The Blessing of Our Sages- Section G Ethical Kashrut

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Talmud (Tractate Berachot 20b) states that the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law.
This expression of religious devotion has been applied to many ritual precepts; should we not apply it with equal diligence to precepts that affect other living creatures?
By engaging in acts of compassion, we become worthy of the blessing of our sages (Tractate Shabbat 151b): “God will show mercy to those who are merciful.”

Instructions:

Based on your readings, and our class discussions;
how can we apply the principals written above in a concrete way as consumers?
What are the challenges that we face?
What texts can we use to guide and support our behavior?
How can we make a difference for future generations?

Please respond to all the questions written above in a through and thoughtful manner. You are also required to respond to another students blog entry either challenging and supporting your ideas, or agreeing and extending their ideas.

Please, remember to use the detailed instructions and rubric I gave you to help guide you on your responses and reflections. If you do not address specific criteria, you cannot receive credit for it.

Make sure you sign your name in the body of your entry so I can grade and give you credit.

43 comments:

lbolour16@gmail.comFebruary 21, 2013 at 1:43 PM
Leeor Bolour, Ethical Kashrut Blog Post 2-21-2013

The Quote “God will show mercy to those who are merciful” has an extremely strong meaning, outside of its literal one. To show compassion, does not mean to follow the rules, it means to obey the rules from the bottom of your heart. The laws of ethical Kashrut are a clear example of direct compassion, most of the time. Dr. Temple Grandon magnify’s the idea of compassion and understanding towards animals in her article about “Shackling and Hoisting.” To state the facts, the concept of shackling and hoisting was brought to life when laws such as the “US Pure Food and Drug Act” were passed. These laws forbid meat producers from slaughtering their animals on the ground for sanitary and health reasons. The main reason why Temple Grandon’s article stood out to me was because of her connection to the animals. Not judaically but emotionally and physically. Temple Grandon created a system that benefited not only the consumer and the producer but also the cow. She explained how just because something is considered “Kosher” it does not mean that it is ethical. If not ethical, than it should not even be called kosher. This brings me to my next point, Kosher Slaughter. Ben Wolfson states, “order comes from disorder.” It is only after we have seen what true disorder is, when we can change things and put them in order. After learning that in many factories shechita was done incorrectly, Dr. Temple Grandon caused an evolution to erupt. Not only were changes made to the environment's of slaughter houses, but peoples ideas about shechita had completely changed. In an article we read in class, the spotlight was put on the earth and its mercy towards us. It states,”Are tomatoes grown by drenching the earth in pesticides “kosher”” If we draw on the meaning of kosher, it is simply to follow the rules. But the phrase “eco-kosher” refers to a broader sense of “good practice.” In Rabbi Arthur Waskow’s book “Down-To-Earth” he describes the Jewish approaches to food aging from the biblical era to modern day in addition to the earths connection with the jewish people. His interpretation of how we, the human race, treated and continue to treat the earth really caught my eye. He said “We are the one species that is able to rise “above” the earth, see it as a whole, and therefore choose to act as if we were not really embedded within it [in the first place]” I completely agree. I feel as though, the human race is so preoccupied with the industrializing nation, and the worlds new technology, that they are too busy to stop and look around, see what they came from, and what continues to give them life. To me, the human race is selfish, shallow and completely unaware of their surroundings. Although it is difficult at times to take a moment and look around, kashrut was made for that. Kashrut was a way to appreciate the food that were are given and treat it with respect. In the biblical era, this was understood because of the lack of technology and industrialization, but in the modern era, it is completely taken advantage of and ignored. In my eyes, the future generations can be either helped or destroyed. With more people like Temple Grandon, we can change the way kashrut and the meat industry are treated as a whole. Grandon’s invention of shocking the animal in the brain, is a short and non painful way of killing the animal in addition to following the rules of Kashrut. I think that people, especially me, have learned a ton of information about animals and kashrut and with the correct education, we’ll be able to teach people even more.
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AnonymousFebruary 21, 2013 at 2:12 PM
Eliza Cohen, Ethical Kashrut Blog Post, 2-21-13

As consumers we have more power than meets the eye. We have the choice to support brands that follow the laws of Kashrut while treating their animals in what Temple Gradin, the leading animal welfare expert, classifies as humane. We can choose to support places that pay their workers fair and living wages and slaughter their animals in a humane way. We also have the choice to support companies who do not uphold this mold. As consumers, our business is what keeps both companies running. Tractate Berachot 20b says the “Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law.” As Jews we are taught to follow Kashrut in order to please God. Kashrut is supposed to keep the slaughter of animals painless and humane. Knowing this, why are there still inhumane slaughter houses all over the United States? The answer is simple: lack of financial means and lack of convenience.
In rural areas of the United States, the only local stores that supply food are Walmart and Target. Both these options are notorious for selling packaged goods with hundreds of ingredients not found in nature. However, the citizens of these rural areas generally are not making enough money to have the luxury of spending hundreds of dollars on gas in order to travel to their nearest grocery store. They also do not have the luxury of spending five dollars on a frozen meal from Trader Joe’s when they can feed four at McDonalds on the same budget. Are these people more concerned with what is morally right or are they thinking about surviving and feeding themselves and their children? They are simply worried about survival. They may want to please God, but do not see how they can with these challenges. Jewish texts supports the ethical slaughter of animals verses the unethical one. Genesis 9:1-4 states, “You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it.” This is saying that one needs to respect life because blood is the equivalent to life. This respect for the animal is what keeps slaughter clean, but the major factories run slaughterings like a machine regarding little meaning for the lives they take. Another example is found in Exodus 23:19 and Exodus 34:26 and says, “The choice first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the Lord you God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” Boiling a kid in its mother’s milk translates to not mixing meat and dairy because it is unethical. The major packaging factories do not make an effort to separate their utensils into meat and dairy categories. Buying from these places is breaking the most sacred law of Kashrut which is again repeated in Deuteronomy 14:21, “You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death... For you are a people holy to the Lord you God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” This is repeating this law to make sure it is followed. These texts prove why we need to support the ethical choice rather than the unethical one, but how can we as Americans do this without the convenience and funds? That is our generations goal: to make healthy food assessable and within a price range that the majority of Americans can afford. Upon accomplishing this we have obeyed Kashrut and helped the ethical slaughter houses win against the unethical ones.
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AnonymousFebruary 23, 2013 at 9:20 PM
Rachel Haims, Ethical Kashrut Blog Post, 2-23-13

