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15 Rebbe Pinh.as’l of Korets T O L D B Y I T Z H. A K C H E P L I K T O M A L K A C O H E N Rebbe Pinh.as’l of Korets was a famous rebbe,* with a following in many districts of Russia. His house was always full of Jews asking for assistance . The rebbe would receive them and listen to their troubles. Rebbe Pinh.as’l was used to hearing the woes of the common folk. He gave help and encouragement to the masses and did whatever he could for them. He was so busy, both day and night, that he had no time left to attend to his own needs. More than once he had to stop in the middle of the Amidah, although in general it is forbidden to interrupt this prayer. This happened mainly when a sick person came, and he had to interrupt his devotions to save a Jewish soul. One fine day, after many years, Rebbe Pinh.as’l decided that he would no longer receive visitors. After all, according to the sages, “A Jew who stops studying Torah even for one day is sinning before the Lord.” He instructed his servants that no one should be allowed to enter his court. Jews came and Jews went. Soon the rumor spread that the court of Rebbe Pinh.as’l was closed to all. Jews stopped coming to the town of Korets. This pushed the locals, whose living depended on serving the rebbe’s visitors, to the verge of bankruptcy. Naturally they were unhappy with him. Things reached the point that some of the residents wondered if perhaps they should set up a new rebbe. But how could one do such a thing to Reb** Pinh.as’l? Time flew, until the High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah andYom Kippur, arrived. The rebbe came to the synagogue. As was his custom, in this season too he invited guests to dine at his table. But none of the townspeople wanted to join him for the feast. OnYom Kippur, the rebbe sensed that his prayer was incomplete and was not being accepted. This made his heart very heavy. The custom was that after the fast many of the leading Jews of the town would come break their fast with him and help him drive the first 109 * A Hasidic rabbi. ** Rabbi or Mr. nail into his sukkah.* But no one came this evening. Nor did anyone come the next day to help him build his sukkah. At first the rebbe thought he would call a non-Jew to help him build the sukkah, but at once he changed his mind, because this would make the sukkah invalid. With great pains and much effort the rebbe built his sukkah all by himself. On the first night of the Sukkot festival, he went to the synagogue and again invited guests. Can any Jew sit alone in his sukkah without guests? But no one accepted his invitation. The rebbe was quite disheartened when he came home from the synagogue. Except for his family, he was all alone in his sukkah. In accordance with the custom of all Israel, the rebbe poured himself a goblet of wine, looked at the entrance to the sukkah, and waited for the Patriarch Abraham, the first of the seven ushpizin—the holiday guests—to arrive. (The ushpizin visit Jews’ sukkot on each day of Sukkot. On the first day, the visitor is the Patriarch Abraham; on the second day, Isaac; on the third, Jacob; on the fourth, our teacher Moses; on the fifth, the high priest Aaron; on the sixth, it is the righteous Joseph; and on the seventh, King Solomon.) In the past, the rebbe had always felt the presence of the ushpizin and seen them in his sukkah; but this time, he saw nothing and felt nothing. He began to tremble. Then he started praying for mercy, but his prayer was not accepted in Heaven. On the second night of the holiday, when he returned from the synagogue to his sukkah, he again made Kiddush** over the wine. Then he waited, hoping to see the ushpiz for the second day of Sukkot, the Patriarch Isaac. Once again, he saw no one. Again he prayed and wept bitterly, but in vain. On the third night of the holiday, he again returned to his sukkah with no guests. He filled his goblet with...

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