Wednesday, August 21, 2013

What could happen to a Rabbi who does his job?

ט"ו לחודש השישי תשע"ג

משגיח הכשרות במסעדת "ויסטה" בחוף דלילה שלל את תעודת הכשרות של המסעדה, לאחר שבעל המקום נתפס כמוכר ללקוחותיו בשר שאינו כשר
יונתן אוריך, י"ג אלול תשע"ג, 19/08/2013

בעל מסעדה הנמצאת בהשגחת הרבנות אשקלון ניסה למכור ללקוחותיו בשר טרף. המשגיח במקום תפס את הסחורה והרבנות אשקלון שללה את תעודת הכשרות של המסעדה. מדובר במסעדת "ויסטה" בחוף דלילה. (המשך)

Translation:
Kippah: Chief Rabbinate Inspectors Caught Non-Kosher Meat at a "Kosher" Restaurant in Ashqelon
Yonatan Orich, 13 Ellul 5773 / 19 August, 2013

The Kashruth supervisor at the Vista restaurant on Delilah Beach revoked the restaurant's kashruth certificate, after the owner was caught selling non-kosher meat as "kosher" to its customers....

(Tip Credit: Life In Israel)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
So, this inspector did his job? Yep. He sure did.

Now, we have to wait and see what the consequences of the performance of his duties properly will be.

Consequences? That's right. Consequences.

As the saying goes, "No good turn goes unrewarded unpunished." (attributed to Oscar Wilde)

Remember when the Chief Rabbinate in Ashdod refused to give a te'udah (certificate) to a bakery owned by an apostate?

What about when the Chief Rabbinate refused to give a te'udah to a a meat company which froze the meat before melihah (salting)?

And, finally, who could forget what happened when there was a disagreement between to major rabbis regarding the conversion process and the kashruth (fitness) of certain rabbinical courts for conversion?

In each and everyone of these cases the secular State of Israel  Justice system told, instructed, or commanded rabbis to follow the courts' rulings. The questions of whether these rulings were in the least bit connected to Torah, and whether these courts were even remotely "kosher" to make such rulings or to order Torah scholars around were never addressed.

Why? Because not only could the courts care less about Torah. The Israeli Justice System finds the Torah to be a threat to its authority.


Out of fear and desperation, it is attempting to chip away at it, hoping one day to destroy it, or to facilitate its "creative interpretation" to such a point of unrecognizablity, that it would be as good as destroyed. May God forbid!

And so, what do you suppose with happen to this rabbi, the one who did his job?

Will, he, and by extension, the Rabbinate be accused of discriminating against the individual's citizen's "right" to define kashruth for him or herself?

Will the Rabbinate be forced to compensate this restaurant for loss of business, because it caught the owner lying and cheating?

Better yet, will the Rabbinate be sued for the violation of the owner's "freedom of religious expression," or some other "democratic" crap like that?

Stay tuned!

4 comments:

Neshama said...

I wonder why no one has commented here? Do you trust the kashrus of the eateries that appear in your previous post? Is there any heksher that one can trust? There is such abuse .... one eats with trepidation. Beside the cheating, we now have to worry about our fish and water (lemonlinemoon blog).

I'm sure if there was ever an antidote to the contaminated water, Israeli scientists will find one. I wonder if they haven't already worked this out, in lieu of having nuclear capabilities herself.

Where are the Police?

Esser Agaroth said...

Thanks for writing. You bring up some good points.

First, I have eaten at all of the places mentioned below, except Nos. 2 and 6. Nos. 1 and 2 do not have heksherim, but have a commitment to kashruth for themselves, which IMHO is better than putting on a kippah, when one doesn't usually wear one.

I trust Rav Mahpud. When shohet friend of mine was working in Bet Sha'an, he said he saw Rav Mahpud there once per week, stay all day, do some work himself, and look over everyone's shoulders. He has a good reputation for shehitah. As far as supervision goes, good question. There was a time when many evenin Meah Shearim trusted Rabbanuth JM, Mehadrin. Then as PM, Sharon got rid of the rav in charge, so people got nervous. I still think it's pretty reliable. The employees tend to know about kashruth themselves.

BTW, once, while at Sushi Rehaviah, which is not mehadrin, the waitress asked if we wanted sushi first, so that we wouldn't have fish and meat on the table together. :-)

All in all, though, I believe that you're right.

If it's on LemonlimeMoon, I would believe it. I like her work, and she doesn't her research. (she's on my blog roll)

Shy Guy said...

Esser, for your information.

I personally know the blogger. He is a kashrut expert. I emailed him a few week's ago and was told that to date there is essentially no change since he published the article last summer.

Speaking of the JKN blog, this was published yesterday.

Esser Agaroth said...

Thanks for posting, Shy Guy.

Yeah, I am familiar with Yechiel Spiro, and his knowledge of Kashruth.

I take issue with him on only a few things.