As stated in Tractate Berachot 20b of the Talmud, “the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law.” The letter of the law of upholding the values of Kashrut, practicing exactly what is written in the Torah, teaches the Jewish people to only eat animals with true hoofs that chew their own cud, anything with scales and fins, and animals with joint feet. In addition, animals have to be killed with one swift cut through the jugular so that they feel as little pain as possible. Going beyond the letter of the law, is treating the workers of these slaughterhouses in the same humane ways that they are required to treat animals. In articles posted by The New York Times and The Huffington Post in August and September of 2008, it stated that worker abuse occurred at the nation’s biggest kosher slaughterhouses, Agriprocessors. This Iowa slaughterhouse brought state charges against the owners of the plant and federal prosecutors convicted 300 illegal immigrant workers of document fraud charges. Children under the age of 18 were found working on machinery prohibited for underage employees. Also, these minors were not paid overtime, were forced to work from before 7 a.m. to after 7 p.m., and were violated of other child labor laws as well. Jewish people are now demanding that food companies be judged on the way that they treat their employees, as well as on their products. Although, it is not always the easiest to know how workers are being treated. Research can be done on the facilities themselves and insight can be acquired on how animals are killed. However, a major challenge is learning about the workers. Harsh treatment is most certainly not advertised, but it is necessary to understand what is being done to workers in the factories so that inhumane actions are not able to keep going on. Because this conviction was of a Kosher slaughterhouse, Jews around the country were angered by the allegations, and forced to rethink the meaning behind Kashrut. In Tractate Shabbat 151b, it states, “God will show mercy to those who are merciful.” If production managers and owners of plants are treating their workers in such harsh ways and keep putting them in dangerous, they’re lives will continue to be risks in unnecessary ways. The well-being of the animals will be in jeopardy and not being taken care of as they should. In this instance, the employers were acting in-compassionately towards their workers. In addition, Genesis 9:4 states, “You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it.” Just as it is significant to honor the existence of the animal by draining its life source from its body before eating, it is also important to honor the existence of humans working with these animals. It is an urgent necessity to stop the inhumane treatment of workers immediately to abide by both the spirit of the law, as well as the rights that human beings are entitled to. Especially working at a Kosher slaughterhouse, workers deserve to be managed in ways that are ethical and follow the lawful practice of being protected. Kashrut is a significant choice that is followed, but if workers are being treated worse than the animals, is it still right to support these slaughterhouses?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/us/10meat.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/11/worker-abuse-at-nations-b_n_118266.html
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AnonymousFebruary 24, 2013 at 3:21 PM
Jacob Komberg, Ethical Kashrut Blog Post, 2-24-13

Tractate Berachot 20b states that the “Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law”. It is our duty as Jewish people to obey all of God’s rules. Due to the religious devotion of most Jews, we have been able to fulfill this duty. However, many Jews do not follow the principles of the laws that God has given us. Most Jews would rather keep it simple and just follow the rules without fully understanding them. This was a good idea in ancient times when the rules were first made; however, we are now more self aware about the world that we live in. With the idea of eco-kashrut on the move, we must look back and try to decipher the morals and lessons of these rules in order to apply them to every aspect of our life. Tractate Shabbat 151b says that “God will show mercy to those who are merciful”. Most rules concerning kashrut tell us to be humane to the animal before we kill it and to make sure it does not feel pain when it is killed. Even though every religious Jew follows this rule, they do not apply it to more parts of their daily lives. The moral of this rule is to be humane, but we only apply it to where the text says where to apply it. Proverbs 12:10 states that “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel”. The idea of eco-kashrut is not only to apply this rule of being humane to animals just before you kill them, but also to apply this rule of being humane to animals throughout the animals’ lifetime. We must also apply this rule to people in that we must be respectful of others and not take advantage of them. We must help our fellow Jews. Exodus 23:5 says that “If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it”. Fully implementing the ideas and standards of eco-kashrut today has been met with considerable resistance. Many of the people who criticize eco-kashrut claim that it requires great financial investment with little in return. Many companies say that it will cause a great increase in the price of production and sales because it requires expensive procedures to be up to date with eco-kashrut ideals and it is pricy to maintain such an operation. They come up with the idea that the improvement of the animals’ lifestyle before slaughter is fiscally risky. They also argue the same point with improving employee wages and work environments. The companies say that if the employee is unsatisfied with the job given to them, then the employee can just quit and move on to find another job. This form of rationale towards eco-kashrut is both harmful and counterproductive to the idea and its increasing movement. Even though I believe in eco-kashrut, I still do not think that it has enough supporters to force every company to abide strictly by its guidelines. I believe that in order for eco-kashrut to survive for future generations it must be implemented in a slow and patient manner. The process has already begun though; many companies treat both their animals and employees in an eco-kashrut friendly manner. We must make sure that this progression continues. However, as time goes on and the idea of eco-kashrut gains more momentum, I believe that future generations will live in a world where all of the morals and principles of kashrut and eco-kashrut are followed and applied to everyday life.

http://www.chai.org.il/en/humane/humane_teachers_curriculum4_i.htm#top
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AnonymousFebruary 25, 2013 at 11:59 AM
Carly Rosen Ethical Kashrut Blog Post, 2-25-13

