*Be the Change You Want to See In the World

Kosher Meat -- A Ray of Light: Part Four (of 4) [Previously 'Shechitah and the Desecration of Gd's Name]

Part I
Part II
Part III

We've seen that the kosher slaughter industry does not ensure against the animal mistreatment that permeates the animal product industries.  The current kashrut overseers have failed to maintain an animal welfare standard that passes a test of decency as they continue to be satisfied with their belief that Jewish law permits it.  [See here for Kosher beef imports to Israel and the U.S. under OU supervision].

The solution must come from elsewhere.

Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are bringing greater awareness to the public of all industries that use animals – but the implementation of societal change is slow, and does the Jewish community really want to concede authority for these matters to secular institutions?  What does Jewish abdication of responsibility and concern for these matters say about our character, ideals or belief in our mission to bring greater awareness of Gdliness/goodness into the world?

Research and experience show that a call for people to stop supporting harmful industries is effective only if the consumer is given a reliable substitute product to support.  It is in this light that I write an open letter to the Hekhsher Tzedek Commission and its visionary Rabbi Morris Allen:

[Hekhsher/Magen Tzedek is an initiative of Judaism's Conservative Movement to give its seal of approval on food products that maintain acceptable ethical and social justice standards in the categories of labor concerns, animal welfare, environmental impact, consumer issues and corporate integrity]

Dear Heksher Tzedek Commission and Rabbi Allen,

Kudos to the work you are doing to bring to market a way for the Jewish and non-Jewish consumer to identify products that are free from the taint of injustice that is so prevalent in the commercial food industry.

I have expressed my concern to the Commission about both the inadequacy of its proposed animal welfare standards as well as the insufficient enforcement and auditing of these standards.  Additionally, I have recently learned that due to the many complications associated with kosher meat the Hekhsher Tzedek will not be endorsing any kosher beef or poultry supplier in the foreseeable future.

As someone who cares deeply about the success of H.T., I must emphasize the belief that the single most important product that the Heksher Tzedek can provide to the public is kosher meat.  Hekhsher Tzedek's impact will be felt thunderously, and heroically, and historically when it provides the caring kosher community with a meat source that can serve as a shining example of what Judaism values. 

Accordingly, I feel inspired to inform you about the work of CEO Devora Kimelman-Block and her KOL Foods ethical kosher meat production and supply.  I have spoken extensively to Devora and feel that an association between Hekhsher Tzedek and KOL Foods can be a partnership that provides the kosher meat product the caring public craves.

Sincerely,

Adam Frank

Rabbi, Congregation Moreshet Yisrael
Jerusalem, Israel

Communication to Hekhsher Tzedek Commission

To Hekhsher Tzedek Commission:

Based on inadequacy of the proposed H.T. standards of animal welfare and the inability to ensure enforcement of those standards, I strongly urge the Commission to adopt the following position:

Current governmental standards coupled with lack of enforcement of those standards do not ensure compliance with Jewish concerns for the welfare of animals.  Until the time that federal standards and enforcement of those standards are in place to adequately care for the welfare of animals, Hekhsher Tzedek will investigate animal welfare practices of those food producers for whom exists a unique element of concern. ['Unique' defined by the 5 areas headed in the currently existing draft summary on p.5 of the summary]

Respectfully,

Adam Frank
Rabbi, Congregation Moreshet Yisrael
Jerusalem, Israel

 

Tzav 2010

It is easy to be overwhelmed, perhaps under-whelmed, by the often repetitive and detailed delineation of the korbanot (sacrifices) that comprise the Book of Leviticus.  This week’s parsha, Tzav, is true to Levitical form by showering the reader with details of sacrifice and ritual and cult as performed by the Kohanim on behalf of the Israelites.  The natural inclination of the reader is to glance-read over the details until the eye hits something of interest.  However, as is the way of traditional Torah study, the thoughtful method of learning the Torah portion is to invest time in each verse in order to uncover meaning that at first is not apparent.  An example from this week’s portion is, “And every grain offering of a Kohen will be whole, it shall not be eaten.” (Leviticus 6:16).  What does Judaism learn from this verse that appears in the commentaries?  1)  A Kohen eats the grain offerings of others but not his own as he, too, must make sacrifices in his relationship with Gd, and, 2) A Kohen must first expiate his own sins before expiating those of others, thus exemplifying the Talmudic dictum, קשט עצמך, ואחר כך קשט אחרים, ‘adorn yourself, and only then can you adorn others’ or, more colloquially, ‘point the finger at yourself before turning it on others.’  Perhaps we can also apply this teaching to our Torah study:  invest yourself in learning the week’s parsha, and only then can you critique it from a place of knowledge. 

Shechitah and the Desecration of Gd's Name: Part Three (of 4)

To see Part I click here

To see Part II click here

If you read the first 2 parts of this series of posts, then you are aware of the November 2004 animal welfare scandal at the largest kosher slaughterhouse in North America, Agriprocessors in Postville, IA.  You are also aware that the animal abuse occurred in the presence of the most powerful kosher supervising authority in the world; the New York City based Orthodox Union (OU) that had approved and endorsed the highly criticized post-shechitah trachea removal of cows prior to losing consciousness.

Following that 2004 expose, the OU's CEO, Rabbi Menachem Genack, gave a press release on Dec. 29, 2004 stating  "the removal of the trachea immediately after the shechita has now been discontinued…At the OU we constantly review our procedures, evaluate them, and if necessary, improve or correct them…inhumane treatment of animals is not the Jewish way." 

