Why I Brought a Goat Into Zal

Rabbi Mendy Levin, Menahel of Cheder Chabad, Philadelphia

The recent visitor to our Cheder, oddly, meant quite a lot to me. It was a goat. Brought to school to teach kids about the korban Pesach. (It can be a sheep or a goat.)

And I just had to carry it to the “zal”. I usually keep a distance from animals. But, I held it like a baby and brought it to the zal.

You see, when my great-grandfather was a bochur, he brought a goat into zal (the beis medrash). This was in the original Tomchei Tmimim. The prestigious yeshiva in the city of Lubavitch, where the top, serious bochurim would daven and learn. Apparently, Zeide Yisroel was more of the jumpy type. If he were a child today, he’d easily qualify for some diagnosis. (I say this respectfully, given his reverence as a mashpia, and acknowledging that this is a new-agey way of thinking about it.) He’d be the kid who gets bored with the monotony of class and needs to create some excitement.

So he grabs a wild goat from the shtetl and brings it into zal. The image I have is of a goat running wildly around the room, while bochurim jump up from their Gemaras, darting to and fro to ditch its charge. Chassidim like to add that he got the goat drunk. (For all you know, the story was much simpler and toned down. But, without it being on YouTube, we have the prerogative to imagine it as we wish.)

The menahel, the Freidiker Rebbe, sends him home. This isn’t the prototype tomim. He’s got to leave.

Well, young Yisroel hangs out in Lubavitch. And when he needs to eat, he stops off at some store (iskafya-style restaurant) and orders food. When asked to pay, he plainly responds that he is a Yeshiva bochur and they should put it on the yeshiva’s bill. This repeats itself for a few days.

When the Yeshiva receives the bill, Yisroel is summoned. This time, to the Rebbe himself, the Rebbe Rashab. (His son, the Freidiker Rebbe was the menahel.)

The Rebbe asks R’ Yisroel to explain himself. And, R’ Yisroel, in characteristic wit responds that he has a “tirutz” and an “ibo’is eima”. As if he is giving the Rebbe a pilpul. (An initial response, and if you don’t like that, here’s another one. Basic Gemara.)
The first answer: Rebbe, if I don’t eat, I’ll get sick and die. You’d need to pay for the burial plot, chevra kadisha, aron, etc. I got you a good deal. You just needed to pay for a bit of food. Ve’ibo’is eima, Rebbe, if you send me out of Yeshiva, you’re not just expelling me, you’re expelling my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Upon hearing that, the Rebbe Rashab readmitted him into Tomchei Tmimim.

And this was Zeide Yisroel. A real tomim and Chossid. And a man with wit, charm, and personality. The renowned R’ Yisroel Nevler. I am one of those “great-grandchildren”.

As a mechenach, this story means a lot to me. I have always had an affinity towards students who are out of the box. Those who aren’t cookie-cutter kids. Those who push limits and bring goats into zal. As a teacher, one of the most fulfilling things was connecting with them, showing them how valuable they are for who they are, and helping them succeed.

When I moved into the menahel role, this became a lot harder. I am more removed from these students. My role often involves dealing with them when they are “in trouble” without having a proper connection and appreciation of who they really are.
There are times when I feel that it’s the right choice to send a child home. In fact, it happened today. But those moments are incredibly painful. The boy brought the goat into zal, but he will be a tomim and a chossid. He will be the tomim and chossid with wit, charm, and personality.

This story helps me in two ways. Kind of like the tirutz and eibo’is eima. The tirutz (which also means excuse) is that there is a time and place for “sending a boy home”, disciplining in a way that enforces strong boundaries and a standard.

But the eibo’is eima is what I need to constantly remind myself of. To look at the child in his fullness, as someone special. As someone who has amazing qualities. As someone who deserves love and acceptance, no matter what.

And so, I just needed to bring that goat into zal today.