Let us make every mouthful a kiddush Hashem-Rabbi Asher Lopatin

2008-07-20 02:24

Friends, over the years, and especially the last few weeks, many
issues have been raised concerning Rubashkins meats and poultry.
There are still significant concerns with Agriprocessors which makes
Aaron's Best, Aaron's Choice, Rubashkin's, European Glatt, Supreme
Kosher, David's, and Shor HaBor brands, and most of these concerns
have not been resolved. Recent agreements only touch on some of the
issues raised, and even regarding these issues it is questionable how
effective or sincere Rubashkin's has been in dealing with them. So I
would suggest that when you consider what kind of meats and poultries
you want serve at your Shabbat tables, which foods in general you put
on your table, considered holy like the Alter in the Temple, you might
want to think of what Kashrut is all about: God's commandment to
maintaining the holiness and integrity of our Jewish identity, being
able to come together to eat together with all other Jews – Jewish
unity - and treating with dignity the animals killed and with dignity
those people who prepare the animals for our eating pleasure. I
personally, in shopping for our home, will try to buy other brands of
meats and poultry: Empire, Alle's Meal Mart, and Weiss's. Not only do
I want to try to open up the market in general for more brands –
restraint of trade is a old scandal in the Kashrut world, but we
should not accept it – I also want to feel good about my Shabbat meal
experience. On the day when Hashem tells us to ensure that our
animals and workers rest and relax, it would be strange to eat food
that was produced in the complete opposite fashion.

I have never called for a boycott of any brand, but I do ask that we
all think before we buy, cook, serve and eat. Let us make every
mouthful a kiddush Hashem – a sanctification of God's name. When we
say the b'racha before eating, and after, let us think about the
responsibility Hashem has given us in consuming God's creations. We
are only human, we try our best, and, frankly, I can't guarantee that
any of Rubashkins competitors are great "tzadikim" either, but at
least we try, and at least by trying we are making a statement that
kashrut is a conscience choice, not just a matter of conforming to a
rote procedure.

If we try to be responsible for the food we eat, then we can bentsch
with confidence that God will merit us to continue to have not only
food, but our own land as well, Israel, and the ability to create an
even greater kiddush Hashem: Baruch Ata Hashem: al Ha'aretz ve'al
Hamazon: Blessed are You God, for the Land and its food.

Shabbat shalom and hearty, healthy, and "Jewish" eating!