Thousands of Bnei Brak residents accompanied HaRav Zalman
Drori, zt"l, to his final rest on the 13th of Tishrei.
Until his passing, HaRav Drori was rav of the Chemdas Tzvi-
Kehillas Chanichei Hayeshivos Synagogue on Ben Zakai Street
in Bnei Brak. Formerly a maggid shiur at the Ponevezh
Yeshiva, in his capacity as marbitz Torah he
instructed thousands of talmidim for over fifty years.
He passed away suddenly on 13 Tishrei at the age of 86.
HaRav Zalman Drori, zt"l, was born in Kanishin,
Lithuania. His father was HaRav Mordechai Drori zt"l,
rov of the town. The deceased's parents molded him into a
unique Torah personality who exhibited tremendous
hasmodoh. His parents' home was well-known throughout
Lithuania as a home of hachnosas orchim. In spite of
their dire poverty, there would always be guests at the Drori
residence. Some of the guests were gedolei Torah.
Young Zalman Drori was not yet thirteen when he asked his
parents for permission to travel to Radin in order to bask in
the Torah of the Chofetz Chaim. His parents pleaded with him
saying that the cost of travelling to Radin was prohibitively
high. The bochur then approached one of Kanishin's
wagon drivers to take him to Radin. When the driver quoted a
high price for the journey, young Zalman proposed a unique
barter in exchange for transportation services: He would
ensure the wagon driver a place in the World to Come! The
wagon driver couldn't refuse such a proposition, and
immediately offered to take the bochur.
Rav Drori celebrated his bar mitzvah in Radin with his fellow
yeshiva bochurim. His parents' participation was
limited solely to their sending him tefillin from
Kanishin.
Later, Rav Drori transferred to the Baranovitch Yeshiva,
under HaRav Elchonon Wassermann, Hy"d. Rav Drori
became a talmid muvhok of HaRav Wassermann. Suffering
from starvation, his only nourishment would be from the
spiritual food of the Torah and its yegi'ah.
Rav Drori subsequently published a sefer entitled,
Kovetz Inyonim. The sefer contains
chiddushim from his rabbonim, HaRav Elchonon
Wassermann, zt"l, and HaRav Dovid Rappaport,
zt"l, as he heard them, with Rav Drori's personal
touch.
Afterwards, Rav Drori went to learn from HaRav Shimon Shkop,
zt"l, the rosh yeshiva of Grodno, who treated the lad
like his own child. Rav Drori merited to spend an extensive
period in shimush by HaRav Shimon Shkop.
Rav Drori was at the Grodno Yeshiva when he was suddenly
issued a draft notice. With the advice of his rosh yeshiva,
Rav Drori left Grodno for Eretz Yisroel. On the way, Rav
Drori visited the home of HaRav Chaim Ozer, zt"l, as
an emissary for HaRav Shkop.
HaRav Drori arrived in Eretz Yisroel after a journey full of
hardship. Immediately upon his arrival, he started to learn
at the Lomzhe Yeshiva in Petach Tikva. After his marriage, he
continued his studies at the Kollel Volozhin in Bnei Brak.
When the Ponovezher Rav, zt"l, established Ponovezh's
Yeshiva Letze'irim, he appointed Rav Drori as maggid
shiur. His dedication to the students was exceptional.
Rav Drori's numerous talmidim -- whether from the
Ponovezh Yeshiva, Tiferes Tzion, or from Bnei Brak's Talmud
Torah Merkaz where he served as rosh mesivta -- saw
him as an educator par excellence. His teaching techniques
were based upon the tradition that he received from his
rabbonim, who were gedolei Yisroel.
Many times he was the keynote speaker on public issues. He
was a fighter, representing the gedolei Yisroel of
past and present. He served for the last few years as rov of
the Beis Medrash Chemdas Tzvi-Chanichei Hayeshivos in Bnei
Brak.
The Rov gave a sichas chizuk this past Yom Kippur eve
to his congregation with exceptionally heartfelt words. Three
days later, while walking in Bnei Brak, he suddenly fell ill.
Within a few minutes, his pure soul was returned to its
Maker. The levaya left from the Chemdas Tzvi
synagogue, making its way to the Ponevezh Yeshiva cemetery in
Bnei Brak.
Rav Drori is survived by sons and sons-in-law who are
gedolei Torah, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren
who are continuing in his ways. His son-in-law, HaRav
Yitzchok Goldberg, is a rav in Kiryat Sefer; HaRav Mordechai
serves as a rosh yeshiva at Chemed Litze'irim; HaRav Yekutiel
is a rosh kollel and maggid shiur in daf
hayomi; HaRav Ozer is a mechaber sefer of Mareh
Ozer on Shas; along with Rav Avraham, and throngs
of talmidim which he merited to instruct over the
decades.