The question of how to apply the principles of religious devotion and compassion to our lives as consumers is a tricky one. The Torah does not explain or give a reason for the rules of Kashrut. We can assume the reasoning involves compassion, health concerns, and devotion but some would disagree with any attempt of explanation. As the Talmud says, “the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law.” Going beyond the letter of the law must involve some interpretation.
Based on the idea of compassion, we need to consider the animal’s perspective when eating meat. Taking a life should only be done when absolutely necessary, and perhaps thousands of years ago, it was necessary to survive, but today it is not. As Isaac Bashevis Singer said, “Slaughter and justice can not dwell together.” It is not enough to only think about the animal we are choosing whether or not to eat. We also have to think about the environmental impact of raising animals to eat. As Jeremy Rifkin points out, “Cattle raising is a primary factor in the destruction of the world’s remaining tropical rain forests.” In addition to the environmental impact, we should also be thinking about how the food we eat affects us. In Leviticus 11:1-23, it refers to the animals that you are not supposed to eat as “unclean.” Many foods today would probably also be considered unclean, like junk food and fast food which are full of chemicals and are unhealthy.
However, it’s not as easy at is seems to do all of these things. Eating meat is a part of our culture. Although being a vegetarian or vegan is popular, most people still eat meat. It’s everywhere in our society which makes it fast, easy, and convenient to eat meat on a regular basis. When you buy packaged meat in the market or a steak in a restaurant, it’s hard to see a connection to the animal it came from. It is not that different from buying a box of crackers and not thinking about the wheat that was used to make it. These reasons make it difficult to stop eating meat.
There are many sources of information about the ideas of Kashrut. The different types of Judaism have different views on Kashrut, plus all of the non-religious views on consumption. We have studied many viewpoints in this class and it is important to educate ourselves about this issue. Instead of protecting children from the truth about where meat comes from, maybe we should give them a more realistic idea from a young age. This way, future generations can decide for themselves if eating meat is compassionate. I still eat meat, but it is more difficult for me now that I know what I know.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 12:38 PM
Gabi Freund commenting on Carly Rosen's post

Carly analyzed the difficulty with applying the laws to today's food industry.I like how Carly discussed the difficulty in applying ancient texts to today's food culture. It is challenging in trying to figure which foods today qualify as kosher because of how food can be artificially processed. The post discusses how there less connection to the animal itself when buying meat at a supermarket than it was in ancient times when one was using your own livestock. Saying that the times have changed since the laws of kashrut were established would be an enormous understatement. There is a challenge in deciding the laws of kashrut based on today's world, and Carly analyzed it very well.
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Dorian AftalionFebruary 25, 2013 at 4:09 PM

The essence of the “Spirit of the law” and ethicality is crucial in Judaism, but particularly in Kashrut. Although we have the “Letter of the law” to help us find the literal meaning of the law, the “Spirit of the law” allows us to look beyond and into the text and find it’s true meaning. In Tractate Berachot 20b, it explains how “the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law” (Kattler). When looking at the laws and texts of kashrut, it is essential to look deep into them and justify what is unjust about it. For example, when looking into Chullin 115b, Rabbi Yishmael explains the challenge one might face when learning about the sanctity of life. He taught his students that, ‘ “ You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk,’ “ along with three other prohibitions. “ He prohibits eating it, benefiting from the kid and the mother, or cooking it. These actions are inhumane in various ways. One being that a mother’s milk is what helps thrive a newborn child when born, while killing a kid is what ends a life. We can use this knowledge to guide us in supporting the laws of Kashrut and following them in our lives. The definition of “Spirit of the law” allows us to look into this text and conclude that mixing both is truly unethical because your mixing life and death together. Another significant way that “Spirit of the law” expressed in our unit is with the moral actions of Dr. Temple Grandin. A challenge we face is the cruelty in slaughter. Shackling and hoisting is a method in which the animal is “fully conscious...[and] is shackled with a chain around its back leg and hoisted into the air” (Dorff, 20). In this process, the animal can be upside down and in a painful position for a while. Shackling and hoisting was ruled as against the law and unethical and was soon replaced by many slaughter houses with a new humane, just, and calming manner created by Temple Grandin. With the unethical ways of slaughtering, Temple Grandin created a more humane way of slaughtering. She brings her ideas and thoughts upon many slaughterhouses and presents a more calming and soothing way for the animals during the slaughter than killing the animal painfully. This applies to the topic of Eco- kashrut because it is the basis of the spirit of the law, which is going beyond the law and looking deep inside to find and do what’s more just in the situation. Temple Grandin defies by eco-kashrut in every way possible. She ‘feels the pain’ that the animals feel while in the slaughterhouses.
Tractate Shabbat 151b explains, “God will show mercy to those who are merciful.” Temple Grandin has no desire to stop the production and consumption of meat, she just believes in the morals and just ways of doing it. She supports the eco- slaughterhouses because they kill in a more humane way. Those whom are merciful, those who are able to realize that slaughtering inhumanely is wrong, are able to obtain the mercy of god. We can use the morals and ideas of Temple Grandin in order to outline the unjust in our community for our future generations. Meaning, we must apply the ideas of Temple Grandin in all of our kosher slaughterhouses.
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AnonymousFebruary 25, 2013 at 4:47 PM
Ilana Duboff Ethical Kashrut Blog Post, 2-25-13

