'It's Not For Me — It's a Gift': Can I Buy Non-Kosher Food?

May a Jew ever purchase non-kosher food? You might think the answer is "no," but it's not always that straightforward...

Question:

The non-Jewish winter festivals are coming up, and I always buy gifts for my non-Jewish employees. Can I buy them chocolates without kosher certification? They're cheaper than the kosher varieties.

Answer:

No. We aren't allowed to buy non-kosher food to give as gifts to non-Jews. This is aside from the problem of mar'it ayin (doing something that appears forbidden, even though it actually isn't), as someone could see you purchasing the non-kosher food and assume either that you will be eating it, or that perhaps it is kosher and therefore other Jews can eat it too, thus causing them to sin.

It's also important to be aware of another issue, which is that the Torah forbids us to flatter non-Jews in order to curry favor. Therefore, giving a non-Jew a gift to make him or her like us, and so forth, is prohibited. (This doesn't apply in your case as it is customary to give gifts around the time of their festivals.)

Question:

My store is located in a predominantly Jewish area, but many non-Jews shop there too. Several times, people have asked me why I don't stock certain food items (which aren't kosher), and I know that I end up losing business as these people turn to other stores instead. Isn't there anything I can do?

Answer:

You may not sell non-kosher food even to non-Jews, even if you sustain a financial loss as a result. In your case, the truth is that you aren't actually losing; you're simply not gaining.

Aside from that, it is almost never permitted to transgress a Torah law simply because one would lose money otherwise, even a great deal of money. At times when we feel challenged, it's good to remember that our parnassah (source of livelihood) is from God and that He will surely reward us for adhering to His commandments.

Question:

I'm a building contractor, and I always provide refreshments for the site workers when I'm on the construction site. They don't always appreciate kosher options and have requested "their kind of food" on a number of occasions. What can I do?

Answer:

If it is definitely customary, or actually required, for you as the Jewish employer to provide food for your employees, you may purchase non-kosher food for them if they insist on it. However, since some respected halachic (Jewish legal) authorities consider this forbidden, it is preferable not to, and to find a way to appease them that doesn't involve purchasing and giving them non-kosher food.

In general, when non-Jews see that we honor our laws and traditions, and when we explain the laws in a pleasant manner, while stressing that they have nothing to do with disparaging non-Jews, they are ready to accept our words and will often respect us for our loyalty to the Torah.

Question:

My non-Jewish neighbor gave me a honey cake as she knew that Rosh Hashanah was coming up. She proudly read me the list of ingredients on the label, and showed me that there are no animal products in it, "so it's kosher." I didn't have the heart to tell her that since there's no kosher certification, I can't eat it anyway, so I thanked her and took it. Was that okay?

Answer:

According to some halachic opinions, you should preferably not take a gift of non-kosher food from a non-Jew, so if there is a way to elegantly refuse without hurting anyone's feelings, that is preferable.

However, if you're worried about offending your neighbor, you may take the gift and should certainly thank her warmly. At a later occasion, if possible, you could find a way to bring up the topic of kosher certification and let her know in a roundabout way how things work, but this isn't obligatory.

Question:

My boss, who doesn't know much about Jewish tradition, gave all his employees (both Jews and non-Jews), a very expensive end-of-year gift of top-quality caviar along with a bottle of wine. There was no question of refusing it; he would probably have fired me on the spot! I think that the halachah allows me to take the gift in such circumstances, but am I allowed to actually benefit from it by selling it to a non-Jewish colleague?

Answer:

This is an interesting case, as the caviar and wine are dealt with differently.

With regard to the caviar, you are allowed to sell the gift and profit from it, since it came into your possession through no choice of your own. The same would apply if you were given a complimentary box of candy on an airplane, for instance, if it is included in the price of the seat in your particular package.

However, it is forbidden to profit from non-kosher wine. Therefore, you may neither sell it to a non-Jew, nor even gift it to a non-Jew as a present. Instead, you should pour it down the sink or similar.

Question:

My son was playing on the beach and found a chocolate bar, its wrapping intact, half-buried in the sand. He ran over to show me, and pointed out that it had clearly been there a long time so there was no chance of finding the owner. I in turn pointed out that the bar wasn't kosher, and he asked me if he could take it anyway, and give it to the non-Jewish boy who lives next door, or even sell it to him. I told him, "Better not," but actually I didn't know what the halachah is.

Answer:

Your instinct was right. It is not permitted to take possession of non-kosher food other than in very specific circumstances, even if we could potentially make a lot of money by selling it. This isn't called a loss (and in any case, one may not transgress a Torah law even if it means losing a lot of money). It's merely foregoing an opportunity.