WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A REAL CHASSID?

It is written in the book Pele Yoetz (Taref): “Fortunate he who is fearful of Hashem and is careful not to eat from an animal about which one Chacham has said that it is taref even when the great majority of the Poskim think that it is Kosher, even so one must worry. And this is the best type of Chassidut, more so than any other type of Chassidut in the world”

 "The most upright butcher is a partner of Amalek." Kiddushin (82a)

See the Rosh on Chullin p. 18, and in Maggid Mishneh, Laws of Shechitah 1:26, you will see that the usual butcher in Talmudic times was also a shochet and an inspector.

Rashi explains that many cases of doubtful kashrus (Doubt in hebrew is SAFEK which in Gematria equals 240 and Amalek also equals 240) 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 kashrus 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.

Don’t believe in stamps and certificates that proclaim GLATT KOSHER LEMEHADRIN MIN HA MEHADRIN. Be aware that this is only done to mislead the unsuspecting public, because whoever has the minimum idea of what really goes on in the slaughterhouses knows that this claim is false.

It is also known that it’s impossible to rely on the newspaper advertisements and communiqués for they are full of lies, and they are dependant on business interests. You should know that for all Jewish newspapers their main source of income comes from the advertisers that sell meat in one form or another. Be it Butchers, Restaurants, caterers, wholesalers, all of them have a connection to the meat business and they are the biggest clients of the newspapers. Therefore no newspaper owner in his right mind will publish anything that will hurt the interest of his biggest clients.

IF YOU ONLY EAT POULTRY YOU
AVOID MANY PITFALLS

Whoever wishes to avoid all risks, should be smart to eat only fowl (poultry) and not bovine meats - because the pitfalls are all too common and numerous with them. [And for eating the forbidden fat of bovine meat we become liable to the punishment of karet and this punishment does not apply to the consumption of poultry]  (Shulchan Hatahor, Rabbi Aaron Roth o.b.m. (author of Shomer Emunim, Tohoras Hakodesh, etc)

A TALMID CHACHAM WHO HAS NO KNOWLEDGE (DAAT), A NEVEILAH (CARCASS) IS BETTER THAN HIM (MIDRASH VAYIKRA 1:1)

The holy Rabbi Baruch mi Gorelitz, zt’l explained the midrash as follows: Those Rabbanim that give out Kashrut certifications on meat for their monetary gain, and they are not meticulous as it is necessary, that everything will follow the law, thereby putting stumbling blocks in front of the masses by feeding them NEVEILOT U TREIFOT, a neveilah (carcass) is indeed better than them, because a piece of meat that comes from a carcass can only damage a particular man where it is located, but those Rabbanim can from afar damage other people, and this is the meaning of the cited midrash: A Talmid Chacham that has no DAAT, he has no knowledge and is not careful to perform his duties to guard and overview the slaughtering of the animal, a carcass is better than him.              (13 OROT)

We read in Nidchei Yisroel written by the saint and sage, Rabbi Isarel Meir Hakohen, author of Chofetz Chaim:

Everything we discussed at length concerning the avoidance of eating neveilos and trefos, one must know that the neveilah, carcass, mentioned in the Torah is not only an animal that dies by itself, but also if it is slaughtered with a knicked knife or any other thing that disqualifies the shechitah (as is explained in Yoreh Deah, ch. 23, the five things that disqualify the shechitah), it is a real neveilah according to the Torah. Similarly, trefah mentioned in the Torah does not mean only an animal that is torn in the field by a wolf or the like, but any animal or fowl that has an ailment from which it will eventually die, is included in the law of trefah, and even if it was slaughtered properly, it is prohibited by the Torah. Therefore, we may not eat of the shechitah of a shochet who is not familiar with the laws of shechitah as is delineated in Yoreh Deah (23: 1), and even if he knows the halachos of shechitah and slaughtered with a knife that was examined properly, but this shochet eats carcasses and does not care about shechitah or if he is an apostate who profanes the Shabbos in public, his shechitah is invalid according to the Torah.

WATCH THE CONDUCT OF THE SHOCHET

Likewise, if he takes things lightly, that he ridicules the mitzvos and mocks the words of the Sages, we may not eat of his slaughtering. And if you are invited to eat at someone's house, and you know that your host buys meat from this inferior shochet, you must avoid eating meat there. Concerning such matters, King Solomon said, "And you shall put a knife in your throat if you have an appetite." Now, because of our many sins, I hear that it is very common in distant countries [America] that there are shochtim who are not well‑versed in the laws of shechitah or shochtim disqualified because of other reasons, from whose shechitah we may not eat. Therefore, every community that has G‑d‑fearing men among them, must see to it that they do not accept shochtim unless they are G‑d fearing and pious, and have certificates from qualified rabbis, and also it is a mitzvah for whomever has the ability, to appoint mashgichim in the slaughterhouse or where they sell meat, so that everything is conducted in the proper manner, for this matter is very neglected due to our many sins. It is advisable for every observant Jew to learn the laws of shechitah in the Yoreh Deah or in the Chochmas Adam to know how to conduct himself in these matters.

