[Avodah] Are Vegan Restaurants Kosher

[Rabbi Meir G. Rabi]

Kashrus is not about guarantees. Every time we eat meat, we are verifying
that it is ASSUMED to be Kosher because we don't check for EVERY possible
Tereifa blemish.

Challav Yisroel also based upon the notion that MOST gym are reluctant to
add non Kosher when the Mashgiach is only around the corner. Although we
KNOW that some are daring enough to try this.

ShA YD 134:11 permits buying bread from a gy if we've seen a Yid selling
bread to this gy. That's why, in places where the custom is to not eat
bread from a gy, if we have wheat over which Yayin Nessech spilled, we may
process it into bread and sell it to a gy, PROVIDED no Yidden witness the
sale.
If Yidden witness the sale, they are permitted to buy that bread.

I don't think ANY of today's well recognised K agencies would permit buying
bread from a gy just because we witnessed a Yiddle selling him bread.
There's no way to identify that particular bread made by the Y.

Has the Halacha changed?
Have circumstances changed?
Or have standards changed?
Is the profit making element of Kashrus distorting Halacha?
Has the profit making element cultivated a branding and tribal following
that obstructs honest discussion of the Halacha?
Which is why this same nonsense gets aired again and again - loyalty must
be to HKBH and Halacha, not to ones tribe.

YD, Siman 114, their hard drinks are Kosher, we're only not permitted to
drink it in their shops, and it need not be pointed out that they did not
have any health or food guidelines that restricted what they brought into
their manufacturing plants. Furthermore, this stuff was on the whole
processed in their home kitchens.

The only warning (Seif 4) relates to them making substitutions with wine,
BUT ONLY when the wine is cheaper than the other drinks they're
manufacturing.
Furthermore, even where wine is cheaper, when there is a risk that their
duplicity will be disclosed, it is Kosher. Seif 5.

Myths perpetrated to reinforce the profit making element of Kashrus
MYTH - employees cook their private non-K food with the restaurant's
equipment.
FACT - A) as we saw, Halacha does not support this.
FACT - B) with today's propensity to sue, food establishments are extremely
vigilant to establish, maintain and enforce, very strict guidelines
regarding what goes on in the kitchen and what the employees may bring into
the premises.

MYTH - the infamous, Halachically incorrect, airplane, meat sandwich swap.
After returning from washing his hands, he realised he'd left his unsealed
meat sandwich exposed to the gym in the next seats, so he chose not to eat
it. The gy in the next seat asked about this unusual behaviour and
expressed his ASTO-NI-SHIMENT "how wise are your laws, praised be the Gd of
the Jews. Whilst you were away, I swapped your meat for mine. I wanted to
know what kosher tastes like."

Siman 63:2 - Rama, "the custom is to follow the lenient opinion" referring
to the Mechaber, "permit Bassar SheNisAlem Mon HaAyin when it's found
undisturbed in the place in which was left."
See BHeiTev 6 & Shach 9, even if he was not really attentive to it's
position and location, as long as it pretty much looks undisturbed, it's OK.

And when it suits them, the kosher agencies trample upon Halacha with
disdain.
In Melbourne Australia, we have the wicked situation that no Kehilla Rav is
prepared to protest, of meat establishments, owned and operated by publicly
MechaShabbos, without full time Hashgacha and without systems that permit
verification to reconcile, how much was bought with how much was sold.

I have communicated with AKO about this matter - as the Kosher certifiers
are members of that group, to be fobbed off by ridiculous assurances "I
have investigated this and everything is 100% Kosher Mehadrin Glatt Lifnim
Mishooras HaDin LeEyLay UleEyLa"

I can be contacted meirabi at gmail.com if anyone has any suggestions or
advice or comfort to offer
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