[Avodah] Is it a proper warning, or is it lashon hara?

[Prof. Levine]

At 06:44 AM 9/9/2021, R Akiva Miller wrote:
>.
>Someone wrote the following: (I will not say who wrote it, nor how they
>know me. It's even possible that I'm the one who wrote it.)
>
> > A rabbi who I know, and who is involved on the highest level
> > with the kashrus for a very large organization, wrote to me
> > the following. He said that he had been in meat plants in [a
> > certain area] and elsewhere, while shechita was done under
> > supervision of [a certain hechsher]. He said, "That hechsher
> > does not really care if the meat is kosher or not."
>
>I'd like to hear from other people. What is your opinion? Does the above
>paragraph constitute a fair and proper warning for people to avoid that
>hechsher, or is it lashon hara? Or might you describe it in some other
>manner?
The first issue to deal with is "Do people thank 
that all hashgachas are equally reliable?"  I 
think not. For example,  there is a brand of 
delicatessen sold nationally that is not glatt 
that, as far as I know, no one who is strictly 
orthodox will use.  People feel that the 
hashgacha is not reliable. Is this loshon 
hara?  I think not.  It is merely stating what 
most Orthodox Jews consider to be the truth.

On the other hand, many people living in Brooklyn 
will buy any product sold in the "kosher 
supermarkets"   without paying attention to whose 
hashgacha the product has.  Some are careful to 
buy products only under certain hashgachas no matter where they are sold.

Many Chassidim will not buy a product that is 
only under the OU. They will insist on a heimishe 
hashgacha. "The OU is not good enough," they assert. Is this loshon hara?

See Understanding the Reliability of Kosher Agencies at

https://www.crcweb.org/understanding_reliab.php?fbclid=IwAR0OR_1r_o7qyhk7L3bmntRjnnBJWzLHOLlLTd4qryYPJlhpTOi3SXSwTmE

 From there

In order to further clarify this sensitive 
subject, the cRc has categorized the kosher 
agencies into three groups. The first two groups 
are easily explained­recommended and not 
recommended. The third group is known as a 
“detail” agency. This agency’s products are 
accepted on conditions, and they are investigated 
on a case-by-case basis to determine if each final product is acceptable.

Is the fact that some kashrus agencies are not 
recommended some sort of indirect  loshon hara?  I think not.

Some shuls in Brooklyn will allow only certain 
caterers in their shuls.  Is that fact that those 
caterers not allowed in their shuls some sort of 
indirect loshon hara?  I think not.

Kashrus is a big business and the opportunity to 
earn money is always tempting.  Sadly, some 
rabbis are more concerned about the money end 
than the kashrus end, and the result is 
unreliable supervision.   How is the public to 
know about these cases unless they are 
publicized?   Making such information public is, 
IMO, not loshon hara, but a public service.

YL



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