· This is an enormous issue which has the potential to rock our entire Kashrut system - and it must be addressed swiftly and effectively. Before rumors, accusations etc. get out of control, Rabbi Genack et al. must act on their offer to go down to the abattoir and clarify once and for all what actually went on at that abattoir, whether the shechita there was halachic, and whether the animals who appear to be conscious after shechita are indeed still alive and feeling, or not. Perhaps too the abattoir should suspend operations/have its operations suspended for it until these grave questions are cleared up.
· If there really is a problem with shechita in the abattoir, the OU and
all responsible MUST be honest and not attempt a cover-up, which ultimately will only result in more damage. There are already enough rabbis saying there is a problem to ensure that truth will out if there is any truth to the accusations. They must assure everyone they will act quickly to rectify the situation - and do so. This is the only way to damage-control, and the only responsible thing to do.
· This is true not only for obvious external reasons, but for internal reasons as well. People who eat Kosher are entitled to know whether they have been sold treif meat under the guise of Kosher, and to expect any systemic problems to be rectified immediately. If it turns out that there indeed is a problem with the shechita in Postville (something I emphasise again is not at all clear yet), the credibility of our mashgichim and of our entire Kashrut system will be enormously damaged. There may well be room for an enquiry at the supervising organisations as to how this state of affairs was allowed to exist. We have always been assured that the practice of shechita was done with the utmost concern for the welfare of the animals. It seems clear that whether or not the practices at Postville were "halachic," they were certainly not prudent. The entire credibility of supervision is in question - to us as Kosher consumers as well. The copepods fade into insignificance at the question of the danger to shechitah which this abbatoir - and it supervising rabbis - has exposed us. This is a food-based version of Lanner-gate for the OU.
· Again, if there are problems with the shechita in Postville, it is regretful that an organization like PETA was the one to bring them to light. On the other hand, you must ask whether they would ever have come to light without PETA - and whether you would prefer to carry on eating treif meat unknowingly.
· Even if there are no problems with the shechita in Postville, the PR
damage has been done and Jewish communities across the world are going to have to counteract renewed attacks. In the UK, for example, this comes at a particularly sensitive time. The assumption has always been that as long as fox hunting was permitted, Shechita would be allowed as well. Now that a ban is in force....
· If it emerges that there are no problems with the shechita in Postville,
the US Jewish community must be aware that, as Shawn says, the battle against Shechita has crossed the Atlantic and organize accordingly. EVERY kosher abbatoir and supervising organisation - throughout North America - must check their operations TODAY to ensure that they are above reproach.
Anyone who fails to do so must take the consequences, and bear the responsibility.
· And lastly, if you thought that tensions in Postville were high before this....
3 comments:
DISCLAIMER
I, Velvel Butterfield, do not condone use of the internet for myself or any of my congregants. Yet, I felt that it was important to answer this apikorsus that is going around. This post is l'fi hora'as sho'oh. "Es la'asos la'shem hayfayru torasechoh": Our sages instruct us that we are permitted do things that are otherwise considered improper to defend the Torah.
Velvel Butterfield, Rosh Av Beis Din Kehillo Kedosho Shmetz
Everyone knows that the people who operate Agriporcessors are heilige, erliche yidn. One is forbidden from suspecting kosher yidin. Our Sages teach that one who suspects people will eventually be physically punished, just as Moshe Rabeinu got tzoraas when he suspected that Bnei Yisroel would not listen to him.
My congregants, who have read the book Postville, tell me that they run a very tight and secure operation. It is highly unlikely that one could sneak in video cameras to document the shechitoh process. Moreover, the description of shechitoh in the book do not correlate to those shown on the film.
When shechting an animal it must be restrained until the blood has drained preferrably until the animal dies. If allowed to trhash about, the animal could become a treifoh, but that would be determined in the inspection process. The first check after shechitoh is to determine that animal was properly shected. This is accomplished by checking the esopahgus and wind pipe to ensure that they were properly severed. Once the animal's life blood has drained, it must be covered in dirt. The inspection of limbs and other internal ograns comes later.
With respect to tzaar baalei hayim, there is no correlation between it and shechitoh. There are strict and complicated laws as to how to shect an aminal and inspect it so that the it is not deemed neveiloh or treifoh. Unless the tzzar baaleih hayim, injures the animal as to make it nevailoh or treifoh, it does not impact the kosher status of the animal.
For years countries in Europe have been trying to outlaw shechitoh calling it inhumane. In one country, the yidin decided to see how the country slaughtered its animals. They did it by essentially placing the animal on a guillotine and chopping it head off. Is this any more humane than shecitoh?
While it would be nice to painlessly euthenize an animal this against the halochoh. Originally, yidin could only eat meat as sacrifices until the Toroh permitted certain meat to be eaten outside of Jerusalem (C.F. Deuteronomy 12: 11-28). Even when eating non-sacrificial meat we must still be aware that we are taking the life of an animal; hence we spill the blood (in the most humane way possible) and cover it as a sign of respect for the life that was just taken.
Shechting animals is never a prety sight. Those who are appalled by it can choose not to eat meat. They can choose to learn the halochoh and work with slaughterhouses to make the shechitoh process (not the shechitoh itself which must follow the halocho) more humane. Never should this be the basis for suspecting kosher yidin or trying to undermine the halocho by outlawig shechitoh!
R Velvel, the requirement to cover the blood only applies to poultry and venison, not to beef. Once the shechita has been done, and the shochet has checked with his fingers that both simanim were cut, nothing else matters. It's perfectly OK to stun the animal at that point, which is standard practise in Australia - every single kosher animal in Australia is stunned after the shechita, to satisfy the government inspectors, and the rabbis have unanimously agreed that this is mutar lechatchila - that there is no problem with it. It must therefore also be permitted to tear out the simanim, and there is no need to wait for it to bleed out.
Rabbi Butterfield,
Pardon me for asking, but you actually let your congregants read that Postvville garbage??? It is full of loshon horoh about the Postville yidin. Talk about suspecting the innocent. It was written by a non-shonmer Shabbos yid who visited Postville for a taste of yiddishkeit. After experiancing Shabbos and the warmth of this community, the thaks they get is the book Postville!
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