[Avodah] Gelatin

[Meir Shinnar]

> R' Jay F. ("Yaakov") Shachter wrote:
>
>> And yet, it is davka in Eretz Yisroel where you will find
>> acceptance of R' Chaim Ozer's psaq, and a rejection of the
>> Chazon Ish's psaq, whereas, outside of Eretz Yisroel, the
>> Chazon Ish's psaq is generally followed.
>> (Of course, this is more due to R' Ovadya Yosef, than to R'
>> Chaim Ozer.)
>
> I suspect that this is not so much a function of the tendency of 
> poskim in
> a given area to hold similarly. Rather, I think it is a practical 
> result
> that in Eretz Yisroel, where there is an effort to provide basic-level
> kashrus for as many people as possible, leniencies such as gelatin 
> were
> allowed by the basic-level hashgachos. (Which, by the way, far
> pre-dates Rav Ovadia.)
>
This is not trying to provide “basic level kashrut”, and far 
predates ray OVadia Yosef zt”l.  The rav of yerushalayim after rav 
Kook,  Hagaon ray Tzvi Pesach Frank zt”l allowed gelatin, and he was 
an accepted posek across the board.  I remember buying gelatin candies 
in Meah Shearim  in the early 2000s.
There is an unfortunate tendency when there is a meikil shitta and 
machmir shitta - that one assumes that the machmir shitta is right and 
the the meikil shitta is only bdieved or “basic level”.  That 
assumption is being motes la’az - and public statements of it violate 
far more serious d’oraitas than most meikil hashgachot.




> In contrast, in America (my knowledge of other areas is sorely 
> lacking)
> most hashgachos pride themselves on aiming for the people who care 
> more
> about kashrus and halacha, so they avoid such leniencies and aim for 
> the
> chumros. But even in America there have always been some hashgachos 
> who
> were willing to rely on the leniencies for gelatin.
>
> People of a certain age will have no problem remembering when KoJel 
> was
> made of real gelatin, and the box said that it was "packed under the
> supervision of Rabbi" Ploni, but omitted the name of whoever it was 
> that
> supervised the raw gelatin itself. And even today, such hechsherim 
> still
> exist. For example, search Amazon for "NOW Supplements, CoQ10 400 mg,
> Pharmaceutical Grade, All-Trans Form produced by Fermentation, 60
> Softgels", and you'll find a Triangle-K with the words "Contains 
> Gelatin".
>
There are now well heterim (IIRC by Rev Moshe…) for capsules with 
gelatin - and that they don’t need a hashgacha at all ( swallowing is 
not derech achilla…_).
People are welcome to follow their own chumrot or the chumrot of their 
community - but the whole sale disparagement of other shittot is, IMHO, 
more problematic that the kulot employed…..

I am more concerned about the Ehrlichkeit of the mashgiach than which 
chumrot are followed ( and there is good evidence that many chum rot are 
followed because of market forces - who would eat from place X that 
follows this shitta, when macshgiach of place Y says it’s assur).  
Would you  rather use a hashgacha whose poses admits to attacking 
molested children for going to the police, but is very machmir on 
kashrut, or an ehrlich posek who follows Rev Chaim Ozer??

Meir Shinnar



>