[Avodah] Kashrus of a Restaurant Under the Supervision of its Owne r

[Rich, Joel]

I understand that you would prefer not to eat there unless they have "extensive kashrus knowledge." But I began to wonder -- is this really required by halacha?

I happened to look at the Chochmas Adam 1:3, and I recommend that others should at least skim over it. He provides a very interesting contrast between the ikar halacha (which appears quite generous in presumptions of who can be relied upon) and the situation "nowadays" (i.e. over 200 years ago) -- when all sorts of seforim and publications are very easily easily obtained. If I understood him correctly, he lists certain halachos which would *not* have been required for a shochet to know in previous generations, but if a shochet *today* doesn't know them (when they are so easily learned), it suggests that this shochet is negligent to the point that we should not rely on him.

To me, it does not seem like much of a stretch to extrapolate from his description of what was expected of a shochet 200 years ago, to what we should expect of a mashgiach today.

Akiva Miller

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That's certainly an interesting extrapolation, but based on what halachic theory? (e.g. halachic norms are a function of the number of easily available sources - where do we find this?  Or norms are based on the relative resources the community has - an example of this might be havdala on the kos, then not when the community was poor and then back again)

KT
Joel Rich
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