The saintly Chofetz Chaim writes in his book, Machaneh Israel, that a Jewish soldier once asked him what he should choose. He was given the choice to be in a division under a fine commander, who allows the soldiers to slaughter and eat kosher meat, but there he would have to work on the Shabbat, or to be in another division where he would not be able to eat kosher food, but he would not be coerced to work on the Shabbat. He asked what he should do. The Chofetz Chaim told him to go to the division where he would be forced to work on the Shabbat and added the following reason: Even though Shabbat is a capital offense, when he comes home, he would be able to observe many Shabbossim. If he eats neveilos and trefos, however, "the damage to his soul will remain permanently," [..And he will end up not eating Kosher and not observing Shabbat]

Prohibited Foods Contaminate a Person’s Soul

The prohibition of the foods that the Torah prohibited is not due to the harm they cause one’s health, for the nations eat all those things deemed disgusting for us, and they are, nevertheless, strong and untiring. The G-dly Torah did not come to cure the bodies of men and to seek their health but to seek the health of the soul and to cure its illnesses. The Torah prohibited certain foods because they contaminate and sully the pure soul and create in the person’s nature an obstruction and deterioration of his desires, whence they create an evil nature in a person, from which the spirit of contamination originates, the spirit that contaminates the thoughts and deeds and drives out the spirit of purity and sanctity. concerning this spirit, King David begged, “And Your Holy Spirit remove not from me (Ps. 51).” And he said, “A pure heart create in me, O L-rd, and a proper spirit renew in my midst.” Therefore, G-d said, “Do not contaminate your souls..,and do not become unclean through them.” For this was the matter of the obstruction and the uncleanness. The reason for its prohibition is that nature of the body be balanced and that from its foods will eminate pure blood, not contaminated thick and coarse blood. (Rabbi Don Isaac Abarbanel, Shemini).

THE PERSON SUFFERS WHETHER HE
 EATS KNOWINGLY OR WITHOUT KNOWING

The  Zohar Ha Kaddosh (Shemini 41b) states: Come and see. Everyone who eats of those forbidden foods, cleaves to the forces of evil and thereby contaminates himself and his soul, resulting, an unclean spirit to rest upon him, displaying, thereby he has no part in the Most High G­-d ... and if he departs from this world in that condition, all those that adhere to the forces of uncleanness cling to him, contaminate, and judge him as a person who despised his Master, he is despised in this world and despised in the World to Come ... Woe is to them! Woe is to their souls for they will not cling to the bundle of eternal life, for they have become contaminated ... All of a person's toil is for his mouth. All judgment, all one suffers and all vengeance wrought upon him, is all on account of his mouth, because he did not watch it and thereby, contaminated himself.

A person should quake when he reads the words of the Zohar concerning the immeasurable damage a person wreaks upon his soul by eating forbidden foods. For in doing so, he grasps and clings to the evil forces resulting in unclean spirits to cleave unto him, thereby demonstrating he has no part in the G‑d of Israel, G‑d forbid! Therefore, one must be particularly suspect from eating foods of dubious kashrus, surely not definitely non‑kosher foods.

In this matter, the Zohar Ha Kaddosh continues (42a): Rabbi Yitzchak said: Whoever becomes contaminated through these foods is like one practicing idolatry, which is an abomination to the L‑rd, as the Torah writes: You shall not eat any abomination. Whosoever practices idolatry departs from the side of life, departs from the Holy domain, and enters the evil one; as does also one who contaminates himself with these foods depart from the side of life, depart from the Holy domain, and enter an evil one, and not only that, but he becomes contaminated both in this world and in the World to Come.

In the holy book, M'lo Haomer (Shemini) we read that if one eats unclean species or forbidden foods, not only does he not raise up the "sparks" but he contaminates himself with them since they are from the "evil side," and his soul descends to the "husks." Therefore, Scripture states: It is unclean to you. Not only are they not capable of rising, but also he will contaminate himself with them.

