Comments on: If There is No Hechsher, You Mustn’t Eat!

By: Moshe

Moshe — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:17:14 +0000

I believe some of the people leaving comments have not read a previous article which speaks about the problem of the food being unsupervised once it leaves the caterers kitchen.
So even if the caterer who prepared the food is reliable, who says he is there supervising everything? That article spoke about a growing minhag of just getting the food prepared from the caterer and then nothing from the time it leaves his kitchen until it arrives at the table.
It seems to me that this article is in direct relationship to that.

By: Simon

Simon — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:40:43 +0000

I worry about the interpretation of “shomer Shabbos and trustworthy”, and how it applies to Israeli society. I agree with the webmaster, that no certificate means there are big questionmarks over the food. maybe if it’s something like a certified caterer operating out of a yeshiva or kosher restaurant kitchen, then that might be OK. or maybe not, unless there is a mashgiach present and documentation to prove it.

Question – what has your response been from caterers, the rabbanute and the mehadrin agencys? (I assume the hall is not a stakeholder to the kashrut – they just provide the venue and not the food).

By: Yakov

Yakov — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:51:00 +0000

It seems everyone here is looking for the source so here it is: Yorah Deah 119:1 in the RM”A. It says there something along the lines of ‘one may not buy any food items from an individual which they do not recognize to be G-d fearing.’ One can assume that receiving such an item from such an individual where that individual stands to receive monetary benefit by dispersing the item would likewise be prohibited.

On the other hand one may receive an item from an individual who claims the item to be kosher if the giver is not receiving any monetary benefit. (This answers Mrs. K’s Mr. Q’s questions.)

One may also buy a product fro someone who they recognize to be G-d fearing. (This also answers Mrs. K’s Mr. Q’s questions.) What standards may be used to make such a recognition is a matter of discussion which is not for this forum and on may ask his Local Orthodox Rabbi.

(I have also heard that for someone to sell something to someone who doesn’t know him without certification may be a transgression of ‘before a blind person do not place a stumbling block’ since many people aren’t aware of this Halacha.)

By: Milhouse

Milhouse — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:33:36 +0000

Sorry, you are making up halachos, and are in danger of crossing the line into apikorsus. You are entitled to be machmir on yourself and adopt all kinds of harchokos and hiddurim. You are NOT entitled to pretend that they are binding halacha on others. There is a shulchan aruch, there are rishonim and acharonim, and they all tell us that we MAY eat food provided by Jews who appear observant WITHOUT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS. If you don’t acknowledge that halacha then YOUR food is treif, because you are an apikores.

By: e. t.

e. t. — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:12:21 +0000

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could trust everyone?

I am no Poseik.
I believe Chezkas Kashrus, basic trust, doesn’t apply in commercial situations as such and you’d need proper supervision. Ask a Rabbi.

By: Mr. Q

Mr. Q — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:53:25 +0000

Do you have sources in halacha for this? Or is this just exaggerated wording to get us all fired up? Just as Mrs. K. asked, I’d like to know, what halacha tells me I must have such a contract written up or else I may not have a simcha at this event. What halacha tells me I may not trust a shomer shabbos caterer? Would that same halacha tell me I may not eat at my friends house for shabbos lunch because they don’t have a mashgiach for that meal? If you say, “well that’s a small meal” – how about being invited to a sheva brochos where a few families all contributed, each preparing a different course, side dish, cake or salad, etc. Am I not allowed to go to such a sheva brochos?

By: Mrs. K

Mrs. K — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:41:40 +0000

If the caterer is shomer Shabbos and trustworthy, why does the event need a hechsher? Can’t I rely on the Shomer Shabbos caterer who is at the event himself and is in charge? When I make a do-it-yourself seuda for a bris or a bar mitzva, nobody expects a hechsher for the event.