Rav Avrohom Mordechai Isbee zt”l

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Avrohom Mordechai Isbee zt”l. He was 79 years old.

Rav Avrohom Mordechai was born in the United States, where his family lived in Detroit, Michigan. He was a son of Rav Tzvi Yaakov Isbee and a grandson of Rav Nechemia Isbee.

Reb Tzvi Yaakov’s daughters married noted talmidei chachomim, Rav Shalom Shapiro shlit”a and lhbcl”c Rav Asher Zelig Rubinsteinm zt”l.

Rav Avrohom Mordechai attended Telshe Yeshiva and later moved to Eretz Yisroel.

He became known as one of the greatest talmidei chachomim in the Gerer chassidus and was selected by the Lev Simcha of Ger to serve as a maggid shiur at the Gerer Yeshiva Bais Yisroel in Ashdod.

Over the years, hundreds of talmidim learned under Rav Avrohom Mordechai, who was known as a gaon of rare caliber.

Rav Avrohom Mordechai was a world-class genius and masmid, who was also an exceedingly humble man and a hidden tzaddik.

About a decade ago, Rav Avrohom Mordechai contracted Alzheimer’s. His family monitored his condition and supported him around the clock, but it was a source of overwhelming sorrow to them to see their brilliant father in this state, to have to answer his confused questions, and to see that he could not recognize even his closest family members.

The following is an astounding story about Rav Avrohom Mordechai, recorded in the book Food for Thought:

During the winter of 2015, his grandson got married, and the father of the chassan discovered, to his surprise, that there is a wonder drug that could bring about an amazing turnaround for a few hours; after taking it, the patient returns to himself to some extent, albeit only for a short amount of time. The drug’s side effects are too damaging for it to be taken regularly, but it can be taken once every few months. The family planned to give the pill to Rav Avrohom Mordechai on the day of the wedding, so he could partake in the simchah and speak to the guests. What could bring the family more joy than that?

Several hours before the wedding, Rav Avrohom Mordechai was given the pill, and he became more lucid than he had been in months. “Abba,” his son said, “I am marrying off my son. We are taking you to the wedding.” Rav Avrohom Mordechai, suddenly remembering his son and grandson, trembled with excitement and was happy to embrace them, but he announced that he did not intend to go to the wedding.

 “Why?” cried the disappointed family members. They presumed that his faculties were still impaired.

 “I have missed many hours of learning,” Rav Avrohom Mordechai replied.

He proceeded to sit and learn for 15 hours, taking notes in his notebook in his compact handwriting.

Only one of his sons was capable of deciphering his father’s handwriting, and he went to the house to determine whether the notes were sensible or if his father’s mind was impaired as before. Perusing the notes, the son was astonished: Rav Avrohom Mordechai had written many pages of notes on Maseches Bava Basra and a few on Maseches Pesachim. The notes on the previous pages in the book, which had been written several years earlier, were also mostly on Maseches Bava Basra, with a few pages on Maseches Pesachim!

Rav Avrohom Mordechai is survived by his dedicated wife and his wonderful family.

Yehi zichro boruch.

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