As Jews, we have the power and the option to eat food that follow the laws of Kashrut. The Torah teaches us that we must eat animals that chew their own cud and have hoofs. Additionally, animals that have joint feet as well as animals with fins and scales. The Talmud states, “The Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law” (Tractate Berachot 20b). “The letter of the law” consists of us following all of God’s laws, in this case keeping Kashrut, presented to us in the Torah. The main difference between food that is Kashrut versus food that is Treif is that animals that are Kashrut are killed in a less painful way. Dr. Temple Grandin has been a very big supporter of making sure that animals killed in slaughterhouses are killed in a humane way without feeling any pain. Her article, Shackling and Hoisting, expressed a system of slaughter that not only benefitted the animal, but also the consumer. In past years, many kosher slaughterhouses in the United States did not kill animals in the most healthy or ethical way possible. Consequently, this contradicted the rules about kosher slaughter. These factories, including one of the biggest meatpacking plants in America, located in Postville, Iowa, do not do shechita correctly. As a result, Dr. Grandin knew that changes had to be made in the slaughterhouses in order for the processed meat to be healthier and considered kosher for the consumer. Tractate Shabbat 151b states, “God will show mercy to those who are merciful.” Grandin’s system of shackling and hoisting the animal provides a safer environment in the factory. This involves workers taking care of the animal as they should without worrying about any risks that may occur due to problems in the factory. Likewise, Genesis 9:4 states, “You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it.” As Jews we must remember the most important rules of eating kosher food. In addition to the animal being treated pain-free, it is just as important to drain the blood from the animal before eating it. If we do not take care of the animals in these factories, then we, as consumers, will be put at risk. I have kept kosher all my life and believe that it is the most sacred act a Jew can take part in. Nevertheless, I am very appalled and shocked about learning how several kosher slaughterhouses treat and kill their animals. How can Jews all over the country continue to support and buy meat made from these slaughterhouses as well as eat this food if it does not follow the rules given to us in the Torah? As Dr. Temple Grandin has done, we must provide accurate information to all kosher slaughterhouses to make sure that they are safe for both the animal as well as the consumer.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 4:47 PM
Gabi Freund Ethical Kashrut Blog Post, 2-25-13

To say the ties have changed since the laws on kashrut were first analyzed is a drastic understatement. Making a choice on how to apply such ancient rules onto one's own life, a life surrounded by a vast world of food options, is very difficult. The first question most people consider when figuring out the laws of kashrut today is meat, and more specifically, how the animal is treated before it becomes a product for consumers.
A very controversial way of treating cattle before slaughter is the practice of shackling and hoisting. This process causes extreme suffering to the animal. As Rabbi Adam Frank and Mr. Aaron Frank discuss in an article, "It is common that this method causes bruising, torn flesh, and even boken bones. Furthermore, stress levels can be measured empirically through stress hormone levels." The cattle that have been put through the process of shackling and hoisting are put through immense pain, both physical and mental.
Jewish kashrut law enforces that the slaughter of an animal must not cause any pain. But kosher slaughter once allowed shackling and hoisting, which violates the laws of kashrut pertaining to the animals painless slaughter. If kosher slaughterhouses were to continue shackling and hoisting after it had been acknowledged as inhumane, it would infer that the Jewish community cares less about animal wellbeing than other religions or cultures. As the authors of the Shackling and Hoisting article, Rabbis Elliot Dorff and Joel Roth say, "Acting in any way that suggest that we abide by lower moral standards than the rest of society is a clear violation of our duty to avoid a desecration of God's name."
It was very astounding to learn of the ways animals have been treated in the preparation to be slaughter. Even seeing the humane ways cattle have been slaughtered, thanks to Temple Grandins designs, I was still uncomfortable being showed a slaughterhouse and seeing a slaughter of cattle. It was what propelled me to become a vegetarian. Although I myself prefer not to eat meat, I wouldn't force it on anyone else, Judaism does allow that eating of meat, but under the terms that the meat you are given was not treat with indecency.
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AnonymousFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:16 PM
Marissa Bloom, Ethical Kashrut Blog 2-23-13

Kashrut and keeping kosher have the connotation of following laws demanded of us as Jewish people and doing the day to day motions of avoiding milk and meat or “unkosher” food products. However, ethical kashrut looks beyond the action and focuses on every aspect, the consumers, the animals, and the workers. By following the letter of the law, a Jewish person would abide by every rule in the Torah to decide which foods they can and can’t eat. According to Leviticus 11: 1-23, 44-45, what is allowed are “any animals that have true hoofs, with clefts through the hoofs, and that chew the cud, an animal in the water that has “fins and scales [we] may eat, and out of all the “winged swarming things that walk on fours” we can eat “locust, crickets, and grasshoppers.”
People looking beyond the letter of the law may believe in something similar to Eco-Kashrut. Eco-Kashrut considers and agrees with the traditional values of halacha but does not stop there at deciding what’s truly kosher. It addresses the underlying issues in the production of anything being consumed or used. Eco-Kashrut forces people to reflect on how they have been treating the earth. According to Rabbi Arthur Washow, this concepts believes that money is a vote and what you buy, you are supporting. He believes that people eating carelessly has poisoned the earth, and now earth is poisoning us back. However, Eco-Kashrut does not only believe in the ideas of holy food. Workers must be payed fairly, given health insurance, retirement benefits, vacation days, sick and maternity leave, as well as having subcontractor policies, and be able to deal with controversies fairly. The New York Times featured an article in December of 2008 explaining the difference between what is written on a label and what the consumer can actually see. They use the horrific example of the largest kosher but non ethical meat-packaging plant in the nation, run by orthodox men. It gives people an insight into the reality of the work place, with “16-year-old Guatemalan girls forced to work 20-hour work days”, as well as “389 illegal immigrants.” The point that is brought up in the article by Gilah Kletenik, a student of the group that organized the interview, was about the differentiation between kosher certified and production using kosher ethics. Clearly, people who believe not just in a kosher stamp but the holiness and sanctity behind it would have a strong opinion on the importance of a truly “kosher” facility.
Ethical kashrut also looks at the protection of animals. People keeping kosher assume that they are buying meat that have been killed humanly, by the painless process of shechita done by a certified Shoceta. However, they do not see the mess, horror, and anxiety that even kosher-killed animals face. Just because kosher practices are performed, truly caring about your actions is what gives it meaning. An example of a person that truly cares about the feelings of the animals and ethical kashrut is Dr. Temple Grandin. Due to her autism, she is able to connect with the animals inner feelings to be able to better design a system that keeps animals calm before the last minutes of their life. She reinvents and destroys all the problems with mass killings. Challenges and problems include, painful death, anxiety filled last moments, and squished pens. Temple Grandin uses her passion and knowledge to educate people and help them make the right decision on which food to buy and eat.
As a consumer, we have a great amount of power. We represent and support what we buy. Through education on both what happens in meat packaging plants and, what fair working conditions for people are will help improve the worlds working industry. Education is the most powerful tool in life.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:21 PM
Steven Ashoori, Ethical Kashrut Blog

