By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Shimon Raichik, rov of Congregation Levi Yitzchok in Los Angeles, has expanded on his call for Chabad chassidim to keep the highest possible standards in kashrus.
His remarks at the new Kollel Erev Chabad in his La Brea area shul come after the Doheny Kosher Meat Market on Pico Boulevard was caught bringing in non certified meats.
Answering questions of local Chabad men, Rabbi Raichik said that acceptable kashrus standards in the frum world should not be enough for Lubavitchers.
“We have to remember that we are what we eat,” he reminded, and went on to quote from Tanya that “when we eat something wrong, we contaminate ourselves. So therefore we have to be careful.”
He said that following the Doheny scandal, which has rocked the Jewish community in Southern California and the kashrus world, he kashered the kitchen and utensils in his shul.
“Frum is not enough,” Rabbi Raichik said about trusting a Torah observant owner of a food establishment. “We have to wake up and realize that we are living now in a time that we want everything easy, and under certification. It doesn’t work that way.”
He said the core of the problem is the lack of the transparency of the policies of the various kosher supervision agencies and the mashgichim themselves.
“You have to have a Mashgiach who knows what he is doing” and what he holds by, he said. A mashgiach who is not strict about cholov yisroel, may make the call to bring in cholov stam if a dairy product is needed and then, “why shouldn’t the manager do the same?”
“Even if (the owner is) a frum yid, with a good mashgiach, I need to know the policies of the hashgacha,” Rabbi Raichik said and told of a kosher deli in Boro Park whose manager said the mashgiach comes only once a week “to eat lunch.”
He also pointed out the the regular mashgiach is paid by the store owner and not the kashrus agency, and the fact that they are paid very little. “They don’t get people with the right qualifications,” he said.
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Good Morning Rabbi Raichik with all due respect, Since when did we as lubavitcher chassidim ever compromise on the principles being espoused now, even in Russia. America is nit anderish and it shod never have been when it comes to Kashrus. America has had 2 major breaches of kashrus in supposedly the frummest communities outside New York.
This wod never have happened in.a european country.
1 all agencies agree to a very good standard ( very unlikely). if this would be possible, no owner would be able to switch as soon as a Mashgiach or the hechsher wants to make an improvement. even Rabbi Levi in his column about the meat scandal last week, agreed that he couldn’t implement such policies as he himself suggested because the other hechsherim wouldn’t follow and he would lose business. this is the basic flaw of the hechsherim, unless you are a local vaad and nobody else can give an hechsher in your area. 2- the power of the… Read more »
Maybe all the hasgachas to all go under the OU unbrella and stop milking millions from a busineess called Hasgacha
good to see talented rabonim divrei Torah
As a former restaurant mashgiach, I can testify to the fact that mashgichim are treated very bad (by staff and patrons). We were paid a very minimal wage-by the establishment-and we expected to wait tabels, ferry food from kitchen to diningroom, take orders, clear tabels etc… There were times when I questioned the motives of the restaurant was shrugged off with at “its fine. don’t worry.” Im sorry? you demand fo me to wait on tabels but do not give support when there is a question about the kashrus of the food? I left after such an incident. Be safe.… Read more »
i wish it was false unfortunately its true. my friend worked for a well known agency and a fight broke out because someone they fired moved over 4 companies to his new agency the cursing screaming and shouting that was going on by these top rabbi’s who make millions a year you could have thought someone broke into there wear-house and was stealing raw materiel in the dark of night.
go look into it . The department head for restaurants in one kashrus agency was also a credit card processing agents and was pushing all their certified restaurants to accept credit card and of course they all did!! i also saw a picture a few years ago of a bar mitzvah or the son of the head of a company that makes dips. There was 2 tables of the kashrus agency the certifies him. wake up this is a business no different then selling cardboard boxes or for that matter industrial chimney valves just that its at our expense and… Read more »
Good question by #3 above, as to why would the Kashrus Agencies (who are FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES) give certification to such low life eateries) I think I answered the question already:)
go zalmy!!!! great job i love coming. You created a great environment for the young chevra to come and learn. go Rabbi Raichik for taking on a goliath industry that lacks proper standards
The first item is my Pet Peeve when it comes Hashgocho. How can a mashgiach be paid by the guy he’s supposed to report on?!!!!!!!! but I understand that established hashgochas don’t work that way. now that you mentioned ok does I’m surprised. its that true?
R.Raichik:
We need more direct, explicit, concrete direction like you did on this shiur.
Please – give us guidance.
you could not make it up: some mashgichim get paid by the restaurant owner not by the hasgacha, now who is he suppose to please?? you tell me! should he nag his boss that the vegetables when its payday tomorrow and its so packed that there is no time to check the veggies/? or just turn a blind eye? next i went into a restaurant they were closing and the masgiach was stacking the chairs on the tables and sweeping-kid you not! same with a juice company. if they pay the kashrus agency 240,000 a year (example), do you think… Read more »
Koller erev is an awesome addition to the community: thank you Zalmy fogelman for raising the money and organizing the kollel
money is idolatry . We all must leave our individual “Mitzraim” (Egypt) every day.
-DB,Tsfat
former mashgiach,who had a knife pulled on him and threatened by a store owner for defending O.U. kashrus standards in L.A.
LA is in good hands with the likes of R Raichick and the Rosh. The rest of us need to worry.
Tachlis. We ought to be reconsidering where we eat.
The Mashgiach is always blamed: he is a low profile person, (not like “us”) he is an ignoramus, (not like “us”) he is not responsible,(not like “us”) he is not frum enough, (not like “us”) he doesn’t enough to satisfy our kashrus standards, he is “overpaid” for his low qualifications, etc etc, please do not forget that the management of many stores / caterers in question are dishonest from the beginning and all they do is try to cheat this poor good willing underpaid worker without rights and privileges like vacations, sick days, benefits, holidays, and overtime pay… my question… Read more »
R.Raichik:
Thank you for the leadership and clarity of direction.
It really inspires.
Kollel Erev Chabad is one of the best things to happen in LA!