Reb Pinchas Shapira of Koritz was born in the city of Shklov in the year 1726. He was one of the great talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov and a colleague of the Mezritcher Maggid, Reb Michel of Zlotshov, Reb Yaakov Yosef of Polno’ah, and other great tzaddikim.
He first lived in Koritz and then moved to Ostro’oh. Many of the chassidishe rebbes were guided by him. In 1791, he planned to immigrate to Eretz Yisroel but passed away en route in the town of Shpituvka on the 10th of Elul.
Reb Pinchas once asked the Mezritcher Maggid, “Why do you have many chassidim, whereas I only have a few?” The Maggid replied, “We know that the parshios of Chukas and Balak can be together, and so can the parshios of Matos and Maasei. Parshas Pinchas, however, is always separate because Pinchas was a zealot and only wanted the truth. The same is with you, for you are always demanding truth, and consequently, you have few followers.”
A chassid of Reb Pinchas was once traveling, when he was suddenly overcome with strong hunger pangs. He stopped at an inn and asked the innkeeper to bring him some food quickly.
“I am very sorry,” apologized the innkeeper. “I cannot serve you the hearty meal I usually provide, since it is already three days that my daughter is having trouble giving birth, and my entire household is in great turmoil. All I can offer you is some cake and mashke.”
The chassid took the cake and mashke and announced with great fervor, “You are now fulfilling the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim! And since I am the recipient of the mitzvah, I am now close to Hashem. I therefore daven that Hashem immediately help your daughter!”
As he concluded his proclamation, voices were heard happily calling, “Mazal tov! Mazal tov! It’s a boy.” When the chassid returned to Reb Pinchas and greeted him with “Shalom,” Reb Pinchas said, “I see on you a ‘thread of kindness,’ the likes of techiyas hameisim!” The chassid then related all that had occurred to him. When he finished, Reb Pinchas heartily thanked him, “Yashar koach! No tzaddik in this world has as of yet thought to give life to a child and his mother in the merit of the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim.”
