New York – What Rav Moshe Feinstein Said About Kosher Milk in The U.S.

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    New York – Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l was a “one-of-a-kind” leader. With his complete mastery of the Talmud and rabbinic literature, the late Gadol HaRav Moshe Feinstein, zt”lHador used his brilliant mind to process all the information he had, brought to his decisions a sensitivity to the realities of our daily existence, and balanced an accepted following by Jews on all points of the Torah-observance spectrum.

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    He was careful to learn as many practical details as possible of the circumstances of the questions posed to him, as he applied unchanging halakhic principles in the pursuit of his innovative halakhic conclusions.

    Rav Moshe composed a number of responsa on the subject of Cholov Yisrael (Jewish milk) and Gevinat Yisrael (Jewish cheese). As kosher cheese rules are a more complicated subject than milk in general, the remainder of this essay will deal solely with Rav Moshe’s comments regarding milk.

    In the first responsa on the subject, Yoreh Deah I:47 [Sivan 5714, June 1954] he articulates two points in particular, focusing on the unique experience of Jews in the United States.

    The first point: Jews may only consume milk that comes from kosher animals. United States law dictates that dairy farms may only produce cow milk. Were a dairy farm to get caught milking other animals, their Cholov Yisroel milk (Photo courtesy Koshermulti-million dollar business could be shut down. As the government does monitor, and as free-market enterprises are not interested in being closed down by the government if they can avoid it, we can be sure that the milk in this country comes from cows and is therefore kosher.

    The second point: Some people will opt to “be machmir,” to specifically seek milk processed under Jewish supervision. Piety to a particular set of rules as a matter of sincere religious commitment is commendable. Rav Moshe writes that others who witness scrupulousness in observance of this dictum should not consider it to be arrogance or haughtiness.

    Rav Moshe preferred Cholov Yisrael personally, but unequivocally said that commercially manufactured milk in the United States, as subject to US laws, was one hundred percent guaranteed to be from cows. [He repeats his suggestion to be stringent about Cholov Yisroel at the end of Yoreh Deah II:31, after he again confirms his belief that milk in the United States is not considered to be Cholov Akum, gentile milk, whose origin is unknown.]

    Explaining his reasoning, Rav Moshe points to the first comments of the Shulchan Arukh in Yoreh Deah 115, invoking a principle from Shavuot 34a that “knowledge is like testimony.” If a Jew does not monitor the milking process done by a non-Jew, the milk is unfit (not kosher) for Jewish consumption. However, if other factors demonstrate that the milk comes from a kosher animal, the Jew may consume it.

    In contemporary terms, if there is only a cow in a room and a non-Jewish worker enters with an empty bucket in order to milk the cow, a Jew observing these details can be sure when the non-Jewish person emerges that the milk in the filled bucket is from the cow — even if the Jew did not actually monitor the milking. This is particularly true if the non-Jewish worker understands the Jewish supervisor might enter the room at any time to check his progress.

    He brings other examples of this principle as well. The last Tosafot in Yebamot 45b records that a convening Rabbinical court need not witness a female convert’s immersion in the mikveh (which would be highly inappropriate for obvious reasons) because they “know” she immersed. Similarly, a husband may reunite with his wife after she returns from the mikveh, because he “knows” she immersed.

    Avodah Zara 34b describes a circumstance in which the sought product’s market price is lower than a product that might be substituted in its place. The purchaser can be sure the product purchased is what he believes it to be. No merchant would sell a more expensive product at the price of the cheaper item, just to “get you.” Translation: If cow milk is more readily available than camel milk (and therefore cheaper), no dairy farm will substitute what they market as cow milk with camel milk just so Jews will unknowingly drink camel milk.

    In response to challenges on this subject (Yoreh Deah I:48), such as that a fine for tomfoolery is minimal, Rav Moshe staunchly defended his assertion that the milk is kosher because, were the milk coming from any animals other than cows, the trickery would require a lot of bribery and cover-up to hide the truth.

    In the summer of 1970 (Av 5730), Rav Moshe composed a responsa (Yoreh Deah II:35) encouraging Rabbi Y.D. Leiner who had asked about making a special effort to provide yeshiva students with Cholov Yisrael, even though it is typically more expensive than regular milk. In his letter to Rabbi Leiner, two points are worthy of note.

    In places where it is considerably more difficult to obtain Cholov Yisrael, presumably because of distance and/or added expense, there is no need to be stringent about it — neither for students nor individuals.

