[Avodah] Monsey kashrut problem

[Chabad of the Space & Treasure Coasts]

>>>>R' Shalom Kohn:
>In one of the circulars about the Monsey problem, signed by what I presume to be a broad >swatch of the notable rabbanim in town, there was the phrase that "as to kashering pots >and kapara, consult your local rabbi."

>I'd like to raise the hashkafa aspect of this "kapparah" line for discussion among the >assemblage.

>I am puzzled why anyone would think "kapparah" is in order.  Clearly, oness rachmana >patray, and unless someone who relied on the kosher supermarket knew of a problem or >was negligent, this is clearly an oness.  Further, since chezkat kashrut is a halacha -- and >here, I assume there was in addition to that, some kind of hashgacha which was deceived >-- where is the blame necessary to require "kapparah"?  Is there a suggestion that anyone >in the community, except those perpetuating the fraud, was at fault?

>I understand that one ingesting non-kosher may need some kind of "tahara" on the >principle that non-kosher is me-tamteim es halev, and that one properly feels violated for >eating non-kosher, even b'oness.  But "kaparah"?

>Thoughts?
>Shalom L. Kohn



The Rambam in Hilchos Shgogos 2:6 says that a tinok shenishboh, who had no knowledge that he was even a yid must bring a chatos for every single aveira he committed.

 

There's also an interesting Nesivos discussing a situation where someone sold food to his friend (I assume with a chezkas kashrus)  that was non-kosher mid'rabonon.  The Nesivos says that we do not consider this person to have committed a sin or require kapara.

 

However, if the food was non-kosher midoraisa, then the one who consumed the food requires atonement.

 

Seemingly, we have a precedent for this in Yevamos (87b) where a woman who remarries after two witnesses testified falsely that her husband died must bring a sacrifice as a Kapara even though she followed the Torah by trusting these kosher witnesses.

 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe in L'kutei Sichos (Volume 2 pg 623) discusses the reason why a Shogeg needs Kapara (Rashi, Shavuos 2:1) from punishment because not only the neshama of a Jew needs to be sensitive to the dangers of a sin but also the body should be trained to instinctively distance itself from sin as an animal will not accidentally jump into fire (Choshen Mishpat 383).

 

The Rebbe cites Tanya to explain:

The root of this insensitivity is from the "strengthening of the animal soul" (which is the cause for inadvertent sins for which sacrifices of atonement are required) (Tanya, Igros Kodesh end of ch. 28)

 

"with the passing of time it has gained strength because the man has indulged it considerably, in eating and drinking and other mundane pursuits" (Tanya Chapter 13)

 

The following story of Reb Shmuel Munkes, a chossid of the Alter Rebbe, R' Schneur Zalman of Lubavitch, comes to mind to shed light on this subject:

 

One Shabbos afternoon, the chassidim had gathered for a farbrengen around a table stocked with a variety of cakes and pies.  Reb Nosson, the local butcher,  arrived with a hot pie made from flour, oil, and meat and handed it to Reb Shmuel Munkes to give out portions to everyone. Much to the surprise of the chassidim , Reb Shmuel did not give out any of the food. Instead, he started to dance and jump around while holding the pie. The chassidim, who wanted some of this appetizing food, begged him to stop, but he would not listen. Suddenly he ran outside and threw the pie into the garbage!  The chassidim began yelling at Reb Shmuel for being so wasteful when suddenly the butcher came running into the hall screaming that no one should eat the pie because it is not kosher! The butcher explained that he had just found out that his wife had sold some non-kosher liver to the Beis Midrash by mistake. He had put the meat to one side to be sold to a goy and his wife had then sold it, not realizing that there was anything wrong with it.  

When the chassidim accused Reb Shmuel of flaunting such ruach hakodesh publicly, he flatly denied any knowledge that the pie was made from non-kosher meat.  Nevertheless, he said that when the pie arrived, he remembered his first yechidus (private audience) with the Alter Rebbe.  Before entering into the Rebbe's chamber, for the first time, he resolved that no material desire would ever dictate to him and trained himself not to allow anything physical to overly attract him.

 

When the pie arrived he found that his appetite was most powerfully roused and also noticed that the same was true of many around the table.  To be so strongly drawn by a mere piece of meat?  He understood that something was not right and decided to do away with it.



May all our zedonos etc. become zochiyos and merit a KVT.


Zvi Konikov

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