R. Avrohom HaLevi Landau, known as R. Avremke Zhebiner, was a chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Maharash. He was a grandson of R. Zalman Kurenitzer, who was the leading chossid of the city of Kurenitz and was of the great chassidim of the Alter Rebbe. At first, R. Avremke was in business in Kurenitz and was quite a gvir. When things changed and he lost his fortune, the Rebbe Maharash appointed him to be the rov of the city Zhebin.
R. Avremke was once asked why he chose to be the rabbi of such a small town as Zhebin, when he could have been a rabbi of a much more respectable city. R. Avremke replied, “If I was interested in taking a position of rabbi, a more respectable community would have been my choice. But to me, the honor and power of a rabbinic position is undesirable, and so the smaller the community, the better.”
(זכרונות סבא ע' מז)
R. Groinem once came to know an esteemed individual who rose early each morning to lament the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. R. Groinem asked his mashpia R. Avremke if he knew any chassidim who did this. R. Avremke replied that there are chassidim who do it, but they are particular not to let others know about it.
R. Groinem took it as referring to R. Avremke himself.
(רשימו"ד ח"א ע' רס"ג)
Once, a kernel of wheat was found in a room that had been cleaned for Pesach, and R. Avrohom cried about it bitterly.
(זכרונות סבא ע' מז)
In earlier times, it was hard to get large amounts of wheat for matza that was guarded from the time of harvest (shmura). The common practice was to eat shmura matza only at the sedarim, and the rest of Pesach people would eat handmade matza that was made with non-shmura wheat. When it was suggested to R. Avremke that he undertake the stringency of eating shmura for all of Pesach, he replied that he hadn't yet reached that level.
(הלקח והליבוב ח"ב ע' ר"ה)