Also, in Tefillah LeMoshe (ch. 68): Whoever eats forbidden foods is bound to the uncleanness, and he cannot ascend to the holiness. It is impossible for him to separate himself from the loathsomeness of the uncleanness except through fasts and penitence or through chibut hakever known otherwise as beating in the grave. Who needs it.

Also, in Or Tzaddikim, ch. 19: Be thou advised… Whoever was not exact in his observance of dietary laws in this world and was not careful to differentiate between that prohibited and that permitted, even if it was not prohibited by the Torah but by the Rabbis, his punishment is, that after his death, the angel in charge of the beating of the grave comes and hits him on his stomach with his bar of iron and fire, until his stomach splits and the ordure spills out. They then turn him over his face to strike him.. They say to him, "Swallow what you gave out” May G‑d guard and save us from this harsh judgment or the like! And especially is this true of the sin of mingling meat and milk, which is a serious offense, and the Zohar states: Whoever eats that food which is joined together at one time or at one meal, for forty days a roasted kid in its skin appears ... and if he begets a son in these forty days, they give him a soul from the 'evil side,' that we do not need.

THE MOST UPRIGHT BUTCHER IS A PARTNER
OF AMALEK  Kiddushin (82a)

"The most upright butcher is a partner of Amalek." Rashi explains that many cases of questionable kashrut come to his hand, and in trying to save money, declares them kosher, and ‑ sell them as such. We can see to what extent the Rabbis evaluate the pitfalls resulting from the butchers, that they did not hesitate to use the sharpest epithet when referring to them. The expression, "partner of Amalek," is, by far, the sharpest epithet used in the Talmud. One's hair can stand on end when one thinks about how far this matter extends. For a question of doubtful kashrut the Rabbis called him such a name, and not only a usual butcher, but "the most upright butcher " so that no one can be confident in himself and say that since he appointed a reliable butcher, no pitfalls can result from him, and it is accepted that a Torah scholar does not allow any pitfall to result from his doings, especially if the butcher is really learned, since the Rabbis say that a Torah scholar will commit a minor infraction in order to prevent an ignorant person from committing a major infraction.

EATING FORBIDDEN FOODS IS WORSE THAN OTHER SINS

We learn in the holy book entitled Likutei Amarim, known popularly by the name, Tanya (chs. 6 and 7) and authored by the holy Rav Schneur Zalman of Liadi:

We learn in the holy Zohar at the end of parshas Shemini, that an unclean spirit rests on forbidden foods. Consequently, whoever eats them contaminates his soul and body, resulting in the unclean spirit to rest up on him. Moreover, he demonstrates that he has no part in the G‑d of Israel and the sanctity of Israel. He brings upon himself confusion of the mind. Additionally, it is known from Tosafos (Shabbos 12b, Chulin 5b) that eating forbidden foods is worse than infracting other prohibitions. This is what King Solomon refers in (Ecclesiastes 6:7): All of a person's toil is for his mouth. The Zohar explains this to mean that all the toil and punishments a person suffers after his death, in Gehinnom, are because he contaminated his soul during his lifetime by eating forbidden foods, such as dead animals not slaughtered properly, and trefos. Also the soul will not be fulfilled. Its punishment will never be completed. It is also written in Proverbs (21:23): Whoever watches his mouth and his tongue, watches his soul from troubles. Do not read, "From troubles (mitzaros)," but "From tzaraas." (ibid, Tazria; Tanchuma, Metzora). Now, if you ask, don't we see many people who stumble upon this sin and are not punished with Tzaraas, the Sefer Reishis Chochmah (Shaar Hakedushah ch. 13) answers that the Tzaraas is established in the soul, and when the soul ascends to heaven every night, all the holy creatures stay away from it and announce that it is unclean, as the Torah states: And he shall call, "Unclean, unclean!" This is true even after its departure from this world, if he did not repent. (Shaar Bath Rabbim).

