Zlateh the Goat

The haystack symbolizes God’s protection and provision. It’s a miracle, the answer to Aaron’s prayer. When he cries out to God, he’s instantly rewarded for his faith: “Suddenly, he made out the shape of a hill” (416). This hill is actually the haystack that provides shelter for Aaron and Zlateh: “No matter how cold it may be outside, in the hay it was always warm” (417). The haystack provides food for Zlateh, and that nutrition in turn allows Zlateh to provide sustenance for Aaron. Without the haystack, Aaron and Zlateh would not have survived the blizzard. It’s a manifestation and a symbol of a God that protects and provides for Earth’s people and creatures.

Yiddish folklore highlights the value of the “common human.” Singer not only highlights the common human but also the common animal. Singer’s message is that every soul is valuable and matters to God. This is evident through Singer’s ordinary characters: furrier, a stereotypical family, an ordinary goat, and a butcher. Through these common characters, Singer reveals his message. He uses Reuven to show “doubt,” Aaron to show “faith,” and Zlateh to reveal the value of the least. When Reuven finds himself in a financial “desert,” rather than turning to God, praying for snow, and waiting for God to answer his prayers, he chooses to trade away Zlateh’s life:

For Reuven the furrier it was a bad year, and after long hesitation he decided to sell Zlateh the goat [...] Feyvel the town butcher had offered eight gulden for her. Such a sum would buy Hanukkah candles, potatoes, and [...] other holiday necessaries for the house (414).

An ordinary person would make the same choice as Reuven; therefore, Reuven represents understandable doubt. Conversely, in Aaron’s despondent moment, he immediately turns to God, and his prayer is immediately answered. Not once in the story does Aaron question his faith. He walks in faith and represents the ordinary faith of a common boy.

Like Reuven and Aaron, Zlateh is stereotypical: an ordinary, common goat. Through her, Singer celebrates the virtue and value of creatures that are often considered possessions rather than empathetic souls. Each miracle in this parable blessed Zlateh. The blizzard saved her from arriving at the butcher shop. The haystack gave her food and shelter during the storm, and the milk she produced gave Reuven and his family a reason to keep her. Given that she isn’t a special animal or significant in any way. Singer indirectly reveals that even ordinary animals are worth enough to God for him to perform miracles on their behalf. Considering the worth of a soul, despite the species, reveals truth.