[Avodah] Gelatin

[Meir Shinnar]

R Zev Sero
>
>
> All the erlichkeit in the world won't help, though, when the mashgiach
> holds that something (whether it's gelatin, or the belly fat under the
> membrane, or vegetarian cheese made by a nochri, etc.) is kosher and I
> hold otherwise.
>
For the vast majority of us, we don’t have strong personal shittot and 
authentic family minhagim to decide amongst the different shittot - we 
go by local communal peak.  RZS,  family habad, may have those shittot - 
but for most of us we follow the shitta of our community/posek - and if 
we move, we would likely follow the shitta of our new community.  (Eg, 
It is difficult to believe that anyone has a strong family minhag about 
gelatin, given recent origin of its use…- and the possum on both sides 
are not lightweight - any minhag is at best one or two, maybe 3 
generations…).  Same thing with halav hacompanies)

With that (and even with those who have shittot), there is a sense that 
one can rely on other authentic shittot - especially as guest - and also 
that those who follow other shittot are not just being meikil or eating 
trafe…

Famous story of RSZA telling head of Michlala that his American students 
can go eat at their RZ families in Israel who keep Rabbanit hashgacha - 
because it is kasher, and even though he has different shittot, they can 
eat there.

Rav of former community - impeccable hared credentials, musmach of rav 
Henkin zt”l - held one could eat from the hashgacha of any Orthodox 
rabbi - unless one knew there was a problem..(it seems that this was rav 
Moshe’s shitta too…)

So yes, for almost everyone, ehrlichkeit is more important…

Meir Shinnar