    The other point Rav Moshe emphasizes when encouraging use of Cholov Yisrael in a yeshiva is “chinukh,” or the need to educate our children to be concerned about prohibitions. In other words, if children are only exposed to the idea that “all milk is kosher,” they will become desensitized to the fact that this is not so, and will not learn to be scrupulous and attentive to the laws of kosher milk, for example, when traveling abroad where there could very well be a problem.

    An equivalent example of education (though Rav Moshe does not mention this) would be for a community with an eiruv to make sure it is down once or twice a year, to remind people that the laws of Shabbos prohibit carrying outside unless the area is cordoned off as a halakhic private property.

    In conclusion, Rav Moshe personally drank Cholov Yisrael and encouraged others to “be machmir” if they could. At the same time, he believed that all milk manufactured by public companies in the United States (as opposed to milk produced by private farmers) was unquestionably kosher.

    Jews in the US can comfortably choose to purchase either, and those who prefer one type of milk or the other should not look askance at those who choose differently than they do. Everyone is consuming kosher milk.


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    184 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Please note that starting some time after Reb Moshe Zl was niftar ,many cows have had a procedure that renders them treife . There are serious issues as to milk coming from a treife cow ,that transcend the issuer of Cholov Yisroel . It is impossible to know what Reb Moshe would have paskened on that issue . Therefore ,TODAY drinking Cholov Akum masy have more serious issues .

    Charlie Hall
    Charlie Hall
    14 years ago

    One minor correction to the article: In the US, one can actually purchase milk and other dairy products such as cheese that are from animals other than cows. In particular, milk and cheese from goats are widely distributed; I personally ate some kosher cheese from goats just two Shabats ago. However, such products have to be labelled as such, and there is currently no milk from non-kosher animals sold in the US. The only real kashrut issue is the possibility of non-kosher additives; a prominent regional dairy in the Northeast was using non-kosher additives about ten years ago and lost their hechsher.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I knew recession will bring up this issue.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Rav Moshe was a true Gadol. He understood that not everything needed to be taken to the extreme, as long as it didnt conflict with halacha. All foods didnt need 20 different hashgachas on it to make everyone happy. Kosher was kosher- end of story. If he were alive today he’d be embarrassed by what these so called ” Torah leaders” have done to our religion.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I suggest Rabbi Billet read the Mishnah breurah where he encoreges ppl in tishray to be machmir

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    This is one of the most well thought out and clearly articulated summaries of Reb Moishe’s position I have ever read. Very well done. The bottom line for most of us is that if cholov yisroel of reasonably good quality (in terms fo spoilage and shelf life) is available, even at a slight cost premium to regular milk and milk products, we should try to use those products we should do so. Where either the product is not readily available at good quality or at reasonable cost (i.e. priced excessively above regular milk) a heimeshe yid can safely drink regular milk without any feeling that he is bein oyver a major lav or not being shomer halacaha. If one wishes to be machmir and pay the additional cost or drive an hour or two to obtain fresh chalav yisroel, there will be some zchus for the being so dilligent. In the scheme of things, if there are tradeoffs that have to be made (i.e. buying meat with a better hashgacha versus buying cholov yisroel, the choice is easy.).

    kosher milk
    kosher milk
    14 years ago

    today that the new shalo of Treifos came up
    all milk without hechsher
    is a sofek treifo
    so Today every one holds you need a hechsher

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    the big lie….

    no one ever talks about the other letter from r moshe where he said he was never matir choluv stam, and he was talking about bishas hadchak ONLY.

    halocho
    halocho
    14 years ago

    Debretziner Rav said OSUR
    Many times workers put in diffrent milk mixed in

    Lawyer
    Lawyer
    14 years ago

    “In conclusion, Rav Moshe personally drank Cholov Yisrael and encouraged others to “be machmir” if they could.”

    The interesting question is what if Cholov Yisroel is available but costs considerably more. I was in my local supermarket in Passaic the other day. The do carry CY there as well as Cholov Stam. But the price is almost double. The cost of a full gallon of CS is only a few cents more than the cost of a half gallon of CY.

    FRUM BUT NORMAL
    FRUM BUT NORMAL
    14 years ago

    even the CHAZON ISH z’l who was a known to be a MACHMIR in halacha,rules that in our times when the government has strict rules in forbiding any other milk but cow milk,there is absolutely no ISSUR in CHOLOV STAM

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Your comparison to Mikveh is flawed and incorrect. In addition, under the circumstances that Cholov Yisroel is so highly available and as Reb Moshe ZTZL himself was particular about it which tells us the limitations of the psak then the natural tendency is to wonder at those who don’t bother to concern themselves with cholov yisroel. No one is saying that they are sinners but it does reflect a lack of sincerity, unless, again they lived in areas that did not have access to cholov yisroel and never acquired a sensitivity to it.

