Reb Zalman Moshe learned as a tomim in Lubavitch. He served as a shochet and mashpia in Nevel and later in Eretz Yisroel. He was a chossid and oved in the full sense of the word. He was known for the sharp and unapologetic style of farbrengen and demands he made from his listeners. At the end of his life he became paralyzed and could not speak well. He passed away on the 3rd of Shvat, תשי"ב (1952).
For many years, Reb Zalman Moshe maintained a steady schedule of learning Chassidus. Each morning before dawn he would rise early to learn for six hours straight. When he finished he marked his place with a pencil. At times he was found to have only learned a number of lines, having spent the time internalizing it.
Reb Moshe Naparstak recounts:
We were a group of bochurim and Reb Zalman Moshe came to visit us. He was paralyzed and his speech was very unclear. In the middle of the visit, a Tanya was placed on his table. He took it and started kissing it many times as tears rolled down his cheeks...
Reb Yoel Kahan relates:
Reb Zalman Moshe was a special chossid and his davening was unique. When I knew him in Tel Aviv he was already paralyzed and he could barely speak, but every word of his davening was crystal clear. I once visited him one afternoon and found him wrapped in tallis and tefillin and reciting shir shel yom. I wondered why he was davening at such a late hour. Then I found out that he had davened in the morning but when he got to the Shir Shel Yom he had no strength left and he had to take off his tallis and tefillin. In the afternoon, after he regained some strength, he put on his tallis and tefillin again, something very difficult for him being partially paralyzed, just to recite shir shel yom, kavei, and aleinu.
