue, the Jew wears a special covering, the tallit, in order to separate the nakedness of the body from the spiritual. Non-Jews remove their coats and hats when praying. They do not realize that the body and the soul are distinct from each other” [265].
ON POLITICAL EVENTS AND SOCIAL NEEDS
See maps and information on the partitions of Poland at: http:⁄⁄www.polishroots.org⁄genpoland⁄polhistory.htm, http:⁄⁄www.polishroots.org⁄genpoland⁄kresy.htm,
1750 map at: http:⁄⁄sumy.net.ua⁄History⁄map⁄14!.php,
and 1850 map at: http:⁄⁄sumy.net.ua⁄?p=1&g=2&o=15.
R' Pinchas said: “When you arrive at a city and do not know the nature of its people, pay attention to its public servants. If they are righteous and wise, so will be the people of the city. And if these are not—neither are those” [266].
Although “as a tangible reminder of the destruction of the Temple, he lived in a room that was virtually windowless,” R' Pinchas closely followed political developments and regretted the first partition of Poland in 1772 and its occupation by Russia, Prussia, and Austria [267].
R' Pinchas said: “I am not strong enough to prevent the danger. So long as Rabbi Nachman of Horodenka was there, this nation [i.e., the Russians] could not cross the river Dnieper. When Rabbi Nachman crossed the river Dienester [on his way to Eretz Yisrael], I remained alone, for only Rabbi Nachman of Horodenka was strong enough to prevent this disaster” [268].
R' Pinchas urged the Jews not to flee the region in the wake of pogroms and massacres carried out by the Haidamak gangs during this period; he and the Great Maggid were almost alone, among Jewish leaders, in trying to stem the tide of the “Great Flight” [269]. He said: “Were it not for me, not one Jew would have remained there” [270].
“In the 1760s one of the founders of the Hasidic movement, Rabbi Pinhas of Korzec, deplored … assimilationist tendencies and made the following observation: ‘The Jews [in Germany] are indistinguishable from the gentiles in their dress and speech. The exile in the land of Ishmael [Turkey] is not as bitter as in Germany because Jews, at least, are distinguishable by language, though not by dress. However in Poland, where both their clothing and language are different, the exile is less bitter than anywhere else’” [271].
R' Pinchas supported the Polish cause and described Russia as a land where men were steeped in filth [272].
R' Pinchas despised the Russians and called them “mice.” He said they “do not know the meaning of Truth” [273].
After the partition of Poland, R' Pinchas toured the region extensively to collect money for Jews who were being held in prison. He also collected donations for the support of the poor in Israel [274].
R' Pinchas had tried, by his prayers, to forestall the Russian annihilation of Poland. After his death, his disciple, R' Raphael, said that if R' Pinchas had lived only 2 more years, he would have destroyed the Russians, the Kaiser, and the French [275].
ON PEACE
Commenting on the words of the prayer “He who maketh peace in his high places, may he make peace for us …,” R' Pinchas said that G-d created Heaven by making peace between fire and water. He added that, since G-d was able to make peace between such extremely different substances, he surely could make peace between men [276].
R' Raphael said: “Let there be peace within yourself first, then peace in your home. Let there be peace with your neighbours, peace in your street and in your town. Then let there be peace in your country and in the whole world” [277].
“It once came to the notice of Rav Rafael of Barashad, zt”l, that his wife was spending beyond their means. People approached him and said that their income was not sufficient to cover her somewhat extravagant purchases on behalf of the household, and that he ought to take the matter in hand. Knowing that he had no choice but to confront her about it, he went home.
“When Rav Rafael arrived, his wife was dutifully awaiting him. Instead of entering the house as he normally would, he immediately walked in and sat down on a bench. He lovingly said, ‘Dear heart! My crown! Shalom, Shalom, Shalom!’ His wife was somewhat perplexed by this effusive greeting, and waited to hear what else Rav Rafael had to say.
“He continued in a gentle voice, with a smile on his face, ‘I've heard that you have been spending a lot of money, more money that we really have. Now, the Shelah HaKadosh says clearly that a single argument drives away a hundred livelihoods. So could it be that the solution is to have a fight with you over this? Will it make the problem go away? Quite the contrary! That's why I say: Shalom, Shalom Shalom! Peace, peace, peace!’” [278].
R' Raphael of Bershad often tried to make peace and mend quarrels. He was once asked to arbitrate a contentious dispute between the members of a community. The request came on the 9th of Av, the day of mourning that commemorates the destruction of the Temple, and it was suggested that this might be an inappropriate time to settle the quarrel. However, R' Raphael replied: “The Temple was destroyed on account of senseless hatred, and therefore on the day of its destruction it is incumbent upon us to make peace” [279].