    R moshe
    R moshe
    14 years ago

    R moshe was very Makpid on cholov yisroel
    ask his children & talmidim

    bayrish
    bayrish
    14 years ago

    al pi chassidus, cholov akum is metamtim halev vihamoach & brings sfaikis in emuneh.. reb moishe’s psak is certaintly not lichatchileh..

    Not so simple
    Not so simple
    14 years ago

    Even though Rabbi Feinstein according to Halacha was able to find a way how to permit regular milk in the US, the Torah has another aspect which is nishmoso deOiraiso, or the soul of the Torah which is pnimius haTorah.
    According to Pnimius HaTorah, drinking Non Cholov Yisroel has a negative spiritual effect on the person that consumes it, regarding specifically his Emunah.
    While nobody is going to look down at somebody that lives in a place where Cholov yisroel Isroel is not easily available, a person that has Iras Shomaim and is not only looking to do what he pleases as long as he may find a permit to do so, but he cares for his neshomo (soul), would never eat a non Cholov Yisroel product.
    For those that don’t drink non cholov Yisroel milk, the utensils used with non cholov yisroel milk or products are considered non kosher and need to be kosherized.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Accoring to the OU Rav Moshe’s heter is no longer applicable in the form he proposed and a different basis is now needed to be able to use what is commonly referred to as Chalav Stam.

    http://www.oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/1377721

    Rav Moshe’s tshuva where he addresses using chalav yisroel in schools as part of chinuch is not simply to educate the children that chalav akum is assur, but specifically to educate them that a baal nefesh should be machmir and drink only chalav yisroel.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    for all those who want to drink cholov stam go ahead do it it is kosher however it is not accepted by everyone however do not lecture us cholov yisroel drinkers. while you feel it is important to spend $1,000 s of dollars on plasma tv’s I feel like spending it on cholv yisroel.

    shimon
    shimon
    14 years ago

    It doesn’t take too much research to read R”M’s teshuvos on this subject. I’m not sure that the author of this article did so. He is seriously misrepresenting the reasoning and circumstance under which RMF mattired chalav hacompanies (and NOT any chalav akum /i.e. private/, as it might seem from the article).

    safe side
    safe side
    14 years ago

    Firstly it is mentioned above that everything said by Rav Moshe Feinstein is in regards to U.S.A. other countries however do not have the same regulations. REASONS TO BE STRICT IN CHALAV YISRAOEL: Drinking non kosher milk is a transgression of the code of Jewish law, and it is brought down in kabala that consuming non kosher food has a negative effect on the mind and heart of the Jew who consumes it, causing what’s known as “Timtum halev v’hamoach”-contamination of the heart and mind, and as brought down in many places it also bring to “doubts in ones beliefs of Hashem”. I would expect that most G-d fearing individuals would not want to drink something that may even in the smallest possibility effect them in such a negative spiritual way. The questioned is, is it possible that some non kosher milk may end up in your body? The answer is yes, although it is logically very possible and likely that you are drinking Kosher milk never the less you have to ask yourself the question: If you knew that there was even the smallest possibility that what you were about to drink may have some poison in it and it may have a fatal effect on you, WOULD YOU DRINK IT? Or would you rather be on the safer side?

    michali
    michali
    14 years ago

    My husband spoke to a mashgiach at a Mehadrin plant in upstate NY about this issue of CY. He stated today, unfortunately, the issue is not whether the milk comes from a cow, but rather the issue is whether the cow is treif or not. He told my husband that today many cows have had surgeries that may render them and their milk treif.

    “Here in the US where it is difficult to be present at such surgeries and it is difficult to obtain a detailed history of the each cow, all cows that that have any kind of operation are removed from the CY production line.” (Mishpacha Mag., 5/9/07)

    This is not so for plants that do produce Cholov stam products.

    yossele
    yossele
    14 years ago

    Omitted was the fact that in the teshuvah to R Leiner he refers to cholov “stam” as “chshash issur”

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The basic problem with rabbi feinstiens ruling is that it is based on incorect information provided to him at the time. No goverment or regulatory body exits to verify whether the milk is cows milk or not. No law exists against mixing cow milk with any other milk whilst its not common and not practical the concept of’ mirtas’is not plain not in picture. You will never see on a milk bottle 100 pc cows milk the dairys can leagaly do watever they want,in addition, the problem problem of surgeries done on cows is a real problem

    Ojoe
    Ojoe
    14 years ago

    “no one ever talks about the other letter from r moshe where he said he was never matir choluv stam, and he was talking about bishas hadchak ONLY.”

