Yechiel Michel of Zlotshov

Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zloczow (1725/1726 – 15 September 1781), known as The Maggid of Zloczow, was one of the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezeritch.

Biography Yechiel was born in Brody (modern-day Ukraine) in 1726. His father, Rabbi , initially opposed the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, but later became a fan of his and sent Yechiel to study with him. On his father's side, he was attributed to a large family of rabbis and tzaddikim. His grandfather was rabbi Yosef Safravidliwer, rabbi of Pistyn. His great-grandfather was Rabbi Moshe of Swierz. He was the brother of Rabbi Yosef Drobitzer, Chief Judge of Medzhybizh. He married Sarah Rakhil.

After the death of the Besht, he began to lead a congregation and also visited the Maggid many times. He excelled in leadership with holiness and asceticism, especially in keeping the covenant. He was gifted with incredible preaching talent, and his reputation grew as a storyteller. He became the Maggid Misharim in the communities of Brody, Kalk, Zloczow, and Yampol. He used to pray late into the night and claimed that like the tribe of Dan that marched to the end of Israel and collected their losses, he collected all prayers that were unintentional and brought them back to their source. He was a spiritual rabbi who spent much time on Kabbalah.

In the final years of his life, Yechiel gained wealth and said that it expanded his mind to serve God. He served as Maggid in Zloczow until his death on the 25th of Elul, and was buried in Yampil.

Yechiel did not write any books, but his progeny and pupils often quoted his sayings in their works. Years later, Rabbi published a collection of his sayings called "Many Waters" (מים רבים). Among his disciples were:

Rabbi Rabbi Hayyim Tyrer

Rabbi , progenitor of the Rabbi , progenitor of the Rabbi Zev Wolf of Zbaraz, rabbi in the town of Zbarazh Rabbi , founder of the Zvhil dynasty Rabbi Mordechai of Kremnitz, rabbi in the town of Kremenets Rebbetzin Miriam, who married David of Stepin in a second marriage His father was Rabbi , a disciple of the Besht. Yitzhak's father was Rabbi Yosef of Pistyn, nicknamed "Rabbi Yosef Ish Emet". Yitzhak's mother was Yanta, nicknamed "Yanta the Prophet". Yosef's father was Rabbi Moshe of .

According to family tradition, Yechiel was the scion of a privileged family from Galicia that lived and worked in the town of Brody and its shtetls. The beginning of the dynasty is attributed to Rabbi Yitzchak Hayut (1538 – 1610), whose family supposedly descends from Rashi and King David. The veracity of these claims is not currently verified.