HARAV MORDECHAI ZUKERMAN, zt”l (1912- 2004) was born in Smorgon in and raised in a home of Torah and chessed. In his youth he studied at Yeshivas Lida under HaRav Yaakov Neiman before traveling to Radin to learn at the Chofetz Chaim’s yeshiva where he studied assiduously for eight years, including two years of close ties with the Chofetz Chaim. During the Chofetz Chaim’s elderly years, when he would step out for a walk with his talmidim, HaRav Zuckerman was among them.

After World War II broke out, he arrived at the Kovna Ghetto where he became a disciple of HaRav Avrohom Grozhinsky. As a talmid muvhok during an extended period, he was trusted to record all of HaRav Grozhinsky’s Torah learning in writing.

He travelled to France, married, and came to the Land of Israel. Upon his arrival, he consulted with the Chazon Ish, who advised him to settle in Jerusalem. During this period HaRav Yechezkel Sarna asked him to serve as spiritual director of Yeshivas Chevron, but HaRav Zuckerman’s wife asked her husband to continue his learning. He spent the next several years studying at Beis Knesses Achvoh in Zichron Moshe, where he continued to grow in Torah and mussar. Afterwards he was appointed Rosh Kollel Chevron at Beis Medrash Prushim in Givat Shaul, where he learned and taught Torah to thousands for over 56 years.

He had a study chavrusa with HaRav Shlomo Wolbe for many years, and passed on the fundamentals of mussar to his many talmidim.

Rabbi Gerzi knew Rav Zuckerman for two years and together, they learned Rabbeinu Yonah Sha’arei Teshuva, and only after the fact did Rabbi Gerzi discover that he had been learning Rav Zuckerman’s own peirush on the sefer. Rabbi Gerzi would often travel to his home where they would speak at length about many topics, including hearing first-hand stories about the Chofetz Chaim and other Gedolei Torah. Rav Zuckerman also introduced Rabbi Gerzi to Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe. From these Gedolei Torah, Rabbi Gerzi received a deep passion for learning mussar and gained in appreciation for the importance of discipline and being authentic with oneself, and Rabbi Zuckerman transmitted his mesorah of ancient mussar practices, which have been incorporated into the targilim that Rabbi Gerzi teaches.

When coming to Rav Mordechai Zukerman, I found my learning very difficult because of the dyslexia. When I told Rabbi Zukerman about my dyslexia, reading, and difficulties in learning, he said to me something that changed the way I functioned in Jewish life. He said, “You may not be able to read; however, you don’t need to read to work on your middot to become a Baal Mussar.” And that is something that has affected me forever.