FOR MANY YEARS JEWISH HOUSEHOLDS WERE SUPPLIED WITH NON KOSHER MEAT.  A TRAGIC STORY WHICH HAPPENED IN THE TIME OF THE TZADDIK RABBI NATTAN NOTA SHAPIRO ZTK'L AUTHOR OF THE MEGALE AMUKOT THIS STORY WAS PRINTED IN NEWSPAPERS AND BOOKS MORE THAN 300 YEARS AGO

CONTRACT WITH THE RABBI or STORE OWNER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KASHRUT OF FOODS ESPECIALLY MEATS AND CHAMETZ FREE PRODUCTS DURING PASSOVER

Dear Rabbi ___________ OR Mr_______________:

--Being that the punishment for eating Non Kosher foods is very grave, especially the punishment for eating forbidden fats which carries the penalty of Karet, and also the consumption of Chametz in Passover which also carries the penalty of Karet

--Being that the Zohar ha Kaddosh Shemini 41b says:

 Come and see: Everyone who eats of those forbidden foods, cleaves to the forces of evil and thereby contaminates himself and his soul, resulting in an unclean spirit to rest upon him, displaying, thereby he has no part in the Most High G­-d ... and if he departs from this world in that condition, all those that adhere to the forces of uncleanness cling to him, contaminate, and judge him as a person who despised his Master, despised in this world and despised in the World to Come ... Woe is to them! Woe is to their souls for they will not cling to the bundle of eternal life, for they have become contaminated ... All of a person's toil is for his mouth. All judgment, all one suffers and all vengeance wrought upon him, is all on account of his mouth, because he did not watch it and thereby, contaminated himself…(Shemini 42a): Rabbi Yitzchak said: Whoever becomes contaminated through these foods is like one practicing idolatry, which is an abomination to the L‑rd, as the Torah writes: You shall not eat any abomination. Whosoever practices idolatry departs from the side of life, departs from the Holy domain, and enters the evil one; as does also one who contaminates himself with these foods depart from the side of life, depart from the Holy domain, and enter an evil one, and not only that, but he becomes contaminated both in this world and in the World to Come

--There is no sin so severe as forbidden foods, since entire Jewish communities were lost and turned to evil ways because of eating treifos and neveilos. (Divrei Chayim‑Yoreh Deah) See also: Chasam Sofer Parshas Shmini, Or Hachayim Shmini, Bris Mateh Moshe, Nidchai Israel chap. 29, Reishis Chochmo Shar Hakedusho chap. 17, (Kiddushin 82a), Tzafnath Paneach and Degel Machanay Ephraim (Parshath Ekev), Shne Luchot Ha Brit, Chullin 93b, Pele Yoetz, taref, Yoreh Deah, end of ch. 116, Pri Chadash to Yoreh Deah, ch. 81, MIDRASH VAYIKRA 1:1, BACH (Orach Chayim, Siman 670):

We therefore request from you that you take all responsibility for the possible punishments that we may incur in case the foods under your supervision are not Kosher. We are sure you are willing to take responsibility for the possible punishment from Hashem since you have signed the certificate that claims that the place we patronize or the products we are consuming specifically________________ are kosher. Therefore in case of meats or Chametz free products in Pesach, you assume responsibility for the punishment of Karet we may incur, G-d forbid if these products contain forbidden fats or if they claim they are Chametz free and nevertheless contain Chametz and are consumed during Pesach.

Regarding meats by signing this contract you accept responsibility for the fact that the animal was slaughtered and checked 100% in accordance with the laws of Shechitah which would make the animal Glatt Kosher as the stamp which you have signed claims.

We hope that Hashem gives you strength to continue your most difficult and demanding labor and that you will do your duty in a faithful manner in accordance to the Holy Torah and the Sages of Israel

Rabbi _________________

Date:

Witnesses: _________________    and _____________________________

WARNING OF THE CHAFETZ CHAYIM ZT’L

How much will an individual regret, when with a mere admonition, he could have extricated himself from all these punishments. Let him not be misled by the fact that others will share the punishment with him considering that he is not the only one in the city to have transgressed thereby finding false comfort. As an analogy: In the event a person is a co-signer on a note encumbering a debt of millions of dollars, regardless the number of additional co-signers, when the debt becomes due, even if required to reimburse only a small fraction thereof, it could amount to a sizable sum, which will be quite painful to pay.