    No one ever talks about it because it does not exist.

    The real issue is that CY is MUCH more expensive. Since R moshe was Matir it Cholov stam in America, it is a Chumrah to keep CY, not a chiyyuv, and R Moshe specifically says in his teshuvo that one should not noodge people who are somech on it.

    We live in a day and age where Chumrah has become the norm and where people who keep chumros think that whoever doesnt do exactly like they do are shkotzim. Its a terrible situation, especially in Elul.

    Future Jew
    Future Jew
    14 years ago

    Re : R’ Moshe’s Zt”l Heter

    1) How much ” mesiros nefesh” is required to be stringent to use Cholov Yisroel (CY) relative to cost and convenience ?
    2) If someone who is “machmir” to use Cholov Yisroel ” goes to an area where CY is not available , does he need to ask a Rov for a “Heter”?
    3) Does Cholov Stam have the same din as Pas Palter regarding the chumrah to use Pas Yisroel during the “Aseres Yemei Tashuvah”?

    MDshweks
    MDshweks
    14 years ago

    the issue is – there are early Achronim who maintain that it’s a Gzeira like all others, without the ability to make an exeption based on circomstances.

    And R’ Moshe himself also writes there that even this Heter “bishas hadchak” doesn’t apply to milk from “small farms” that sell milk locally.

    a must read
    a must read
    14 years ago

    while reb moshe’s psak was that since the united states government monitors milk producers, we can be sure that the milk in this country comes from cows and is therefore kosher.
    this psak only tells us that the milk comes from a kosher animal species, HOWEVER, there are those that are of the opinion that although cows are a kosher species, the ones that are used for milking are TREIFE, because they have a hole in a vital organ asa result of an injection that is given to the cow.
    Reb Hershel Shachter of YU (modern orthodox), holds that milk nowadays is CHOLOV TREIFE and is assur to drink.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I suspect this article was written not because of the recession, but as a sort of follow-up to another article on cholov yisrael that the Jewish Star published a week or two ago. The main point of the first article was to explore why cholov yisrael (allegedly) spoils more quickly than cholov stam.

    yudel
    yudel
    14 years ago

    I took a Lakewood yungerman to Reb Moshe 40 years ago, as I saw him using cholov akum. Reb Moshe asked the yungerman “mi hitir lichuh”? (who was matir it for you), The Yungerman answered “reb Moshe in the teshuvas” Reb Moshe said ” I know what I wrote, in Lakewood? cholov yisroel is available, so no you can’t use cholov akum.

    BTW. All cholov akum (stam) in the USA is cholv treif. I spoke to Rav Eliyashev & Rav Wosner about it, they bithe said it’s “ossur”. Rav Eliyashev also said the one that is giving “HETEIRIM” is based on not knowing the correct facts, and CAN NOT BE RELIED UPON on any of the HETEIRIM. Rav Eliyashed stated further ” A psak is based on the facts, those HETEIRIM are not based on the facts.”

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    if milk has a hechsher is that not also saying it is chalav yisroel. why is an o-u on a cholov yisroel brand different than a non brand

    shabos
    shabos
    14 years ago

    Reb moshe zatzal did not allow to produce cholov stam products

    Future Jew
    Future Jew
    14 years ago

    It would be helpful that when quoting a pasak ,to state the source ,so that others can verify both content and circumstance. Specifically #12 did either of these rabonnim write down this pasak or did they just issue the pasak verbally,in which case it might just pertain to you and not be a halachah incumbent on the klall. Also #16 where and when did R’Hershel Shachter state this issur.Finally #19 what is the teshuvah #.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    today this isnt really a issue. 99% of the stores in bp flatbush willi ect… carry cholov yisroel milk. Its not hard to find yisroel milk. what i dont understand is why people are saying that if its not cholov yosroel its not kosher. if there is a hechsher its kosher ? thats the point of the hechsher.