A Chassid once asked R' Raphael: “You teach that a man should always tell the truth. How can one do this if he wishes to make peace?” R' Raphael replied: “To make peace, I demand the full truth, and with the full truth, I make peace” [280].
ON TRUTH
“Truth to [R' Pinchas] was the highest virtue of all. He said: ‘If all men spoke the truth, there would be no further need to wait for the Messiah; he would have come long ago’” [281].
R' Pinchas said: “I would prefer that the soul leave my body rather than utter a lie in my mouth … When people realize that to utter a lie is just as sinful as committing adultery, the messianic days will begin” [282].
R' Pinchas said: “I have found nothing more difficult in life than to overcome lying. It took me fourteen years. I broke every bone I had and at last I found a salvation. For the sake of Truth, I struggled for twenty-one years; seven years to find out what Truth is, seven years to drive away falsehood and seven to absorb Truth” [283].
“It is said in the name of Reb Pinchas of Koritz, ‘Before I came close to the Baal Shem Tov, my teeth used to fly out of my mouth when I prayed. But this wasn't the truth. After I came close to the Baal Shem Tov, my teeth stopped flying out of mouth when I prayed, and this was the real truth.’ When one sees and examines the light of the Tzaddik, of the Baal Shem Tov, and he receives from this light and leaves behind him everything that he had up until then, only then does the light of truth enter him” [284].
Rabbi Shmuel Walkin cites “Rabbi Refael of Bershid who was always very careful to refrain from saying anything that was untrue. One day he entered his home while it was raining outside. When asked if it was still raining, he replied, ‘When I was outside it was raining.’ He did not want to mislead in case it had stopped raining from the time he entered his home. This may seem to be ridiculous or inconsequential. However, if a person is careful with keeping to the truth in such instances, he will definitely be careful in more important matters. On the other hand, if a person is careless with the truth, he can even be tempted to lie in major ways!” [285].
“Rebbe Raphael of Barshad … was once stopped in the street by a man who asked him: ‘Aren't you Reb Raphael of Barshad?’ ‘Yes … I think so,’ replied the Rebbe” [286].
“Respect for truth was so profound among [R' Pinchas's] friends and followers that they dared not repeat his comments for fear of misquoting him” [287].
“R' Pinchas of Koretz once compared himself to R' Yaacov Yosef of Polnoye, the ‘Toldos.’ ‘The Toldos loves “truth,”’ he said. ‘In fact he loves it so much that he speaks great quantities of truth everyday. And if a little bit of falsehood should creep in, it would be worth it for the great amount of truth that would have been spoken. I, on the other hand, abhor falsehood. Therefore I barely speak at all lest I utter a bit of falsehood’” [288].
“Rebbe Rafael of Bershad so often and so strongly condemned lying and speaking falsely that truth-telling became ingrained even in the children of his community. Once, three children were sitting talking about how Rebbe Rafael said it was forbidden to lie. One child asked, ‘But didn't Abraham say about Sarah, “She's my sister?”’ His friend answered, ‘Because of that he was punished by having a son like Ishmael.’ The second one asked, ‘Didn't Isaac say about Rebecca, “She's my sister?”’ His friend answered, ‘He was punished by having a son like Esau.’ The third boy asked, ‘Jacob too said, “I am Esau your first-born?”’ ‘Oh,’ said his friend, ‘that's because he never met Rebbe Rafael. If he'd met Rebbe Rafael he never would have said that!’” [289].
“The wife of Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz once bought a gold-plated Kiddush cup. When he noticed the new cup on Friday night, the Rebbe curtly asked, ‘Since when do we have golden utensils in our house?’ ‘Look,’ said his wife apologetically, ‘it is not genuine, it's just a gold-plated cup!’ ‘That makes it even worse,’ said the Rebbe. ‘You not only brought snobbery into our house, but you compounded your mistake by introducing also falsehood and deceit.’ He adamantly refused to use the cup for Kiddush” [290].
(See Part 3 for the story of R' Raphael's devotion to truth in the face of a fateful decision at the end of his life.)
ON AVOIDING SELF-DECEPTION
“It is told that R' Pinchus used to warn his disciples: ‘Never fool yourselves! Above all a Jew must be thoroughly honest with himself!’ Once one of his students challenged him. ‘But Rebbe,’ he said, ‘one who fools himself actually thinks he is being honest with himself. So how are we ever to know if we are being honest, or just fooling ourselves?’ ‘You have asked wisely, my son,’ the Rebbe said. ‘The answer, however, is simple. It is written in Tanna d-Bei Eliyahu [an ancient Midrashic source] that anyone who is careful to speak words of truth will be sent a malach [an angel] who shows him the truth. One who speaks words of sheker [falsehood] will be sent a malach who fools and deceives him. So, if you will be careful to always tell the truth, you will never “fool yourself.” If not, well …’ This is a very telling incident. One can live his⁄her entire life in deception, of others and of himself, and not have even the faintest notion he is doing so. R' Pinchus also used to tell his disciples: ‘It is better to choke, than to utter a lie’” [291].
