[Avodah] Mar'is Ayin and Personal Standards

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Rich Wolpoe asked:
> ... the owner will not permit us to use boxes from unkosher
> products or even kosher dairy products. [This is a kosher
> fleishig Chinese Restaurant] It seems he has a very strong
> sense of mar'is ayin and is afraid that boxes from unkosher
> products or from dairy products will hurt his restaurant's
> kashrus reputation.
>
> Are his mar'is ayin standards over the top? Is there any
> halachic reason for him to think that way?

Why do you ask if there is a *halachic* reason for him to think that way? He doesn't need any *halachic* reason. It seems to me that for questions of Mar'is Ayin, a *sociological* reason would be quite sufficient.

Just as much as a person should be very careful to minimize the lashon hara that comes from his own mouth, he should be careful to never underestimate the lashon hara that comes from others.

"My chow mein is being delivered in a milk crate? I sure hope it was clean and there was nothing in there to treif it up, and I'm certainly never going to patronize them again, and I'll tell my friends too!" You're going to tell me that a few drops are halachically negligible, and I will tell you that perception can sometimes be more important than reality.

Or: "This margarine carton... It is milchik margarine! If the mashgiach had noticed it, they would have sent it back to the distributor in this carton. They must have used it! Oh no!"

I'm really not sure what you're asking. Isn't this a great example of being machmir on oneself? Or do you feel that the owner is imposing *his* chumros upon *you*?

Akiva Miller

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