[Avodah] Kosher Milk

[Zev Sero]

Meir Rabi wrote:
> Is there not a more serious problem with CYisroel since it is being produced
> at the behest of a Jew. We must consider Eyn MeVatLin Issur LeChatChiLa and
> the consequent penalty that prohibits the food even though the non-K is in
> proportions that would be Bottel had the AKUM put it in without the
> instructions of the Jew.

How can the bittul issur be deliberate, when we don't even know whether
there *is* an issur, and we certainly don't know it about any individual
cow?

When we milk each cow, it's more likely than not that this cow is kosher,
so you'll surely agree that in milking it into the vat we're not being
mevatel issur lechatchila.   How can we be, when we don't know that the
cow is assur?  If so, at what point do you say we *are* being mevatel
issur lechatchila?  At what point are we knowingly pouring treif milk
into the kosher vat?  Surely at no point.  And even after we're done,
it's entirely possible that the entire herd was kosher, and there isn't
any issur at all.  The only thing that tells us that's unlikely is the
experience of shochtim.  But it's still merely unlikely, not impossible.
I don't think that's enough to call what we're doing "lechatchila".


-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas