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RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:CALL FOR HEKSHER TZEDKEK FOR KOSHER MEAT PACKING PLANTS
Subj: JEWISH-ANNOUNCE Digest - 26 May 2008 to 30 May 2008 (#2008-42) Date: 5/30/2008 8:00:40 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time From: LISTSERV@SHAMASH.ORG Reply-to: JEWISH-ANNOUNCE@SHAMASH.ORG To: JEWISH-ANNOUNCE@SHAMASH.ORG Sent from the Internet (Details) Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 09:00:01 -0400
Topics of the day:
1. need for HEKSHER TZEDKEK
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Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 12:42:47 EDT
From: Rabbi Arthur Segal <RabbiASegal@AOL.COM>
Subject: need for HEKSHER TZEDKEK
Shalom:
By now we have all read the articles in the newspapers about
Agriprocessors, the largest kosher meat plant is the USA.
Not only did they do inhumane, unspeakable acts to their workers as well as
the animals, they caused economic and spiritual ruin to the town in which they were located in Iowa. You can read a detailed expose in two parts at : RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:AGRIPROCESSORS:WHEN KOSHER IS TRAIF:HEKSHER TZEDEK'S NEED
(http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2008/05/rabbi-arthur-segalagriprocessorswhen.html) (Part One) and
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:AGRIPROCESSORS:WHEN KOSHER IS TRAIF:HEKSHER TZEDEK:PART TWO
(http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2008/05/rabbi-arthur-segalagriprocessorswhen_25.html)
This was documented in videos, news articles, and a book, for 4 years if
not longer , while, we, the Jewish community, ''stood idly by'', eating kosher
franks, and having kosher food at our synagogues and celebrations. We are lulled into
thinking that our food is better, cleaner, safer, and the animals treated more humanely,because we '''answer to a Higher Power.''
But when we can treat animals like soulless creatures, its not a big jump to treat humans
the same way. And we have. And we do.
Food made by inhumanely treating the workers and the animals isn't kosher no
matter how sharp the shocket's (ritual slaughterer) knife across the neck is. It isdelusional to think otherwise.
It is time we Jews did something meaningful about this issue. It is not
just Agriprocessors, as Empire and other kosher plants, have similar problems,
but not to this degree. By definition, we have little kosher meat in the USA.
"Have we as Jews forgotten: You shall not abuse a needy and destitute
laborer (Deuteronomy 24:14)?
Have we as Jews forgotten: When a stranger resides with you in your land
you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you in your land, shall
be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself for you
were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord am your God. (Lev :19:
33-34)?
Have we as Jews forgotten :Tza'ar ba'alei chayim, "causing pain to living
creatures," is a sin?
Have we as Jews forgotten:'' And I will come near to you to judgment; and I
will be a swift witness against those that oppress the hireling in his
wages'' (Malachi 3:5)?
Have we as Jews forgotten: "It is our pride and our glory that we are kind
to those who work for us." (Sefer HaChinukh 482)?
Have we as Jews forgotten: "A poor worker's life depends on his wages. If we
withhold, or under pay, it is though we have taken a life" (Talmud Bavli
Tractate Bava Metzia 112a)?
Have we as Jews forgotten: "It is forbidden to purchase goods from a
thief".(Shulchan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat 356:1)?
Have we as Jews forgotten: "A righteous man considers the soul of his
animal." (Proverbs 12:10).?
I ,as a Rabbi, am publicly calling for Rabbis of all Jewish movements and
for Jews of all movements, whether we follow kosher food laws or not, to
demand, that a HEKSHER TZEDKEK, a ''seal of ethical'' business practices, both towards
the workers and the animals, are followed at any plant considering itself to
be kosher.
The above web pages show that we cannot trust the system in place of the
slaughterhouse owner, hiring his own rabbis, as what ethical rabbi would allow what has
been alleged at Agriprocessors to occur, or want to do business with any of
the principles of Agriprocessors?
Until we institute a HEKSHER TZEDEK, kosher foods will continue to be
processed to the letter of the 'Torah and Talmud' but not to their spirit. The term
kosher meat will be an oxymoron.
Join us by having your rabbis, boards and members email
_HeksherTzedek@gmail.com _ (mail to:HeksherTzedek@gmail.com) .
[ HeksherTzedek at gmail dot com ].
(mailto:RabbiASegal@aol.com)
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The JEWISH-ANNOUNCE mailing list is hosted by
Shamash: The Jewish Network, http://shamash.org,
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