As consumers in the industrial world we live in today people have the ability of choosing from various products that are kosher, and follow all the laws of kashrut. For the most part people usually do not know what environment their food comes from, but the biggest factor they have when choosing the product is selecting the cheapest one. This is especially the case since kosher food is already much more expensive than standard food. Tractate Berachot 20b affirms that “the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law.” The torah teaches us that the letter of the law concerning kashrut states that for the food to be kosher, it must come from an animal with true hoofs whom also chew their own cud. Also it can be anything with scales,fins and an animal with joint feet. Furthermore, the animal also has to be cut in a way so that it can go through very little pain, and you may not boil a calf in its mother’s milk. Rabbis defined that law as keeping dairy and meat products separated. Although the letter of the law helps us find the literal meaning of laws and in this case the law of kashrut, it is the “spirit of the law” that helps us look at the other aspects of the law other than only the literal meaning. An example of the “spirit of the law” regarding kashrut would be the behavior towards workers of some slaughterhouses. While technically being a kosher slaughterhouse and performing everything the letter of the law obtains, they do not treat their own workers morally correct. Their were many cases in America containing these kosher slaughterhouses, where there had been workers in them who have not received the worker treatment that they are legally suppose to have. In 2008 a slaughterhouse in Iowa had been raided by the government and it arrested hundreds of workers in the slaughterhouse because they were illegal immigrants of the United States. The only problem with this raid was not just the type of workers whom worked there, but it was also the working conditions that brought out huge criminal charges to the owner who was an Orthodox Jew. Before the raid the government charged them with 39 safety violations which led to the raid. After the raid they saw that the plant management gave fake social security numbers to almost 80 percent of the the employees. The reason the owners decided to do this was because they paid the immigrant workers less than minimum wage, while also giving them long hours. They were even accused of disobeying child labor laws. It is easy for consumers to look up how different slaughterhouses prepare and kill the products they sale to consumers, but what the consumers do not know is who the people are in these slaughterhouses and how they are treated. Tractate Shabbat 151b says, “ God will show mercy to those who are merciful.” After the raid, numerous amount of jews were very disappointed to see the kind of actions that were going on in kosher slaughterhouses, and now thought they had to discover new ways to demonstrate the law of kashrut.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:21 PM
Tractate Shabbat 151b goes against the owners of some of the slaughterhouses who give unfair treatment and safety to their workers because they are an example of people whom are not “merciful”. Proverbs 12:10 states that “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel”. This comes from an idea of eco-kashrut that does not only work toward being humane to the animals, but it also applies to the respect of other workers and to not take advantage of them. A perfect real life example of this would be the new owner who took over the kosher slaughterhouse. After the owner bought the slaughterhouse he tried to hire only local workers, but he also said that he would pay every worker their at least a dollar over minimum wage. This demonstrates a great image for the “righteous man”.
In our society there are two different positions about this problem. After the raid, some people are now upset and worried rather than happy that righteous had been done because they now fear the cost of the kosher products they buy will rise. To make a difference in future generations, we must applaud people like the new owner of the slaughter house, and we should also show are concerns after a raid like this had happened.

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/recovered_articles/cn_latest_news/iowa_kosher_slaughterhouse_to_hire_local_workers_132161073.html?source=related

http://www.peta.org/features/agriprocessors.aspx
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AnonymousFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:43 PM
Hanna Nadel Ethical Kashrut Blog Post, 2-25-13

In modern times, consumers in our society face countless decisions regarding Kashrut daily. Whether or not the animal has hooves and chews its own cud is but one aspect of Kashrut that its followers must take into consideration. However, for the majority of consumers, buying kosher meat is not always an option. Due to the greater amount of labor and effort required to produce the meat, Kosher foods are almost always more costly than other foods. Low-income homes find buying kosher meat impractical if possible at all.
Exodus 23:19 & 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21 state, “you shall not boil a kid in its mothers milk.” This phrase is taught three times because of the symbolism in performing this heartless act. The reasoning behind it is that the mother’s milk is what provides sustenance and life to the calf after being born, and to mix this symbol of life with the dead being it was meant for is essentially nothing short of an insult to God’s creations. In Genesis 9:1-4, God says, “Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these. You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it.” This passage is crucial because it shows the symbolism that lies within the blood of an animal. Similar to milk, blood also represents a sustaining item that makes life possible and as such is God’s property, so to speak. Thus, it must be treated with the utmost level of respect and gratitude.
Beyond the obligation to God, there is a moral commitment that mandates kindness towards animals. Clearly, any animate being does not deserve abuse or unnecessary discomfort. Dr. Temple Grandin exposed the previously unknown horrors of shackling and hoisting an animal. In this method where the animal is shackled and hung from its back leg, the animal is put in a very painful position. In Rabbis Elliot N. Dorff and Joel Roth’s paper, Shackling and Hoisting, we learn that it is common that shackling and hoisting an animal “causes bruising, torn flesh, and even broken bones” along with raising stress levels of the animals immensely. Grandin went beyond her necessary duties to allow cattle a stress-free death. Her implementation of eco-kashrut is very admirable. In order to create a better situation for future generations, I believe that eco-Kashrut should be practiced more thoroughly. While the treatment of animals is extremely important, the treatment of the workers is too often overlooked. As previously stated, any animate being deserves a level of kindness and respect.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:44 PM
MAXINE Malekmehr- Ethical Kashrut Blog Post

