Acharei Mot: Mevaser Tzeddek

The 7th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak of Drovitch (Drohobitch, Drohobycz, Drohobich, Drogobycz, Drogobich, Drobich, Dobrowlany, Dobrovlyany) (1758). He was the father of Rav Yechiel Michel, the Maggid of Zlotschov. In later years, Rav Yitzchak served as the official maggid or “mochiach” (admonisher) and dayan in the beis din of Brod at the time when Rav Yitzchak of Hamburg was serving as the town’s rav. Rav

Yitzchak’s name is specifically attached to Drohobitch, a town that lies 40 miles south of Lvov and today is a major petroleum refining center. Like many towns in this region, the town switched nationalities periodically during its history, starting off as a Ukrainian village before becoming part of Galicia. In the 14th century Drohobitch became Polish when King Kazimierz annexed Galicia to Poland. Then Austria seized the town in 1772 during a partition of Poland. Poland grabbed it back for 20 years just before World War II and, today it is once more under Ukrainian control, minus its Jewish population. In 1939 Drohobitch had about 10,000 Poles, 10,000 Ukrainians and 15,000 Jews. [Hamodia 2006, 2009 says 1744, and noted that “others say 1750”]

“And God spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, when they approached before God, and they died (Vayikra 16:1).” The closer that Nadav and Avihu ‘approached God,” the more they sensed that they were still distant, and that they had to kill the physical desires within them, “and they died.” (Mevaser Tzeddek in the name of his ancestor)