Rabbi Shlomo Kluger ztk’l (1783- 1869) wrote, "We may not treat the failings of shohatim lightly. In earlier generations, when most of the world was G-d-fearing and truth-seeking, a rabbi might have been lenient with a slaughterer in a responsum or in a reprimand. A shohet then might have transgressed because of a desire to make a livelihood, but his conscience still troubled him; the thought of breaking the laws of Shehitah appalled him. He knew too that were he to transgress a second time no man would stand up for him. Not so now. The earth is sinful, may the good G-d forgive. Every shohet now is like the most lax among the most lax. When he is called to account he calls upon his family, his friends, and the people who love falsehood, and they come to his aid; they rush eagerly to strengthen the hand of deceit. Therefore we must exercise the greatest care in our time to see that we select shohetim who are more pious than those before us, and for the slightest infraction to drive them out of their calling. According to the older writings one was permitted to eat meat slaughtered by a thief. Now it is universally recognized that a thief is to be suspected of violating any law in the Torah. (Tov Taam Va Daat)

The words of the Holy Rabbi Hillel Kolomayer Ztk’l are well known (Bet Hillel siman 48, 9): “You should know that the sin of eating Nevelot and Terefot is much graver than other sins…And our Sages say that the reason why young children die, G-d forbid, is because of this sin of eating forbidden foods, therefore pity your children and don’t destroy them, Chas ve Shalom”

The Cause of Increasing Daily Catastrophes

I am sure that the reason there are shechitah gezeros (Jews being slaughtered by the Goyim) in our times is because we did not keep our eyes on the schochtim as we should. (Tiyul bapardes, concerning shechitah, by Shamlauer Rav)

We read in Sefer Imrei Tzaddikim, (Divrei Geonim p 5): Where the shochet is honest, the shechitah is good and Elijah the prophet is in town. But, if the shochet feeds the people neveilos and trefos, he causes the Angel of Death to come to town [And Jews suffer tragic deaths, G-d save us]

From the aforementioned books we see that all catastrophes that befall us today are caused by shochtim who feed Nevelot (see also Shabbos 33b, Or Hachaim Shmini 11:43, Warnings of Mahartza, Mikdash Melech, Zivchei Shelamim, Darchei Teshuvah 60:5).

Everyone knows how much the Chafetz Chaim o.b.m. warned our brethren in his time, when they were forced to wander to various places because of the terrible decrees of that period. He warned them that if they have, G-d forbid, no choice but either to eat pork or to eat animals that died without being properly slaughtered, they should, G-d forbid, not eat the latter which is meat from which the Chelev [forbidden fats] was not removed, but rather eat pork whose prohibition is merely a negative commandment, rather than, G-d forbid, stumble upon the prohibition of Chelev, which is punishable by Karet.

Yet, in our times, the situation has reached such an alarming low that without any decree by the government or any other coercion, they feed our brethren meat from which the Chelev is either not removed at all or at best not properly removed and in their innocence, many innocent G-d-fearing people are trapped in a terrible snare, whose results are so far-reaching, that it is utterly unbelievable even catastrophic in many instances testifying to the terrible occurrences of devastation we daily witness. Heaven have mercy.

Words of Torah are poor in one place and rich in another. This is explained by Rabbi Moshe Sofer o.b.m., author of Responsa Chasam Sofer, that he heard the explanation of the matter from a sage, and he recorded this in Responsa Chasam Sofer, Orach Chaim ch. 205, that the evil inclination, known as the old and foolish king, sits on a throne of three legs, cantors, shochtim, and scribes. We find the same in Toledos Yaakov Yosef, parshas Naso, s.v. Veha'olah.

THE SHOCHET AND SATAN ARE PARTNERS

We find further on the verse, "And you shall slaughter as I have commanded you," that a shochet who has no fear of G‑d, as is required, becomes a brother and a colleague of Satan, for their deeds are very much alike, and for that reason the numerical value of "Satan" [359] equals "lo shochet." ie. to him is the shochet, for the shochet likens himself to Satan. In what manner? In the manner the Rabbis delineate in Baba Basra, (ch. 1) the tactics of Satan. He goes down and entices, goes up and accuses, comes down and takes the soul. So does the negligent shochet. First he entices the people to eat from his non‑kosher shechitah. Then he accuses; after he is trapped in his sin, he accuses; he assembles his relatives, his friends, and his acquaintances to instigate a quarrel with his opponents, and then he takes a soul. After he has been able to quiet his opponents and perform his work of trickery undisturbed, he takes the soul of the congregation and lowers them into the grave, G‑d forbid!.