The Torah fosters compassion for all and affirms the sacredness of life. Psalms 145 :9 states, “ God is good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works". This verse is the standard of rabbinic attitude toward animal well-being. These values are reflected by the laws prohibiting cruelty to animals and obligations for humans to treat animals with care. Tractate Berachot 20b states, "Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law". As Jews, we are obliged to obey G-d's commands to follow Kashrut. This expression of religious devotion has been applied to many rituals, which is why we must apply it with equal diligence to principles affecting other living creatures. Moreover, this directly benefits God's works and helps with tikkun olam, or repairing the world. By engaging in acts of compassion, we become worthy of receiving the blessing: that “God will show mercy to those who are merciful” (Tractate Shabbat 151B). We must act compassionately, as well as humanely, towards people and animals. One way we, as consumers, can act benevolently and humanely towards the animals is that we can support brands that COMPASSIONATELY follow the laws of Kashrut, by treating their animals right. In addition, as consumers, we must support slaughterhouses that pay their workers fair wages, as well as slaughter their animals in a humane way. We have the choice to support companies who don’t support this inhumane act of slaughtering animals. We need to understand that the power is all in the hands of the consumer, because WE, the consumers, are what keeps the companies running. By supporting the justified brands and slaughterhouses, we fulfill our duty to ensure humane treatment for animals, making sure they don’t suffer before they are slaughtered. It is imperative to treat their death in the most ethical way possible. Tractate Shabbat 151B (“God will show mercy to those who are merciful”) emphasizes that we must treat the lives of the animals in the same moral way as we would treat a fellow human being. In other words, the verse says we must treat others with equal respect that we want to be treated. To me, this is saying that one must obey the rules from the bottom of his or her heart in order to show compassion. An example of demonstrating compassion towards animal slaughter is can be found in Dr. Temple Grandin’s efforts to improve animal welfare conditions. Dr. Grandin created a set of humane standards for the American Meat Institute (AMI). However, some of these standards are not legally required. Inhumane practices have a long history in the American food industry, and the Jewish community can’t be blamed for it. One of the challenges faced today is the cruelty in animal slaughter. In Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff and Joel Roth’s article, titled “Shackling and Hoisting”, it defines shackling and hoisting as a method of slaughter restraint in which “ a fully conscious animal is shackled with a chain around its back leg and hoisted into the air”(p. 20). We can imagine, the animal hanging upside down prior to slaughter. In fact, it also states that sometimes nose tongs are used “to pull the head back to allow the throat to be cut” (p. 20). In 1958, shackling and hoisting conscious animals was banned by American law as inhumane. Unquestionably, hanging a tremendously heavy animal upside down by one leg inflicts pain upon the creature. A solution to the shackling and hoisting of animals has been proposed and enacted by Temple Grandin. The solution is shocking the animal in the brain. It is a short and non painful way of killing an animal while abiding the rules of Kashrut.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:44 PM
Maxine Malekmehr : Blog Post Continued

Not only are the animals undergoing pain, but the slaughterers are as well. Those who slaughter conscious animals are faced with danger because the large animals sometimes kick the slaughterer. Although these workers are equipped with helmets, they are still at a high risk of injury and even death from hoisted animals. In efforts to avoid this risk, slaughterhouses have reformed their process of slaughter to use restraining pens rather than shackling and hoisting the animals. Now, kosher slaughter can be accomplished much more safely through the use of the restraining pens. Thus, there is no longer any excuse for exposing workers to these dangers. We need more people like Temple Grandin to advocate animal welfare and kashrut for our future generations. With more people like Temple Grandin, we can alter the way kashrut and the AMI (American Meat Institute) are treated as a whole. In addition, with the correct education, we’ll be able to teach more people. Thus, this will significantly help future generations. We must provide accurate information to not only people, but also all kosher slaughterhouses to make sure that they are safe for both the animal and the slaughterer.
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AnonymousFebruary 25, 2013 at 9:28 PM
Megan Eshaghian: Ethical Kashrut Blog Post

In Judaism, we do not only observe the literal meaning of the laws and text, which is “Letter of the Law”, but also analyze it to its full capacity, which is “The Spirt of the Law”. We as Jews look beyond what is written down on paper by questioning it, interpreting it, adding to it, discussing it, and so on and so forth. The torah espouses compassion for all living creatures. This compassion for all creatures and values are reflected by the laws prohibiting animal cruelty and obligations for humans to treat them respectfully as well as with care. We see this throughout the Laws of Kashrut. In Kashrut, Jews dissect and try to find the real reasoning as to why we have these laws and the true importance of Kashrut. In Chullin 115b, it states, “ You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” Looking at this in the simple and concrete lens, known as “Letter of the Law”, one will only comprehend that we should not mix meat and dairy. However, if one analyzes the text they will realizes that theres more to it. Judaism focuses on doing things humanely and ethically, particularly in Kashrut. Boiling a chid in its mother’s milk is an issue of inhumane treatment to animals. The reason doing this is considered to be inhumane is the fact that the milk should have supported that animal to live, yet instead it is being used in conjunction with the animals death. In Judaism, there are laws that explain the correct and humane way to slaughter an animal in a way that they feel no pain, or as little pain as possible. Dr. Temple Grandin has been promoting and supporting ways of making sure that animals are killed humanly in slaughterhouses. In her article, “Shackling and Hoisting,” she explains her belief in how to help the animal because she can also feel the pain that the animals feel. She talks about Eco-Kashrut, which focuses primarily on ways to make the animal feel less afraid, less pain, and as comfortable as possible. Her motive is not to put a stop to the meat industry, instead her goal is to help the animals to be treated respectfully and to make the slaughterhouses have mercy on these animals. Tractate Shabbat 151b explains, “God will show mercy to those who are merciful.” This also applies to kashrut in many ways. Those who realize that killing an animal unethically and inhumanely, are able to earn the mercy of G-d.In my perspective, if you look at this in “The Spirt of the Laws,” G-d has mercy on his people and any living creature. Therefore, we, his creations, are also obligated to have mercy on not just humans, but also animals. In other words, compassion for al living things is not just the lords business, but also ours. As much as we wish that people will follow these rules, unfortunately there have been many recent cases in which animals today are not treated humanly. This inhumane treatment is happening in not only non-kosher slaughterhouses, but also in kosher slaughterhouses. As a Jew and as a human being I feel that it is part of my duty to help support these laws. The question that remains is how can we fix this problem? How can we make a change? The answer is not as complicated as you might think and it its actually somewhat simple. We must all be aware of what is happening around us, not be ignorant, and to inform those who are unaware. In a world where technology is so advanced and news spreads like wild fire. It is so easy to inform people through the internet, facebook, twitter, texting, and more.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 9:36 PM
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 9:38 PM
Dan Erdman

