Bs”d
Monday, 26 Iyar 5773
May 6 2013
To members of Congregation Levi Yitzchak,
I would like to clarify some of points that were discussed at the shiur this past Thursday night.
We have to be more wary when we eat from food establishments.
- We can only eat at a restaurant that is either:
A: Owned by a trustworthy frum person who is always on location & is certified by a hashgacha that is vigilant in frequently checking the establishment.
B: Has a mashgiach tmidi whom you trust and is himself certified by a competent kashrus org. - We wish to publicly thank Rabbi Langer for his time and effort in arranging for the OU to do a partial review of the situation in Los Angeles. We are trying to organize a full review of all restaurants and caterers from both the RCC and Kehillah. For it to have the necessary impact, it needs to be shared with a third party who will follow up to make sure the recommendations are instituted.
- All mashgichim, (even temporary ones), need full training so they know what the Hashgacha agency expects of them.
A simple analogy is the hierarchy of a school. A principal supervises the teachers and insures the curriculum is being followed. In kashrus a mashgiach needs a written guideline for each establishment and oversight to make sure he is following the protocol. The principal has a board of directors whom he/she reports to. The hashgacha agency has to have knowledgeable Rabbonim (who understand the kashrus industry) to report to who insure the standards are kept up.
In closing, by being conscious of the food we eat, we help purify ourselves and our homes. This is the proper preparation to Shavuos, when Hashem chose us and gave us the laws of kosher to set us apart and raise us to a higher state of spiritual oneness with Him.
Rabbi Shimon Raichik