GLATT: It’s the Shechita that Counts
 
Hotels and caterers no longer advertise just “kosher” but are sure to advertise that they are Glatt Kosher.
 

I am asked repeatedly by observant and non-observant Jews to explain the significance of Glatt Kosher and how it is different from ‘regular’ kosher meats. Why, in recent years, has Glatt Kosher become so popular? Hotels and caterers no longer advertise just “kosher” but they advertise Glatt Kosher. Most of the butcher stores in the religious sections of New York display signs Glatt Kosher and do not display the name of the rabbi who supervises the store.

This matter has brought about much confusion in orthodox Jewish life. Many religious Jews will not eat in the homes of other religious Jews because of the meats and chicken used in these homes. It is my intention to clarify this matter as much as possible, and for you, the reader, to draw your own conclusions.

In this article I will attempt as much as possible to restrict my remarks to facts rather than to opinion. First allow me to explain the meaning of Glatt Kosher. Kosher meat is slaughtered by a shochet who is ordained by a rabbi and trained by another shochet. Besides knowing the laws of kosher slaughtering and having the practical knowledge, a shochet must be a G-d fearing individual in his private and public life. This should be noticeable by his conduct and appearance.

The halacha states that the Shochet should be a G-d fearing man and recognizable as such—a Yeray Shamayim al Panav. There are those who interpret this as meaning that the shochet should actually have a beard and payos. As a matter of fact I once saw a T’shuva (responsa) by the father of a prominent rabbi in New Jersey who stated that he, the father, removed a shochet from his position in his town of Lithuania because the shochet had trimmed his beard. He brought the opinion of the Tzemach Tzedeck to support him. If one looks into the new responsa that were recently published by Hagaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, shlita, one will find that one should not rely upon a shochet who uses a microphone on Shabbos or is a Shamosh in a conservative temple.

When slaughtering animals, in addition to properly slaughtering the animal, the shochet inspects the lungs of the animal to make sure it has no adhesions or other blemishes which according to Jewish law may be non-kosher. When an adhesion is removed, and the lung is not punctured, the animal is kosher. According to other opinions in Halacha (Jewish law) the animal is not kosher. If someone wishes to be more stringent in his observances he will not accept any meat from animals with adhesions; he will use only Glatt Kosher meat. This means meat which, according to all opinions, is kosher.

Forty years ago Glatt kosher was practically unheard of in America. Observant Jews were careful to buy meat from religious butchers upon whom they felt they could rely completely. The butcher was particular in his purchase of meat. He made sure that the meat came from a slaughter house where all the shochtim fulfilled all the requirements that I mentioned above. Others, who were not so particular, relied upon any kosher butcher who had rabbinic supervision. In those years there were very few butcher stores operated by strictly religious Jews. I don’t think that there were any butcher shops who sold only Glatt Kosher meats.

A few years later a shochet from New Jersey opened a butcher shop in Williamsburg and he was the pioneer of Glatt Kosher meat. He slaughtered the animals in a slaughter house in New Jersey. The animals belonged to the slaughter house so there was no problem of one person being the shochet and the butcher. This is questionable according to Halacha only if the shochet owns the animal. Torah observant Jews began purchasing this meat for two reasons. First and foremost because they knew the shochet to be a G-d fearing individual though they were not particularly interested in the meat being Glatt. Secondly, to a smaller measure, because one had an opportunity to be stricter in his observance and eat meat which is kosher according to all opinions.

After the second world war when many immigrants came from Rumania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia together with their rebbeim, and also with the increase of the numbers of American Torah observant Jews because of the growth of yeshivos and mesivtos in America, Glatt kosher became more popular. At the beginning all Glatt was restricted to particular groups. There were three or four groups—the Zehlemer, the Lubavitcher, and the Satmarer. The shochtim are Chasidim or disciples of the above mentioned Rebbeim and are under their jurisdiction or a rav designated by them. Of course, shochtim of this caliber are noticeable G-d fearing individuals. In recent years, owners of slaughter houses who never before marked their meat Glatt began doing so. The shochtim slaughtering in these slaughter houses are not under the jurisdiction of the groups mentioned above. As previously stated the majority who purchase Glatt do so because of the status of the shochtim more so than because the meat is Glatt Kosher. It seems to me that the above mentioned groups of rebbeim and rabbonim have made a mistake by popularizing their products as Glatt but should have sold their products of Zehlemer shechita or Lubavitcher shechita so that the customer who is interested would know where his meat is coming from. I recommend therefore for those who are interested in Glatt Kosher that when they make a reservation in a Glatt Kosher hotel or buy meat in a Glatt Kosher butcher shop they should inquire as to whose shechita they are purchasing.

You occasionally hear somebody saying “We use only Glatt Kosher chickens.” This is ridiculous because there is no such thing. A shochet does not inspect the lungs of a chicken for adhesions as he does cattle. One does however need a shochet for chickens as well; and the qualifications of a shochet for chickens are the same as the qualifications of a shochet for meat. Therefore the above mentioned groups have their shochtim slaughtering chicken as well.

Again I wish to remark that there are many butcher stores, restaurants and hotels who advertise Glatt Kosher and have no reliable supervision, or no supervision t all. In many cases the proprietors of these establishments are not even observant in their own private lives; and still many customers are satisfied to purchase products from these stores. I therefore again state that one should be extremely cautious before purchasing meat and should make certain that the owner of the store is a G-d fearing individual or that there is very reliable supervision. Do not be blinded by the low prices!

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Because this is a Pesach issue and I always have many inquiries about peanut oil and we give our Hechsher on Planter’s Peanut Oil I again wish to print the T’shuva of Hagaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Shlita, with reference to peanuts and peanut oil.

Translation:
“Concerning peanuts, which were called stashkes in Europe—they have been accepted as being permitted on Pesach and are not considered kitniyos (legumes that are forbidden on Pesach) because all the reasons for the prohibition of kitniyos do not apply to peanuts. Peanuts are not sown in fields (with grain), and even if they were there is no fear that grain would be mixed together with the peanuts; bread is not baked from peanuts; and generally speaking though they are vegetables they have the appearance of nuts rather than kitniyos. And even though I have heard that in some places they were considered kitniyos, peanuts should not be forbidden in places where it is not known for certain what the custom had been in their city, because, with reference to kitniyos, when in doubt one should be lenient.

Therefore you may give certification for peanuts and the oil derived from them, and they will be permissible to the majority of persons. Those who know for certain that the custom of their city was not to eat peanuts on Passover should not eat them; others are permitted to eat them.”

If you wish to purchase pure cottonseed oil, Wesson Oil with the Kosher for Pesach seal is available only in the 48 oz. size.

In the event you do not use corn syrup, be careful with the many products from Israel and America that use corn syrup. They do not list corn syrup among the ingredients. Instead of corn syrup they list the word “glucose.” Glucose in most cases means corn syrup. The ok does not permit the use of corn syrup. Instead we use potato syrup.

There are companies in America and Israel that use lechitin in their chocolate which is produced Kosher for Pesach. Lechitin is derived from soya beans which are kitniyos (legumes). The ok does not use lechitin in any of their products for Pesach.

There is a fund raising group called Passover Specialties who printed a circular for the purpose of selling candies and other products. This circular includes Caruth Candies, which are under our supervision, also other products which are not. We wish to state emphatically that the other products are not endorsed by the O.K. Laboratories—ONLY THE CARUTH PRODUCTS are under the supervision of O.K. Laboratories.