Tractate Berachot 20b states that "the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law." As consumers, we have the choice of either taking the easy route in life, or making a more difficult decision. The difficult decision being the better choice for everyone. We could either buy meat that is unkosher, meaning that the animals were killed inhumanely, which lead the producers to keep killing animals in harsh ways, or we could buy meat that is kosher, and support the humane way of killing animals, without hurting them. Temple Grandin is a prime example of a person who took the difficult but moralistic route in life. She is a big supporter of animals, and has written countless articles about how animals are being killed in the most painful of ways (shackling and hoisting). She has done a lot to help, mainly by showing the possibility of slaughtering animals in a large facility in a more humane way. However, there are difficulties with keeping kosher, mainly that the meat is very expensive, and not everyone can afford it. In my opinion, there is not set solution for this problem because the prices on kosher meat cannot just be lowered automatically. The only possible solution is that the people who can afford it should most definitely buy kosher meat. Those who cannot afford it are affected, and have no choice but to buy unkosher meat. However, those who can afford it should do the right thing and buy kosher meat.
Tractate Shabbat 151b states: “God will show mercy to those who are merciful.” Do not be cruel, and God will show mercy on you. This has to do with Eco-Kashrut. Eco-kashrut is a big thing to take into account when considering what is kosher and what is not kosher. Eco-kashrut's message is about the treatment of animals and people, and beyond that. Many people get extremely hurt and develop numerous diseases, such as asthma and brain damage or even birth defects and premature death from the fumes of the animals’ excrement and bodily fluids. It goes beyond the letter of the law. In an article that we read about on eco-kashrut, it talks about how bal-taschit, tza'ar-ba'alei chai'im, sh'mirat haguf , tzedakah, and osek are all important factors to consider. Bal taschit has to do with preserving the earth. Many of the fumes from the meat factories are being let out into the environment, which is not good for it. Tza'ar-ba'alei chai'im has to do with respect for animals. Many animals in meat factories are being slaughtered through methods such as shackling and hoisting. It is unfair, and the animals are suffering greatly. Sh'mirat haguf is the protection of one's own body. There are occasions where meat from these meat factories contains carcinogens and/or hormones that are not good for people to eat. It is important to follow this guideline to stay healthy. Also, Tzedakah, in this case, is not really about giving to the needy, but it is also about doing what is right. We have to be kind to the animals, to the workers, and to ourselves. No one should suffer. Osek is referring to the oppression of workers. Workers should not be oppressed and treated poorly. There was a video we watched in class about a man who came to the United States illegally and worked in a meat factory and got caught and was deported back to his home in Guatemala. Him and other workers from Guatemala were not treated well in the meat factory, which was unfair to them.
There are problems to following eco-kashrut, mainly due to financial reasons and the fact that people do not want to have to worry about all of these restrictions. It is very expensive to purchase and make new equipment to help kill animals in a peaceful way. Workers’ wages can also be increased, and their safety conditions can be improved. I hope that the future generations will follow eco-kashrut, and make the necessary adjustments in their lives to become better people, and be above the law.
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 10:23 PM
Natalie Koreie Eco Kashrut Blog Post 2-25-13

“God will show mercy to those who are merciful” from Tractate Shabbat 151b, is very meaningful quote that can be understood and interpreted in many different ways. Stating that God will show compassion for those who show him compassion. God will treat us as the way we respect Him. Us being consumers we must think about what we are purchasing and where it is coming from. By purchasing things that do not come from Ethical places means that we support these businesses. By treating the animals in a humane and just manner, we are not only treating the animals fairly but also the most reasonable way possible. Challenges that come with buying our produce from the most ethical ran slaughter house is that it can sometimes mean that it is more expensive and families that are low income and only make a certain amount of money that they can spend on groceries. Another challenged that come with this is that it may not always be available to us. Living in Los Angeles, California there are organic markets on every corner of ever street, but in places like Posttown, Pennsylvania there are not very many if any. The video we saw in class about Posttown showed us how people in low income and places where not only the animals but also the workers were treated poorly can become affected by just one slaughterhouse that does not follow humane slaughterhouse regulations. To help us make better decisions about where we purchase our groceries from we can educate our selves by reading about Eco Kashrut and also reading Temple Grindings articles about slaughterhouses that do not follow her guidelines of what a humane slaughtering of an animal is. The only way that we can change the way change how slaughterhouses treat their animals is by boycotting the ones that are inhumane. Boycotting is effective because it will raise awareness to the slaughterhouses about what they are doing wrong and why they must fix it if they would like their companies to succeed again.

