Born in Homel around 5590, R. Zalman Duchman—the older brother of R. Mordechai Yoel—was a talmid of R. Aizel Homiler, and a chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek and then of his son Harav Chaim Shneur Zalman of Liadi. R. Zalman served as the Rov of the town of Korma and passed away in 5670.
R. Zalman's father, R. Avrohom Bartzuker, was a poor and simple chossid and the family was supported by their mother's baking. In their youth, R. Zalman and his younger R. Mordechai Yoel, who was 6-7 years his junior, would look for opportunities to spend time around R. Aizel Homiler. At one point, R. Aizel offered to teach them both Nigleh and Chassidus according to their level. When R. Aizel married off his granddaughter to R. Shimon Leizer Tumarkin, he encouraged his grandson-in-law to spend time with the Duchman brothers.
(שמועות וסיפורים ח"ב ע' 207)
Having spent three weeks visiting his ailing father, it was time for R. Zalman to return to his community in Korma. As they said their goodbyes, R. Zalman told his father, "First thing, zie gezunt (be well). And if not, you shouldn't be afraid of any malach or saraf, only of Hashem alone!"
(לשמע אוזן ע' 167)
To travel to the Tzemach Tzedek, poor chassidim would often buy an old horse and a wagon and resell upon their return, thus they would only have to cover the difference in price.
One erev Rosh Hashana, a group of chassidim including R. Zalman Duchman and R. Abba Shaul's, who later became the rov in Liadi, were not far from Lubavitch, when the horse suddenly stopped and refused to budge. R. Abba, who was the oldest of the group, commented, "Our horse is apparently not a chossid, since he doesn't want to go to the Rebbe." R. Zalman retorted, "No, our horse is a chossid and he decided to no longer be a 'horse'..."
(שמועות וסיפורים ח"ב ע' 168)
R. Zalman related that on Shabbos he saw that R. Chaim Shneur Zalman, the Rebbe in Liadi, was taller on Shabbos than during the week.
(כתבי הרח"א ביחובסקי ע' 163)
R. Zalman once came to the Rebbe Rashab and complained that he was having machshavos zaros during davening. Chassidim who were then in Lubavitch heard about his plaint, and they discussed among themselves what type of machshavos zaros would an elderly, distinguished oved Hashem like R. Zalman have? They concluded that it must be like the Rebbe Maharash writes in a maamar that a tzadik has machshavos zaros in davening that his mind drifts to matters of Chassidus unrelated to the part in davening where he is holding.
(ניצוצי אור - וויינגארטן)