PITY YOUR SOULS NOT THE SHOCHET’S

In Responsa Divrei Chaim, yoreh Deah 7, concerning a shochet who spoiled an animal, we read: Therefore, surely this abominable creature must be disqualified, and if you have pity on his life and the life of his family, give them some support, since you are an affluent society, but why should you cover up for this abominable creature, to allow him to feed trefos? Why don't you pity your precious soul that it should not become defiled with his loathsome broth. It is well‑known that there is no sin like the sin of eating forbidden foods, that clog the heart of the Jew, and because of our many sins, countless communities have virtually left the Jewish faith. Therefore, my friends, beware of pitying this abominable creature, and do not show any compassion for this one who feeds treifos, for I feel that you were not informed about the entire matter as it is.

A Frightening Incident in Slovakia of a Butcher Who Fed Treifos to the Public

About forty years ago, in a village near Vishnitz, Slovakia, the local butcher sold to the prominent residents of the village. The butcher became critically ill, and before his death, summoned the Dayan (ecclesiastical judge) of the community and confessed to him that for many years he had been selling non-kosher meat in lieu of kosher meat. Then he died.

When the Chevra Kaddisha (burial society) started to dig away but were unsuccessful, no matter how much they tried. They consequently dug another grave, but that one too became full of mice.. They threw straw and wood into the grave and made a big fire. Upon hearing sounds of weeping and wailing, the members of the Chevra Kaddisha fled. Immediately, the grave again filled up with mice.

 They turned to the rabbi for advice. He instructed them to lay the body in the grave. They followed his instructions and buried the body in the mice filled grave. They could not resist weeping over the disgrace to the dead.

As soon as they placed the body in the grave, it was attached by the mice, who devoured it voraciously until nothing remained. This incident was publicized throughout the region, causing many to repent (See nefesh Yeshayah pp. 47-48)

Rabbenu Yonah writes in Shaarei Teshuvah, quoted by Beth Yosef (Tur Yoreh Deah, end of ch. 18): And it will be pleasant for those who admonish, who warn the people that they should be conscientious in their observance of the laws of shechitah in every detail, and that they should choose a G‑d fearing shochet, for many Jews depend on him for their observance of the precepts of shechitah and bedikah, etc, and many of the experts are far from possessing fear of sin, and whoever does not fear, will not be particular in the examination of the slaughtering knife etc, in addition to the fact that a person devoid of fear will not be careful with examining the trachea and the gullet after the shechitah, in addition to other necessities and details (Rabbenu Yonah).

the Tzaddik and Kaddosh The Rebbe of Shapran ZTK’L said in front of a great congregation in Williamsburg, New York: “Due to our many sins today, if the supervising Rabbi is G-d fearing, when he goes to check what goes on in the slaughterhouse where he gives the Hechsher, then he only sees through one eye (And the other one is blind) and if the Rabbi is not G-d fearing, when he enters the place, then he is blind with his two eyes”.

IN MONEY MATTERS WE CHECK, SHOULD WE NOT CHECK FOR KASHRUT?

In the holy work Beer Maim Chaim, in parshas Chaye Sarah, we find the following: In our times, if someone approaches us with a slaughtering knife in his hand and claims to be an expert shochet, we believe him with a minimum of evidence to that effect; we ask him very little and do not test him thoroughly, but we assume that all who practice shechitah are experts. Likewise, if someone brings wine, milk, fish, or the like, foods in which there is a risk of an infraction of the halachah, or if one is served foods that require examination for insects etc., he assumes that the one who serves him is an observant Jew and that he is not suspected of feeding his fellow Jew anything non‑kosher.

However, he does not follow this policy, if someone comes to him to borrow money or any other article. He does not believe him without first conducting a thorough investigation. He asks of his identity and his honesty. If he does agree to lend him, he calls witnesses and draws up a note, and he lives in fear and dread until the term of the loan expires and the money is returned to him, fearing that perhaps he will fail to pay. This is because money is the most important thing to him and for this he toils in this world, and therefore he guards it very closely lest he lose it. Mitzvos, however, are of secondary importance to him, and if he does not fulfill them in the best possible manner, so what? This is not the most important thing.