    Future Jew
    Future Jew
    14 years ago

    #24 is completely in error. (aside from the Chutzpah of implying that R’ Moshe did not research the “facts”). Government agencies that exist to monitor the purity of milk and to insure that it is not adulterated are the New York State Dept of Agriculture and the New York Dept of Health. Milk by definition means cows milk. Furthermore if anyone got an allergic reaction to adulterated milk he could sue the milk producer. This may be another factor in causing ” mirsus”. Also non-kosher milk ,or example from a horse or pig ,is not readily available and there would be no reason for a milk producer to put himself in jeopardy for no benefit. Note.: The question of treifus caused by placing a bolt in the cows stomach has been addressed by the OU.

    #29 is nonsensical

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The idea of calling Cholov Acum “Cholov Stam” is totally am haratzuz!! “Cholov Stam” is Cholov Acum! The Word “stam” that people use for milk is stolen form wine. We are particularly strict when it comes to wine, because of yayin nesach, that is why we don’t drink wine of a non-Jewish person, because of the cheshash that he might have mixed in to his wine some yayin nesach. This wine is called “Stam Yayinom”. There is no such think of CHOLOV STAM!, it is totally cholov acum!!! People just label it “cholov stam” to make it easier for them to drink cholov acum!

    Orthowatch
    Orthowatch
    14 years ago

    People can argue all they want. The fact is, R’ Moshe and now R’ Belsky both said it is permissible to drink the milk. You may think you know better, so do what you want. Don’t try to tell me I’m doing something wrong.
    As for the cows undergoing the procedure to release the gas from their stomach: R’ Belsky said that it doesn’t make them a treifah. The reason is that he personally observed that these cows live for well over a year after the procedure. A treifah, by definition, is an animal which will die within a year. When a cow, after shechitah, is found with a hole in its lung, we assume it would have died within a year, which is what makes it a treifah. These cows live past that, so they are kosher.

    AuthenticSatmar
    AuthenticSatmar
    14 years ago

    I am getting more and more troubled by the downgrading of yiddishkeit aka modernization. Being frum is about living in the fear and shadow of g-d at all times and not only when convenient.
    R’ Moshe was great, but not every psak of his did everyone agree on. It is well known what R’ Moshe’s position was, as explained by his children – yet we look to base a whole industry on a written psak that was not intended to deliver those heterim.
    Does this Rabbi have a TV in his home? Does he care what R’ Moshe said about a TV? Does he send his children to college, when we know R’ Moshe encouraged a young couple to live a kollel life?
    Why is it ok for them to pick and choose, yet they criticize us for that?
    The bottom line is everyone should do whatever they want and stop policing others.
    Until I come storming into your home to confiscate your tv and internet, don’t harass me for buying CY milk or learning in kollel or having a large family.
    This country was founded on the basis of people being able to live a life of their choosing. The liberals/communists have slowly been eating away at those rights. Unless you are just the right percentage mix of liberal/conservative you are no longer a legitimate citizen of this country, and the gov’t will force you to comply with their viewpoint. Its disgusting and should be stopped before its too late.

    Experianced mashgiach
    Experianced mashgiach
    14 years ago

    It is a known scientific fact that even acouple of drops of milk from a chazir will stop thousands of litres of cows milk turning sour.
    This is done in USA by farms which are a long distance from the tanker bases, and the collection tankers break down or are held up by bad weather.
    If they would not do this the milk would sour and they would lose many, many $’s.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    #14 : cholov stam with a hechsher is going on the heter of R Moshe, so it’s not nessecarily cholov yisroel. if for example 2 hechsharim are on a carton of milk, one being a cholov yisroel hechsher the other a cholov stam, then a cholov yisroel drinker will only drink that milk b/c of the cholov yisroel hecsher. take away the cholov yisroel hechsher and he wont drink it with the cholov stam hechsher alone, b/c that does not garauntee him cholov yisroel.
    #16: I heard R Herschel Shachter speak about this issue, and he did not assur milk for everyone. He is machmir on himself, but to my knowledge he did not tell anyone else to follow such a chumroh.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Interesting thought, isn’t milk pasteurized, which is actually cooking, so that would go into the problem of “Bishul Akum”?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    # 52 please can anyone tell me of a dairy milk producing establishment that has been closed down or penalised for mixing other milk into cows milk ????