Rabbi Genack followed the press release with a letter published in the Los Angeles Times stating, "Following the video's release, I and an authority on Jewish law, Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, went to the plant. After that visit, the Orthodox Union and Agriprocessors agreed that the trachea will no longer be removed following kosher slaughter."

At the behest of Agriprocessors and its kosher slaughter supervisors (OU), Dr. Temple Grandin made a scheduled visit/audit of the abattoir.  After the visit, Dr. Grandin endorsed the reformed procedures that she witnessed during that visit.

Then, in August, 2008 an undercover video of the slaughter procedures showed that the unnecessary and illegal extraction of the trachea was back in use (video here).  After viewing the video, Dr. Grandin remarked, “The things that were exposed in this latest PETA video — these secondary cuts like potting a plant in the cow’s throat — that wasn’t happening when I toured the plant,”

Perhaps the jaded consumer may come to expect production facilities to 'process products' in as quickly and unconcerned as possible a manner so as to maximize profits.  But, the deception of the auditors and the public happened under the auspices of the OU!

Fast forward to January 2010:  The Rabbinical Council of America, whose members make up the rabbinical leadership of the Orthodox Union, publicized its new Jewish Principles and Guidelines (JPEG) for the Kosher Food Industry.  A close reading of the document shows that the JPEG is a statement that the OU will no longer turn a blind eye to business, ethical and moral violations of civil law that its supervisors witness in production plants including the employment and abuse of under-age illegal workers and cruelty towards animals.  Specifically addressing concern for animal welfare, the whole of the guidelines comments are:  "Jewish law strictly forbids causing an animal to suffer, except in cases of legitimate human need or other unusual situations."

When I asked a signatory of JPEG, he confirmed that the guidelines on animal welfare are no change from the ones that were in place prior to the animal cruelty scandal that occurred under OU supervision at Agriprocessors – that is, the abuse would continue to be sanctioned by the OU/RCA were it not for United States civil law which calls the behavior inhumane. 

The rabbis (RCA) to whom we entrust the reputation of Judaism and Gd by way of keeping accountable those who supervise kosher industry compliance with Jewish law and ethics (OU) are part of the problem -- and not the solution. 

 

Click Here Part 4

 

Vayikra 5770

אָדָם כִּי-יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן, לַה'--מִן-הַבְּהֵמָה, מִן-הַבָּקָר וּמִן-הַצֹּאן, תַּקְרִיבוּ, אֶת-קָרְבַּנְכֶם. -- When any human of you (pl) brings an offering to Gd, you (pl) shall bring your (pl) offering of the cattle, of the herd or of the flock. (Leviticus 1:2)

Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz (1550-1619) points out the many difficulties found in this verse: Why the use of the word 'human' rather than the more standard 'man'? What means 'any human of you'? Why does the Hebrew verse begin in singular language and end in the plural? He answers that in Hebrew there are 4 names for person: איש, אנוש, גבר, ואדם. The first 3 have plural forms, only אדם (human) has no plural form which teaches us that when Israel acts as one, even an individual's pious act will be considered as belonging 'of you' of the whole community. However, if Israel acts amongst itself as מִן-הַבְּהֵמָה (of the cattle – i.e., *as we act toward the cattle of the field) then even if everyone has other acts of piety they will be your offering and do not belong to Gd.

- *interpretive translation of R. Frank

Vayakhel-Pekudei 5770

In this week's parasha, Gd instructs Moshe regarding the anointment of Aharon's family to the priesthood: And you shall put upon Aaron the holy garments; and you shall anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to Me in the priest's office. And you shall bring his sons, and put tunics upon them. And you shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me in the priest's office…(Exodus 40:13-15) In a constant search for meaning, our tradition's way is to raise questions about Gd's choice of wording throughout the Torah. Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-1926) asks the question 'Why did Gd differentiate between the anointing of Aharon and his sons?' He answers: When Moshe anoints Aharon, there was no trace of jealousy in his heart for Moshe knew that he was the greater than Aharon and merited being the head of all of Israel's prophets. However, the anointing of Aharon's sons was a pointed reminder to Moshe that his own sons would not receive a mantle of privilege. Human nature would certainly warrant that Moshe felt jealousy and sadness in this moment – Rabbi Meir Simcha points out that by the text separating the two anointments the greatness of Moshe is emphasized as even in that moment he celebrated them as he did their father (as you anointed their father) without a pang of jealousy or envy.

Ki Tisa 5770

There is a story told about a Chassidic rabbi from the town of Sokolov who visited a city in Poland with the desire to start a society or association of haredi Jews. There were people in the town who were opposed to the idea because they felt that making factions disintegrates the holiness of community. The rabbi responded with a midrash from this week’s parsha. Moshe tells Betzalel (בצלאל), the master craftsman, to make in this order the ark, utensils and tabernacle for containing Gd’s Torah. Betzalel says ‘where will the ark and utensils be placed if I make them before making the tabernacle? Perhaps Gd said to you: make a tabernacle, ark and utensils.’ Moshe’s response: 'Alas you were B’tzel El (literally: in Gd’s shadow בצל אל) and you know better!' The rabbi explained that Moshe was such a lofty believer that he could not fathom that anyone would dare cause damage to the Holy Ark and utensils even if left unguarded in the street. Thus, Moshe instructed to build the Holy Ark first, for it was the holiest of all. Betzalel knew the reality of the people better and that the way to insure the protection of the most holy was to have it contained within sheltering, strengthening parts. In this way, the rabbi argued that efforts to organize groups within a larger community in fact strengthen that community.