The yeshiva world was cloaked in mourning upon receiving news
of the histalkus of HaRav Abba Mordechai Berman
zt"l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Iyun HaTalmud who had
the merit of learning firsthand from the Torah giants of the
previous generation. One of our generation's great
marbitzei Torah he spent years turning out talmidei
chachomim in Eretz Yisroel and in the US. Tefillos
for his recovery were held in numerous yeshivas but last
Thursday afternoon the bitter news of his passing arrived.
Abba Mordechai Berman was born on Tu BeShevat 5679 (1919) to
HaRav Shaul Yosef, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Toras Chessed in
Lodz, a leading talmid of the Chofetz Chaim and a
descendent of the Kli Yokor. His unusual abilities were
evident even when he was very young.
When his father took Mordechai along during a visit to the
Chofetz Chaim, the latter quizzed him on "HaMafkid,"
the third chapter of Bovo Metzia, and declared the six-
year-old was destined for greatness. "Keep him hidden," the
Chofetz Chaim told the boy's father. The Chofetz Chaim said
that if the Vilna Gaon had been kept more hidden in his
youth, he would have been bigger.
After his bar mitzvah HaRav Shaul Yosef sent Abba Mordechai
to Yeshivas Mir, where he cleaved to HaRav Yeruchom
zt"l and became one of his closest talmidim.
Later he said upon arrival at Mir he had already mastered
four masechtos.
Despite his young age Abba Mordechai was accepted by the
leading talmidim at the yeshiva, including HaRav Chaim
Shmuelevitz. The students at the yeshiva nicknamed him Abba
Einstein the Lodzer. Once, when he was making a special
campaign for chizuk in the yeshiva, HaRav Yeruchom
declared, "If I had ten Abba Lodzers at the yeshiva I would
not have to do anything to promote chizuk for years at
a time." For years Abba Mordechai was the first bochur
in the beis medrash and the last to leave.
From the time of his arrival at Mir until his petiroh
HaRav Berman's entire life revolved around the holy Torah,
which he labored over with all his might, producing profound
insights. At Mir every week he would present
chiddushim on Seder Kodshim before HaRav Eliezer Yudel
Finkel, who once said that no other bochur at the
yeshiva could give a chaburoh on Seder Kodshim
like Abba Lodzer.
He remained with the yeshiva during its period of exile in
Shanghai, where he studied with HaRav Nachum Partzovitz who
noted his depth and toil in Torah. At the time Abba Mordechai
was simultaneously studying Kiddushin, Nozir and
Oholos be'iyun and he committed to memory 105 of the
Ravad's challenges to the Rambam on the halochos of tumas
meis. Once he recalled that during these years at
Yeshivas Mir he was able to visualize 1,000 pages of
gemora he had learned by heart.
While in Shanghai, when the yeshiva received a copy of
Rabbenu Chaim Halevy's chiddushim on the Rambam, he
learned the book by heart between the sedorim. HaRav
Reuven Fine recalls that in Shanghai whoever wanted to know a
pshat in the sefer would ask Rav Abba. He later
said that that sefer was one of his main influences in
learning.
It was a very difficult period for him since he was the only
member of his family that was not trapped in Poland. He tried
to help them as best he could, but was not successful.
After the Second World War he arrived in the US, where he was
among the founders of Yeshivas Mir there. Later he moved to
Eretz Yisroel, where he started Yeshivas Iyun HaTalmud in
Bnei Brak. He and his yeshiva moved many times, having been
at various stages over the course of some 40 years in Bnei
Brak, Far Rockaway, Monsey, Yerushalayim, and Kiryat Sefer.
In addition to the shiurim he delivered at the yeshiva
he also gave shiurim and chaburos to
talmidim thirsting for Torah, including a group from
Yeshivas Ponovezh that would meet at his home to absorb his
brilliant Torah teachings. Young and old would gather around
him to enjoy his clarity on every topic.
His shiurim were phenomenal. He would devote all of
his strength to paving a smooth course for an understanding
of each and every sugya and he knew how to use every
ounce of a student's ability to comprehend. His vast
knowledge and warmth drew every ben aliya earnestly
seeking Torah.
His talmidim, many of whom now serve as roshei
yeshivos, dayonim and marbitzei Torah, grew
very attached to their rebbe, and many formed a father-
son relationship with him. They saw him as a compassionate
father figure who sought only their best interests,
navigating them along the path leading to Beis Hashem
based on the teachings he had received from his rabbonim,
who were among the gedolei Yisroel of the prewar
generation.
The last twenty-five years of his life were spent in Eretz
Yisroel, where he had always longed to be. His final
residence was Kiryat Sefer in Modi'in Illit. His profound
shiurim were published in five volumes, which reveal
his depth, straight thinking and clear chiddushim. His
shiurim on Kodshim are considered a fundamental
source for gaining an understanding of these difficult
sugyos.
He also left behind writings on all of the sugyos in
the Shas, which he toiled over throughout his
lifetime. Once he told one of his talmidim, "Whenever
I answer a question I understand and see before me all of the
pages I am asked about."
During the last few years he gave shiurim at the
branch of Yeshivas Knesses Yitzchok in Kiryat Sefer. Just one
week before his histalkus he delivered his last
shiur and participated in the distribution of stipends
through the Bnei Brak organization, Uchsavtom, despite his
frail condition.
Last Wednesday night, after suffering a major stroke, he was
rushed to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer, where he returned
his pure soul to his Maker.
On Thursday towards evening at 6:30 p.m. the yeshiva in
Modi'in Illit and the roadway outside turned black with
people as an endless flow of avreichim and bnei
Torah arrived to take part in the levaya. When the
mittoh was brought into the yeshiva the
paroches was removed from the aron kodesh in
accordance with the din aveilus following the passing
of a tzaddik. Before the levaya set out,
hespeidim were given by HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok Barzel,
HaRav Hillel Zaks, the deceased's son-in-law HaRav Mordechai
Altusky, HaRav Tuvio Novik, HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and
HaRav Refoel Wolpin, speaking in the name of the
talmidim.
Following the eulogies, the levaya proceeded through
the streets of Kiryat Sefer with thousands of local residents
following the mittoh to the city's entrance. From
there the body was taken to Jerusalem's Shamgar Funeral Hall
for taharoh before the procession continued on to
Yeshivas Mir.
As the scheduled time for the Jerusalem segment of the
levaya drew near thousands gathered outside Yeshivas
Mir, including numerous roshei yeshivos. Moving eulogies were
delivered by HaRav Aryeh Finkel, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, HaRav
Shlomo Brevda, the deceased's son-in-law, HaRav Avrohom
Orenstein, and HaRav Moshe Wolpin his closest talmid.
The procession then continued on its way to Har Hamenuchos,
where he was buried after midnight.
HaRav Abba Mordechai Berman zt"l is survived by six
daughters married to prominent rabbonim: HaRav Sholom
Rosengarten, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohel Torah in Monsey,
HaRav Mordechai Altusky, one of the roshei yeshivas of
Yeshivas Torah Or, HaRav Avrohom Orenstein, a ram at
Yeshivas Bircas Moshe, HaRav Moshe Twersky, a ram at
Yeshivas Toras Moshe, HaRav Eliyohu Feldman, a prominent
avreich in Jerusalem, and HaRav Chaim Oded Kagan, a
ram at Yeshivas Baltimore. He also left behind
grandchildren and great-grandchildren carrying on his
spiritual legacy as well as thousands of talmidim
mourning the loss of their beloved rebbe.