In the introduction to the Sefer Pinas Yikras, p. 7, it says that if the shochet does not perform shechitah properly, he weakens and destroys the three pillars upon which the world exists: Torah, Avodah - divine service, and acts of kindness. He destroys the pillar of Torah by making G‑d's Torah false through treating its tenets lightly, and also by causing conflict between the Torah scholars [And also by causing Jews to diminish their belief in the Torah because we know that Terefot and Nevelot clog the heart of the Jew] . He weakens the pillar of divine service [sacrifices] in the following manner: The Rabbis tell us that when the Temple was in existence, a person's sacrifice would expiate his sins. Now a person's table expiates his sins. Accordingly, if a person's table is full of non‑kosher meat, the pillar of sacrifices is also destroyed. And the Shochet also weakens the pillar of acts of kindness ‑ For hospitality is the main element of kindness, and as our Rabbis o.b.m. stated in Taanis concerning Abba Hilkiah, that his wife gave bread to the poor, and they could immediately benefit from it, and if someone serves his guest non‑kosher meat, his loss is greater than his reward [He is feeding his guest Terefot, so he is making them transgress the Mitzvot instead of being kind to them]. Moreover, this usually causes strife, vain hatred, slander, and other serious sins, the opposite of kindness. In Responsa Mar'eh Yeshezkel ha'acharon (by the saint and sage, Mahariach, chief rabbi of Galina, o.b.m.), ch. 43, we find: We have seen that all the harsh decrees that come upon the world are because of this sin.

THE GAON RAB ELIEZER SILBER ZT’L WARNS AGAINST THE METHOD OF SHECHITA TELUYA (THE ANIMAL IS MADE TO HANG IN THE AIR)

Published in the Monthly publication “HAMAOR” in TEVET 5719 (1960) The Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Silber, av bet din of the city of Cincinnati writes the following letter to Rab Lipa Deutsch, av bet din of the Holmetz Kehilla:

I will inform of the reasons and the arguments of those that waged wars against the grave problems of the Shechita Teluya (the animal is made to hang in the air, thereby moving and shaking with great force) This war was waged in many cities and many butcheries in the last years and as it was already forbidden with strong arguments more than 50 years ago by the RIDBAZ from Salutzk and Tzfat when he was here in Denver. And I also prohibited this method of Shechita, after I saw how the gentiles that hold the head of the bulls and other animals that are hanging, move the head at the time of the Shechita many times, and in particular when the animal makes resistance and puts its head to the side, then the gentile with his hands presses the head of the animal against the knife, and this is like him actually helping in the slaughter proper, and as if the Jew and the gentile were slaughtering together. And the gentile brings the head of the animal on the knife and the Shochet brings the knife on the neck of the animal. And many times, the gentile actually presses the head of the animal against the knife. And this I saw so many times that I prohibited this method of Shechita.

THE SATAN RULES IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSES

And with the help of G-d, when I was in the slaughter houses as the supervisor, the shechita was done by putting the animal on the ground on its back and this is how they were slaughtering up until a few years in the large slaughterhouses in New York, Chicago, Boston. And only after the older Rabbis passed away and the process of Shechita was given to the supervision of younger men, they went back to the wrong ways without asking the older Rabbis and Talmide Chachamim and I stand on my duty to warn you that there’s doubts of nevelot in many of those slaughterhouses.  

FROM THE BOOK CHEN TOV, RAV AHARON TZVI FREEDMAN ZT’L FORBIDS THE METHOD OF SHECHITA TELUYA MORE THAN 130 YEARS AGO

After having worked as a shochet for over 30 years Rav Freedman declares that it is forbidden to slaughter in this fashion (Shechita Teluya) and that he who slaughters thus feeds nevelot and terefot to the Jews without a doubt and all those who fear Hashem will not dare eat any meat because it is disqualified and surely contaminates and impurifies the soul.

Rav Freedman cites in the book that when the animal is hanging, as anything that hangs, has more mobility making the slaughter much more difficult and it is known that if there’s movement at the time of the slaughter then it is not kosher. Also the movement of the animal makes the Shochet be afraid lest the animal hurt him and not only that, but the gentiles that work in the slaughterhouse are the ones holding the head of the animal against the knife, as the animal moves violently and this without a doubt disqualifies the Shechita.

And so the Rav prohibited any slaughter from below toward above (as when the animal is hanging) and all Shochatim should be refrained for doing this abomination, and anyone who can help solve this situation and doesn’t, will in the future have to give an accounting. Rav Freedman said: “Don’t believe the Shochatim when they declare that their shechita is good, but it is evil in the eyes of Hashem and they are great sinners those who say everything is fine”.

PROBLEMS WITH THE WHITE MEAT OF
YOUNG CALVES (AGALOT LEVENIM)

 CONGREGATION MACHZIKEI HADAS D’CHASIDEI BELZ

IN THE UNITED STATES

 IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES

With the help of G-d, who purifies us and sanctifies us through the sanctification of food, we have been asked by G-d-fearing people for more than two years whether our ritual slaughter department could also provide white veal. We referred the matter to the rabbis of our community, and after examining the issue in depth and in detail, they have determined that:

There are many questions about the way the white calves are fattened and raised, and many questions about the possibility that the animals are rendered unfit for kosher ritual slaughter because of problems in the lungs and other internal organs.

Therefore,

We are refraining from accepting White Veal in the ritual slaughter department of Congregation Machzikei Hadas D’Chasidei Belz.