<html>
<body>
<font size=3>Recently a kashrus announcement was circulated that said
(with<br>
identifying information removed)<br><br>
Such and such restaurant located in such and such a place is no<br>
longer under the supervision of a certain kashrus agency.<br><br>
This kashrus alert was then followed by an editor's note saying,
"The<br>
restaurant is certified by Rabbi [name], a [religious job
description],<br>
who also owns the restaurant. The restaurant is located in the<br>
[instituion] (that Rabbi name runs)."<br><br>
Is a person giving supervision on an establishment that he owns a
problem<br>
from a halachic standpoint? Is this indeed a valid hashgacha, given
that<br>
the owner and kashrus supervisor are one and the same?<br><br>
IMO, this is not the same as someone saying that his or her home is<br>
kosher. In one's home there is presumably no profit motive
involved.<br><br>
Years ago someone told me that there is a teshuva of the Chasam
Sofer<br>
that says that such supervision is not valid, but I do not know
which<br>
teshuva this is.<br><br>
I am personally uncomfortable with a private hashgocha, because the
idea<br>
of the person who is being supervised paying the supervisor directly<br>
does not sit well with me. (I am not saying there is any problem
with<br>
such hashgachas from a halachic standpoint.) However, here the
"payee"<br>
and the supervisor are one and the same!<br><br>
Yitzchok Levine</font></body>
<br>
</html>