When the wealthy Mr. Yehudah Leib Segal and his wife Beila, the future in-laws of Rabbi Shneur-Zalman--much later in life to become the Alter Rebbe of Chabad-took him as a chatan for their daughter Shterna, their endearment towards him was unlimited. Regardless of his young age [15 when they married], he was considered one of the greatest scholars of the time.
Their admiration slowly eroded, however, upon observing that his way of serving the Creator (which was based on the teachings of the Shaloh HaKodesh), and especially his davvening [praying] at length, was foreign to them. When he returned from Mezeritch and lived publicly as a chasid of the Maggid of Mezeritch, their feelings for him turned to anger and hostility.
One Erev Yom Tov, the mother-in-law had a halachic [Jewish Law] question on the meat being prepared for their meal. As was customary, she thought to send one of her helpers to ask the Rav the question, however, he wasn’t available then.
A few moments later she thought, “While I personally don’t understand my son-in-law’s ways, everyone says he is a true Torah scholar. Since time is of the essence, I will ask him the same question, and if he says it is kosher, surely the Rav would say so as well. This way, I will be able to save some precious time by preparing it earlier, especially as there is a lot to do this Erev Yom Tov.”
Taking the actual piece of meat in question, she knocked on the door to the room where he was learning, entered, and asked him the question she had. After hearing the question and examining the piece of meat he said, “It is one hundred percent kosher without any doubt.”
Delighted with his answer, she told the cook to begin preparing the meal using the rest of the meat. However, when her helper arrived, without mentioning that her son-in-law already gave a decision, she sent him to the Rav with the original piece just to make certain.
It is unclear whether this story took place before he became a chasid or afterwards.
Some time later, when the dish was almost ready, the messenger returned with the Rav’s decision: “It is treif [opposite of kosher].”
She was dumbfounded! Not only were her son-in-law’s customs and ways of conduct strange to them, but he was evidently an ignoramus as well. How he was able to fool so many people into thinking that he was a scholar of the highest caliber was beyond her. Here he says there is no question what-so-ever, it is kosher beyond a doubt; yet the respected Rav declared it not kosher.
Her distress turned to bitterness as she unleashed her anger at her son-in-law: “Not only can’t you do anything in business; you don’t know Jewish law either! Why are we supporting you all these years? So you can sit and dream as if you know it all?! You just made my whole kitchen treif!”
Hearing her tirade, the messenger quietly slipped out of the house and rushed back to the Rav, informing him of the storm brewing in the Segals’ house. The Rav once again reviewed the question and came to the same conclusion that the animal was treif. However, not wanting to cause friction among others, especially as he held Rabbi Shneur-Zalman in the highest esteem, he decided to discuss it with another Rav.
After a thorough review, they both concluded that it was unequivocally treif. When the second Rav asked the first Rav what bothered him so much that he would spend so much time on such an obvious halachah, the Rav replied, “Reb Yehudah Segal’s illustrious son-in-law ruled that it is kosher, so now there is a battle brewing in the house of the admired head of our community!”
“So let him come and explain his reason to us,” said the second Rav.
“No!” replied the first Rav. “I heard many scholarly explanations from him, and I also stood by his open window many nights listening to his learning. He is definitely greater than I, so it is only right that I go to him.”
The two rabbis walked together to Reb Yehudah’s house. When they arrived at the door were shocked as they overheard the mother-in-law’s emotional tirade that after all this time was still going on. They knocked on the door and waited outside until one of the helpers opened the door and went to inform her mistress of her distinguished guests. Mrs. Segal greeted them respectfully and asked in bewilderment why the honored rabbis had come. Perhaps they needed something? They informed her that they had come to discuss her query about the meat with her knowledgeable son-in-law.
“Wonderful!” she exclaimed. “Maybe when he is informed of his terrible mistake, he will finally listen to reason and change his ways. I kept the food in the pots on the side, so my husband will see what our son-in-law did.”
When the Alter Rebbe was told that the rabbis had come and would like to discuss the question with him, he came out of his room and greeted them warmly.
They asked him, “On what basis did you rule that the animal is kosher, as the Shach clearly writes that if this is seen on in an animal, it is treif?”
“I beg to differ,” responded Rabbi Shneur-Zalman. “It is the Shach himself who paskens that it is kosher.” He then began to review the Shach verbatim. As the two rabbis listened, they immediately recognized their mistake in the meaning of the Shach’s words and admitted to the much younger rabbi in amazement that he was correct.
In order to show that they really meant it and weren’t just saying it to make peace in the house, they requested that Mrs Segal bring them a small portion of the dish in question, and they each ate from it before leaving.
Source
Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from a weekly email story of Rabbi Sholom Avtzon <avtzonbooks @ gmail.com>, a veteran educator and the author of numerous books on the seven Chabad Rebbes and their chasidim.
Rabbi Avtzon adds:
Concerning this story, which I said in my father’s name over the years. During that time period it was unknown, and often when I repeated it, some questioned its validity. However, a few years later, it was printed in Kerem Chabad, Vol. IV, part 1, from a manuscript of a grandson of the Rebbe Maharash [The 4th Lubavitcher Rebbe]. This is testimony to the authenticity of all of the stories I heard from my father, and therefore I rarely make reference to other publications where the story is also mentioned, or the differences between them.
Why this week? Thursday night–Friday, the 24th of the Jewish month of Tevet [2025: Jan. 24] is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shneur Zalman.
Biographic note
Rabbi Shneur-Zalman [18 Elul 1745-24 Tevet 1812], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement. He is the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.
Rabbi Shabtai HaKohen (1622-1663) authored one of the most important and influential commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch, the 16th century authoritative compendium of Jewish Law, by Rabbi Yosef Caro of Tsfat (‘Safed‘).