R' Raphael said: “The Sages teach that the greatest labor of man should be to avoid self-deceit. But how can a man do so when he is deceived and believes his action to be right? By obeying the counsel of his friend, since his friend cannot profit by permitting the deceit to continue. We are also taught that he who labors for truth creates for himself an Angel of Truth who acts as a monitor to warn him of falsehood” [292].
R' Pinchas said: “He who is filled with self-importance lies to himself and he fools others to believe his importance” [293].
ON LANGUAGE, ACTIONS, THOUGHTS, AND DREAMS
R' Pinchas said: “the holy Torah was originally created as an incoherent jumble of letters. In other words, all the letters of the Torah, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Deuteronomy, were not yet combined to form the words we now read, such as ‘In the beginning G-d created’ or ‘Go from thy land,’ and so on. These words, on the contrary, were not yet present, for the events of Creation that they record had not yet taken place. Thus all the letters of the Torah were indeed jumbled, and only when a certain event occurred in the world did the letters combine to form the words in which the event is related. When, for example, the Creation of the world or the events in the life of Adam and Eve took place, the letters formed the words that relate these events. Or when someone died, the combination ‘And so-and-so died’ came into being. So it was with all other matters. As soon as something happened, the corresponding combinations of letters came into being. If another event had occurred in its place, other combinations of letters would have arisen, for know that the holy Torah is G-d's infinite wisdom” [294].
R' Pinchas said: “There are no words which, in themselves, are useless. There are no actions which, in themselves, are useless. But one can make useless both actions and words by saying or doing them uselessly” [295].
R' Pinchas said: “It's possible for a person to be created and live an entire lifetime just for the sake of uttering one word or making a single gesture that he performs for the Holy One” [296].
R' Pinchas said: “Sometimes, a man whose deeds are corrupt will live to be 70 years old because of one word he uttered or one gesture he made in complete sincerity, entirely for the sake of G-d. It was essential that he be born for this solitary word or gesture. It could not have been done by anyone else, for no two people were created exactly alike, since the beginning of the world until the end of days” [297].
R' Pinchas said: “In everyone there is something precious which is in no one else. That is why it is said: ‘Despise not any man’” [298].
R' Pinchas said: “When you speak evil of another man, the Satan will compel you to be his witness against the object of your words. Would you become the Satan's assistant? Blame the fault, not the man” [299].
R' Raphael said: “Two things I learned from my Master during my last visit to him: ‘The less one talks, the nearer he is to holiness’; and ‘Only that good deed is valuable of which no one knows’” [300].
R' Pinchas said: “Every word and every action contains all the ten Sefirot, the ten powers emanating from G-d, for they fill the entire world. And it is not the way people think: that mercy is a principle in itself and rigor is a principle in itself. For all the ten creative powers are contained in every single thing. Whoever drops his hand, does so in the secret of the efflux of light. Whoever lifts his hand, does so in the secret of the reflux of light. The completed motion of lowering and lifting, houses the secret of mercy and rigor” [301].
Winkler states that R' Pinchas taught the languages of birds, animals, and plants and said that birds held the key to sacred chanting [302].
R' Pinchas said: “A perfect Mitzwah should be performed in three ways: in action, in talk, and in thought. The Mitzwah of kindling the candles on the Sabbath is performed in action by the women; in talk by the recital of the Mishnah on kindling the Sabbath lights; and in thought by the concentration of our mind upon longing for the restoration of the Menorah in the Holy Temple” [303].
According to Brill, R' Pinchas said that dreams are the “refuse of the mind” [304]. However, Klein's translation gives a different interpretation: dreams are a “secretion of our thoughts,” and they act to purify our thoughts [305].
ON LEARNING AND TEACHING
R' Pinchas taught: “When learning or davening, don't stop to talk. Don't avert your eyes from the sefer or siddur in front of you unless there is really a great need” [306].
R' Pinchas often said: “A man's soul will teach him.” A disciple once asked him why men did not obey their souls. R' Pinchas answered: “The soul teaches incessantly, … but it never repeats” [307].
R' Raphael said: “I learned from my Master that if I walk with Truth, my soul will instruct me, and I shall need no other teacher” [308].
R' Pinchas said: “Usually, persons asking for advice have already solved their own problem without knowing it” [309].
R' Pinchas wrote: “The hahlahchah [law] and the ahgahdah [parables] are two parts of the oral law. For the hahlahchah, one needs his intelligence to uncover its depth, it is necessary to have a sharp mind. For the ahgahdah one needs a feeling heart” [310].
R' Pinchas said: “The true