R. Zalman Zezmer was of the greatest chassidim of the Alter Rebbe. He was an incredible maskil, used by the Rabbeim as a prime example for in-depth understanding of Chassidus. He travelled to many places to teach Chassidus, and served as Rov in the town of Zezmer and later in Denenburg and Krislava, where he is buried. One of his talmidim was the esteemed chossid R. Hillel Paritcher.
A number of factors brought R. Zalman to Chassidus. One of them was as follows: R. Binyamin Kletzker, a great chossid of the Alter Rebbe, once visited R. Zalman’s town for Shabbos Zachor. As the parsha of Amalek was read from the Torah, Reb Zalman noticed strong emotions of hate and disgust on R. Binyamin’s face, something that he had never witnessed before. R. Binyamin’s davening also made a deep impression on him. After davening, he approached him and asked, “Could you tell me what evil Amalek caused you that you hate him so much?” R. Binyamin said, “Our Rebbe explained what Amalek is all about.” “Could I meet your Rebbe?” R. Zalman inquired. R. Binyamin sent a letter with Reb Zalman to R. Meir Refael’s asking him to accept the young man and send him to Liozna.
(רשימ"ד החדש עמ' 235)
The Alter Rebbe would recite Chassidus for the older and newer Chassidim separately, and was very particular that neither group should attend the other’s Chassidus. R. Zalman, already a seasoned chossid, wanted very much to attend the “yungeh Chassidus.” He asked his roommate in Liozna—a newer chossid—to notify him when he is called to a maamar so he could sneak in. That afternoon R. Zalman was napping, and when heard about the maamar, he rushed out without washing neggel vasser. When the Alter Rebbe entered the room he fervently exclaimed, “What’s this? Without neggel vasser?!” R. Zalman quickly escaped.
(רמ"ח אותיות אות פ"א)
Before his passing, R. Zalman said that he could account for every second of his life for the past seven years.
(רמ"ח אותיות אות כ"ו)