    YLH
    YLH
    14 years ago

    When Reb Moishe wrote his thsuvah in 5714, milk was pure milk – no addittives. Now Vitamin A & D are added to milk and as such, would probably need a reliable hechsher, as the cheapest source of these is not kosher.

    yb
    yb
    14 years ago

    R’ Moshe ztz”l also says that if one drink cholov yisroel thinking that it is more kosher he is mistaekn and need not be matir neder to drink cholov stam.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    lets be real those that use the “heter’ because of tough econmic times are the flatbush and five towns modern orthodox who drive lexus and live in 2 million dollar homes, while taking birth control in order not to pay too much tuition. they want a snikers bar and their looking for a green light end of story.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    After reading 60 postings, there is obviously a difference of opinion as to how the views of several of our gadolim should be interpreted. The bottom line is that those who want to be machmir as well as those who have easy access to quality cholov yisroel should purchase it, but for the majority of yidden who are already struggle to meet the financial burdens of chinuch at a yeshiva or day school and the high cost of kosher food, aside from the all the other issues in today’s economy, chalav yisroel will not be the highest priority. I’m sure there will be some who will say we cannot choose which mitzvot to follow and all are of the SAME priority; those who say that obviously don’t have to live with the reality of limited financial resources.

    oy, give me a break!
    oy, give me a break!
    14 years ago

    This way, that way, eat what you want, just dont try to dress it up as Halacha. In most cases, it is pure laziness, and the desire to eat M&M, and other yummy things that drives the you to eat chalav akum.

    So, lets call a spade a spade – just dont dress up your lust and laziness as Torah. Just eat it, drink it, and shut up. As for me, its chalav yisroel ONLY, please. (Not so difficult to do-so stop whining) Thanks!

    I asked R' Dovid
    I asked R' Dovid
    14 years ago

    “Ask his sons”

    I asked R’ Dovid Feinstein what his father held about milk (after reading his teshovos). His response was, “If it costs a couple pennies more buy cholov yisroel, but if you have a candy bar, and it tastes good- eat it.”

    Pretty clear if you ask me. R’ Dovid clearly stated to me and those with me that chalav stam in america is not a problem although one should drink chalav yisroel if it’s not much more expensive. So go enjoy your delicious haagen-dasz or milky way! The gadol hador said to!

    Aharonhacohen
    Aharonhacohen
    14 years ago

    More machlokes? i would think people have better things to do than sit at a computer arguing about something that won’t help them with their lives! And Especialy a week before Rosh HaShana!Ksiva vachasima tova.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    From the fine article: “as subject to US laws, was one hundred percent guaranteed to be from cows.”

    R. Moshe specifically does not say this. He says that even though a small farmer may adulterate the milk with non-Kosher milk, when it is mixed in with the larger milk supply it is still botul. He then goes into a whole pillpul to justify why this is still considered “anan sahdi” (we are witnesses) that the milk is Kosher (basically in once line, because it gets the status later, when the non-Kosher milk would already be botul).

    The article is a caricature of R. Moshe’s psokim complete with spin to make people happy about relying on the heter. If people care, instead of debating it on the internet, pull out the seforim and read them.

    Except for the last Teshuva (published after his death) they are very clear: A Ba’al Nefesh shouldn’t eat it, and should kasher from it, and Yeshivas should spend more for it, even significantly more, as that is part and parcel of their purpose. (In other words, children should be raised to drink only Cholov Yisroel). But someone who does is not relying on some b’edieved shvach heter. They are on solid Halachic ground (that is what he says).

    Regarding the last Teshuva, it says he was talking Be’Shas Hadchak, and then the printer injects a whole paragraph about how that wasn’t actually what the Teshuvas said. What to make of it? It shouldn’t really change anything over and above the Ba’al Nefesh statements in the previous Teshuvas. Did he change his mind? Were the previous Teshuvas meant more in a subtext where getting Cholov Yisroel was so hard in America that it was self evidently BeShas Hadchak, and the Ba’al Nefesh should be machmir even BeShaas Hadchak? That is left for the rest of us to look into.

    A Ba’al Nefesh is someone who regards matters of the soul as more important that matters of the body. This Elul lets all strive to reach that level, regardless of reliance on any particular heter.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    r’ moshe’s psok is not nogayah to day becouse: the usda dose not test the milk proteins any more theOU is working of a new heter from r’ belsky which is a dochek! (these facts can b verefied   the ou) r’ moshe’s heter was based on ‘mirsus’ that becouse te gov. has a law the ‘milk’ orher the from a cow is mislableing “&” the (the gov.)check up on it (test)the corp. be fined so they are scered. BUT the gov. (usda) has a bunch of test but NOT if its cow milk .! so the heter is off

    Shailahs
    Shailahs
    14 years ago

    What is the cow surgery that is mentioned above? Also, what about the issue of cloned cows? What about gene therapy where genes are swapped into a cow breed to enhance milk production? What about steroids and antibiotic medicines added to cow food?