A great scholar in Chassidus, R. Zalman Velkes of Dubravna was also a wealthy businessman and renowned for his generosity. When someone came for tzedaka, he would take a bulging handful of coins without even looking at how much he took.
Born in Vilna, R. Zalman Velkes lived in Dubravna and was a chossid of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe. A great scholar in Chassidus, R. Zalman was also a wealthy businessman and renowned for his generosity. His son-in-law was R. Nechemiah of Dubravna, the author of Divrei Nechemiah.
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Though he grew up in a chassidishe home, as a youth in Vilna, R. Zalman was influenced with corrupt beliefs. His father tried bringing him to the Alter Rebbe who even inquired about the youngster, but Zalman refused to come.
When the family moved to Dubrovna, they finally managed to bring him before the Rebbe. The Rebbe’s words entered his heart like an arrow, and he was immediately transformed. He devoted himself to the Rebbe and began to study Chassidus and daven at length. So much so, that he could stand through a long winter night learning Chassidus in depth without noticing what was happening around him.
R. Zalman was an exceptional baal tzedakah. He designated three boxes of coins: gold, silver and copper. When a person would request tzedakah, he would take a bulging handful of whichever coins he thought they deserved.
R. Pinchas Reizes, who was himself a great baal tzedakah, visited R. Zalman to learn from his ways. He later told the Alter Rebbe that he copied R. Zalman’s practice, but with one difference: R. Zalman would give the entire handful without looking, while R. Pinchas gave his handful, but would open it up to see how much is inside…
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Before his passing, R. Zalman wrote a pan asking the Mitteler Rebbe to daven that he merit to enter Gehenom immediately after his passing. In his will, he wrote that he has nothing to rely on for the Day of Judgement except for the power of the Rebbe and of tzedakah.
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Gehenom? Why??
As a chossid, he knew his place and recognized that he was not a tzaddik and he would need to go to Gehenom. His only request was that he be admitted right away and not need to wander ch”v.