Comments on: A Look at Badatz Beit Yosef

By: JKest

JKest — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:15:03 +0000

I would love to see an analysis like this on the OU Hechsher.
I know they recently took on some MAJOR changes and are positioning themselves as a top mehadrin hechsher in Yerushalayim.

By: me

me — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:53:47 +0000

i hope so too. for what is written shows the opposite - giving hashgacha on pizza with anchovies is definitely not taking on chumros of both, rather kulos of both.
it seems to me that there just are too many unanswered questions.

By: S. Kotzen

S. Kotzen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:10:19 +0000

Thank you “me” (above) for your questions. They are important in order to get a balanced picture. I hope the answers will be coming soon.

By: Pith from Pinhas

Pith from Pinhas — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:58:27 +0000

Mrs P says she is very impressed but when extolling Marzipan why do we seem to have forgotten last week’s revelation about the milchig challot??

By: me

me — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:12:13 +0000

a few comments and concerns

1. why is an “oved neeman” reliable? who is paying his salary? bottom line is who is he really answering to?

2. what is the guarantee that heter mechira is not being used, if they really hold it is completely fine ?

3. if the entire point of the hashgacha was to follow the beis yosef’s psakim, (and not the rema’s) then what is the guarantee that they are following both lechumra, if they really hold that the beis yosef’s is the real one ? on which side would they err ? r ovadia shlit”a himself’s final psak is always (as seen in numerous teshuvas and in his klalei horaah) like his understanding in beis yosef and not like rema.

4. they claim “it is a hechsher for everyone”. i dont know about you, but r ovadia shlit”a is widely known for his kulas, for he is paskening for everyone and there should at least be a lowest common denominator (obvious examples - hetter mechira, gelatin, bassar kafooh, etc.) . this does not really transalate to kashrus on the highest level of mehadrin, especially if they are asking him their sheilos. and if they are not, who’s final authority are they relying on, as i”m sure that r ovadiah shlit”a himself is definitely not involved on a day to day basis.

5. a side point regarding fish and milk, there are sefardim who are not machmir, as per the chida, zivchey tzedek, and pri chadash who unsubstantiate (along with many others) the whole issue, and in fact r ovadia’s son, r yitzchak (in yalkut yosef iv”h 3) paskens that bdieved even a sefardi may rely on it. and there are some ashkenazim who are machmir, based on r bachayay, levush, gilyon maharsha and pri megadim. so its not just a clear cut sefardi\ ashkenazi issue.

based on the above, even with assurances to the contrary, i personally, as an ashkenazi, would still be a bit wary.

By: Tali C.

Tali C. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:04:15 +0000

It was a very interesting article. I learned a lot. Thank you!

By: YF

YF — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:57:41 +0000

What about products with the kosher gelatin? What is their stance?

By: Eli Casper

Eli Casper — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:43:27 +0000

Brilliant article, about time, thanks!

By: Chaim

Chaim — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:57:05 +0000

1. Yechiel, you have once again outdone yourself. Kol hakavod on a super investigation job!

2. In my very humble opinion, the hesitancy on the part of the Ashkenazi-Haredi community to embrace BBY has nothing to do with kashrut standards. Much the same way that they would automatically reject a “Tziyoni” kashrut organization no matter how machmir, the same holds true for a Sephardi kashrut organization. Not long ago there was a whole thread on בחדרי חדרים about BBY: every single responder was obediently aware that “we don’t eat that,” but nobody knew exactly why (some even suggested reasons that were 100% inaccurate and reflected very thorough ignorance).

By: Shlomo Skinner

Shlomo Skinner — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:39:14 +0000

Thanks for this informative article. One note: in the “main points” list you put their shmittah standard twice, #3 and #8.