The Complete Guide to Passover Kashrut Laws: Meat

One of the most basic products purchased throughout the year in general, and particularly during the upcoming holidays, is beef and poultry meat and its products. Therefore, we will try to briefly address their kashrut, and provide you with everything you need to know from a halachic perspective before the approaching Passover holiday.

A. It's important to know that this product is one of the most important in the field of kashrut, as unfortunately there are frequently many counterfeits, both from people thinking to "profit" at the customer's expense, and from others who are not Jewish. It's no secret that we often hear about meat being smuggled from the territories to various places throughout the country. Therefore, the first thing we should do before our holiday shopping journey is first to pray: "May it be Your will, Hashem, that we should not be ashamed or fail, God forbid, with foods that might have concerns." And without doubt, we can save ourselves much distress if we preface prayer to everything we do. 

B. It is very important to ask and consult with authorized rabbis on matters of kashrut, because many of us tell ourselves that it's understandable to ask questions about Shabbat laws, Passover and blessings, but regarding meat kashrut? After all, today almost every product is sealed with a "Badatz" stamp, so it seems sufficient, and beyond that, there isn't much more to ask.

(Photo: shutterstock)

However, it's important to know that sometimes the Badatz itself publishes notices about counterfeit food factories or private shops that unfortunately forged the Badatz stamp. Additionally, it often happens that even after publication, some products still circulate in supermarkets and retail chains, and not all of us know that this is indeed a counterfeit product. Therefore, when we stay updated occasionally through rabbis who are knowledgeable in this broad field, there is a greater chance that with Hashem's help, we will not encounter or fail, God forbid, with counterfeit products.

C. The field of kashrut is generally considered a complex and extensive field, much more than we might think. In fact, any respectable kashrut system consists of rabbis and halachic authorities, supervisors and mashgichim, who themselves often rely on food engineers, chemists, agronomists, and of course the factory owners themselves, who are one of the most basic elements in the system. Also production workers, agents, and more, who all together ultimately partner in one body answering to the name "proper kashrut system."

Therefore, great caution is required to ensure that we are indeed privileged to buy properly supervised food products, when one of the most significant possibilities that can allow us to increase the chance of this is the inquiry and consultation from time to time with kashrut experts, and at the same time, as mentioned, also to stay updated with the notices published by the various kashrut systems for public knowledge.

Mehadrin Poultry Kashrut

There is a common mistake among many who believe that purchasing poultry does not require good and strict mehadrin certification, because seemingly, at a superficial glance, it doesn't appear particularly complicated to kosher a chicken compared to beef, and conversely, sometimes it seems a waste to pay more. Many even worry about their money, and are confident that purchasing poultry with higher kashrut standards merely means bureaucratic matters not worth getting into, and in general, there's no point in supporting various kashrut systems, but rather it's better to buy the cheapest.

On this matter, it's important to know that in mehadrin poultry kashrut they are strict about certain significant halachic issues that in regular kashrut intended for the general public they are not strict about (also for some populations that don't insist on purchasing mehadrin kashrut). So even with good will from a technical perspective, it's not always possible to enhance the level of conduct, and therefore usually, regular kashrut cannot afford to be strict about important and necessary enhancements in the system, for the benefit of the entire system. In contrast, in higher kashrut systems, there is the possibility for higher demands than the standard in the field of slaughter. Common examples of this are:

A. The rate of knife inspection checked after a relatively low number of birds, which is significant in determining the quality of slaughter, which is very significant in halacha, because it's important that the knife is particularly sharp, in order to cause the bird as little suffering as possible.

B. The rate of lung inspection is slower, allowing examination with clearer and more relaxed thought and judgment. Additionally, the inspection is done by several inspectors, so there is no burden on just one inspector.

C. Constant supervision of the bird coops, lest animals enter that could, God forbid, render the bird non-kosher.

(Photo: shutterstock)

D. Close supervision of injections and vaccinations of the birds, given to the chick on the eleventh day of its life, so that the needle does not cause, God forbid, the bird to become non-kosher. This is a significant issue, enforced in the required places, by any kashrut system operating according to the instructions of the genius rabbis supervising them. Some inject in the bird's leg and some inject in the bird's breast.

E. Slow and meticulous examination of the junction of tendons (found in the leg, 16 in number), by several inspectors, in order to ensure that the tendons are not torn and so on.

It's also important to note that today there are high-level kashrut certifications that are strict about employing slaughterers who, beyond their halachic and practical knowledge in the field, are also God-fearing Jews who obey the instructions of the great rabbis of the generation, and therefore understand twice as much the great responsibility resting on their shoulders as slaughterers and inspectors. Therefore, among other things, they are also strict about only having kosher phones approved by the rabbis. This is possible only in a high kashrut system that is not subject to pressures, and can allow itself to calmly and strictly demand what is on its heart, for the benefit of a mehadrin system.

Thank God, today there are excellent kashrut certifications that meet the halachic requirements, and even beyond that, with additional enhancements. So it is obligatory for every person to buy poultry only from high and mehadrin kashrut, and not to be scared by all kinds of talk and slander about this and that. Particularly, as today in every high kashrut system there are important and well-known rabbis standing behind the kashrut, and it is not, God forbid, like a system that has no proper and appropriate halachic supervision, as unfortunately exists in certain places. And may it be God's will, that anyone who goes to buy chicken and meat out of a true desire and intention to do God's will, to buy mehadrin kosher food, and to maintain the kashrut of the kitchen according to halacha – will not fail. For "Hashem will not withhold good from those who walk in innocence."  

Want to consult with Rabbi Shai Amar? You can call him directly at 054-8448909