Kosher Restaurants and Certifications Today

0:10There are some rabbis who say that the shechitah has many problems. We rely on major organizations that oversee kashrut. However, just because an organization is big doesn't automatically mean that it's good. Therefore, it's important to do some checking. Who is responsible for the shechitah? Who performed the shechitah? What are the halachot they follow?

1:24If it's OU, if it's Bet Yosef, if it's, you know, different, different, different things, you have to check who it is. Obviously, there are a lot of problems with the meat today simply because we know a lot more, we do a lot more. So there are many, not like the majority, but there are many really big Chachamim, big Rabbis. that literally refuse to eat meat from anywhere other than from a butcher they know personally. So they literally bring a shochet to their community, he schechts the cow in front of them, and then they take the meat from there. So if you want, we can split a few cows between us. I don't really eat meat, I don't really eat meat, so, often. The glue in the meat. Yeah, that's a shanda. That's what the goyim do. They put poison in their own meat because they want to make money, you know. There's also in China, they make rice out of plastic. In China, they make rice out of plastic. They make it, you know, it looks exactly like rice and it's plastic. It's mamash poison. They feed people poison because they love money so much. That's what happens when you don't have Yirat Shamayim. You don't have a God.

2:38You don't have a fear of God. To have a God, you have to fear Him too. You can't say you have a God and you don't fear Him. What kind of God is that? So when you don't fear God, you don't have a God; that means that your god is money. So if money is your god, you'll do anything for it. You'll sacrifice for it. You'll lie to people about it. You'll do whatever. You'll kill people for it. There's no end. That's why Chazal says you're not allowed to be in a closed room with someone that doesn't have Yirat Shamayim. Someone who doesn't have Yirat Shamayim, you're not allowed to be in a closed room with him. Why? Maybe he'll kill you. That's what it says. That's what it says. Someone who doesn't have Yirat Shamayim, you shouldn't be in a closed room with him. Maybe he's going to kill you. How do you know? He thinks he's God. If he doesn't have fear of God, he thinks he's God. He has to fear something. Maybe he thinks he's God. If he thinks he's God, maybe he's going to kill you because you're not praying to him. You're not worshiping him. You're not obeying him. So that's what happens with the goyim. Unfortunately, many of them don't have a fear of God. Some do, but many don't, especially those people who are in the food business, the meat business, who are putting glue on their food because that glue is poison. Right, they put cheap parts of meat together and then apply this enzyme on it, which is poisonous. After refrigerating it for a few hours, the meat comes out appearing as if it's a single piece.

3:58It looks like it's a single piece of prime steak or something like that. It looks like a single meat. But you can't tell the difference unless you're a professional. So they take, let's say, kebabs. They roll them together. They put this enzyme on it. They wrap it in... Not tinfoil. In plastic wrap. Plastic. So it looks like a... You know... like a pastrami or something, not one of these things where they put a sausage in the fridge. When it comes back from the fridge after several hours and they cut it, it looks like it's all one piece of meat, like all of the meat is connected together because this specific enzyme makes the blood clot. It makes the blood clot so it all connects and becomes like it's one piece. you should follow the mitzvot diligently, especially regarding kosher dietary laws. There are countless reasons why we adhere to kashrut, and each one ultimately benefits us in ways we may not immediately see. Thus, those who observe kashrut are protected from many unknowns and unnecessary worries.

5:12You, the chosen people, must eat kosher. Aside from it being my rule, it's in your best interest. It's in your best interest. Because when you eat kosher, you don't have these problems. Ken, it's enzymes from pigs and all different types of animals. But if you're already eating that meat, it doesn't matter where it's from. It's all non-kosher anyway. The fact that it's pig doesn't make it any worse than if it's a non-kosher cow. One of the biggest stores here. like in the area, to buy meat. Yeah. And I actually asked the guy there, the mashgiach, what he said. He said, it's all mixed, some Beit Yosef, some Chabad. And also, I went to another restaurant with a very religious guy once. And he said, before we order, call the mashgiach. So he said, OK, what's the meat from? So he said, some Chabad, some Beit Yosef, some glatt. Right. So the guy said it could be keilim. He didn't eat meat. He just ate something pareve. OK. I mean, listen, some people have different preferences. They keep one, they observe one, they go with one, they don't go with another. Different people, this is one of the things that... Listen, I'll tell you this. Eating out is something that people enjoy a lot. So to tell people not to eat out, which in reality you shouldn't, simply because it's very, very difficult to ensure that a place is 100% kosher.

6:40And one of the reasons is because many people who own kosher restaurants, kosher markets, or kosher food places are not religious. They simply like the business. In Israel, if someone is not religious and does not keep Shabbat, they do not receive a kosher certificate. However, in America, this is not the case. It doesn't matter what their personal beliefs are; they can have no religious observance, and yet their establishment can still receive a kosher certification. So, it is always important to be cautious and discerning about the authenticity of the kashrut, as there may always be some level of doubt. So as long as the store serves kosher food. However, the thing is, people who go out to eat often choose places where the owner appears to follow the rules, but there is always a level of uncertainty. You're not 100% sure because the owner himself may not fully observe the laws. This creates a safek, a doubt. Is he really keeping it or not? In general, whether it's kosher or non-kosher restaurants, they all have issues. All of them have all types of issues. I mean, anybody that's been in the restaurant business, or knows anything about the food business, will tell you that seeing rats in restaurants is a normal thing. Some people who are actually in the business tell me, if you really knew what was going on in restaurants, you would never go to one.

7:42So, eating out is a problem anyway. Eating in a place where the owner is not religious is an additional problem. Eating in a place where they don't adhere to one specific halachic approach, but rather follow multiple ones, necessitates investigation. You have to find out why. Is it because they have customers that specifically ask for this? Or is it because this week there was a discount on Chabad standards, next week there is a discount on Bet Yosef, and then another on a different approach? Is it because of financial reasons or because of customer demand? So what's the reason? And quite frankly, it's not easy; it's not easy to pick a restaurant. But to tell people outright, "Don't eat out," is just not realistic because people are just going to say, "You're crazy." At the same token, you are responsible for what goes into your body. Simply put, you are responsible. You're going to pay for whatever goes into your body.