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AnonymousFebruary 25, 2013 at 10:28 PM
Marissa Greitzer, Ethical Kashrut Blog Post

The quote, “God will show mercy to those who are merciful” (Tractate Shabbat 151b), allows our generation to have keen insight in regards to humane slaughter. This is saying that when we treat others with mercy and respect, we will be granted respect as well. To further our learning, the Jewish population has the ability to obtain information from remarkable sources, like the Torah. There is a plethora of commentators available to the population at our fingertips. These texts teach us what is appropriate in regards to the slaughter of meat. Everyday, we can learn more about Kashrut and the standards we should uphold for ourselves. An example of these teachings can be found in Deuteronomy 14:21, “You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death... For you are a people holy to the Lord you God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” This quote notifies the Jewish population to not mix meant and dairy, because it is unethical. The quote also depicts how animals are susceptible to the cruelly due to our country’s desire for meat. Yet as consumers, we can stop this brutality to the powerless animals. The consumers of this industry can be the voices and guardians of these animals. If our people are in need of these animals to satisfy their hunger, it is our job as a Jewish population to treat the animals as humanely as we can. Important figures in our Jewish society have taken charge in figuring out what is the most humane way to slaughter our meat. A challenge we face is the cruelty in slaughter. Temple Grandin, and American doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, has made sure that animals that are killed in slaughterhouses are killed in a humane way. Dr. Temple Grandin has figuring out new ways to make sure that these animals will experience little or no pain when they are slaughtered. Her article, Shackling and Hoisting, created a system of slaughter that not only benefits the animals, but also helps the consumer feel better about what they are receiving from the plants. The Torah also teaches the consumer what way he or she can be aware of the ethical standards that Kashrut places on us. Genesis 9:4 states, “You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it.” We need to remember the most important rules of eating kosher food as Jews. It is crucial to drain the blood from the animal before eating it. We as consumers will be risk if we do not treat these animals with the respect that they deserve. My family has never kept kosher, because we don’t feel that it is necessary to be a part of our Jewish traditions. Yet after reading different texts, I have gained ample information on the slaughter of animals to figure out what side I stand for. I will teach the future generations that we should not support industries that are overlooking the rights that animals should be granted.
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AnonymousFebruary 26, 2013 at 10:36 AM
Ari Bender

As stated in Tractate Berachot 20b of the Talmud, “the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law.” As consumers, it is quite easy to apply this principle. We, as Jews, relate this value to many Jewish ideologies and rituals. It is actually somewhat foolish to not appertain this idea to kashrut as well. Eco-kosher solves this problem for us. Eco-kashrut is a way that we as consumers, can keep kosher, and at the same time, go beyond the letter of the law. We need to use our ethics and apply them to other living creatures as well. Eco-kashrut allows us to still keep kosher (obey the letter of the law) but also show even more acknowledgement to the process of slaughtering animals as well. Anybody can keep kosher or produce hekshered meat, but it does not necessarily mean that the place that generates the kosher food is a well-valued slaughterhouse. For example, The New York Times posted that at the country’s largest kosher slaughterhouse, Agriprocessors, the workers were not being treated fairly. Between underage employment, illegal immigration, unfair wages, and unusually long hours, this meat packing plant had its share of issues. The fact that kosher food is being made, does that satisfy the Jewish law? I do not believe it does. It especially does not follow the texts of going beyond the letter of the law and being merciful. Eco-kashrut is the answer for Jews to stay true to our morals, while going even farther with their intentions. On the other hand, there are a lot of conflicts facing this idea. To start off, Eco-kosher does not have such strict laws as the Torah does about what is kosher and what is not. It is not so easy to tell what exactly is being “treated fairly”. It is also complicated to always have somebody checking in the slaughterhouses to see if the workers are treated with respect. It is a little more opinionated. We must lock down on all the workers abuse and do our best to fight it. It is highly significant that the animals get dealt with properly, and that can only happen if the workers are handled appropriately as well. Just as Genesis 9:4 states, “You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it,” it is important to remember the reason behind this. This is there for us to act in a humane way towards the animals. If we are going to act in a caring way towards the animals, we must act in a gracious way towards the workers as well. There are two texts that sum up both sides of our behavior as Jews in this topic. One is from Exodus 34:26, “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” The reason I chose this text is because, although there are many chukim from the Torah regarding what is kosher and what is not, this one exemplifies them all and is one most people know. It is simply one chuk that shows one rule of our kashrut. The text from the other side of our behavior comes from a Chasidic folktale where it says, “It is true, you wet the blade and sharpen it. But where you use water to sharpen your blade, the Ba’al Shem Tov used his own tears.” This mishpat portrays to us Jews that we must care for the animals when we slaughter them. We must think of our actions. The other values from Eco-kashrut cannot hurt either (avoidance of suffering, not needlessly destroying, protection of one’s body, doing what is right, consciously affirming a sense of holiness when we eat, and not oppressing workers), as they are all vital principles that can help guide and support us as consumers. The only way to make a difference to the future generations is to keep implementing the same values from our chukim and mishpatim. We must teach our children to keep kosher and show the values of Eco-kosher as well. If we remind them that our sages once said in Tractate Shabbat 151b that “God will show mercy to those who are merciful,” it will provide as an incentive to show sympathy and give thought to their actions. It is essential that we do our best to follow kashrut and Eco-kashrut, side by side, and to pass on these values to our future generations.
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AnonymousFebruary 28, 2013 at 12:22 AM
Nahal Sarshar

As our world is growing and evolving many changes have been made ethically and spiritually improving our moral standards and traditions of kashrut. Many different Rabbis, commentators, and laws of the torah have offered us commentary on how to keep kosher, and from all these different commentators explanations, there are many different ideas on how to keep kosher. One wonders, "what can they do to get the bigger picture and do better?" The answer to these problems is Eco Kashrut. Eco Kashrut is the "spirit of the law' and gives us a different perspective and outlook on different ways to process meat. In the talmud (Tractate Berachot 20b) it says, "That the Jewish people are praiseworthy for their desire to serve God beyond the letter of the law." This shows that us Jews need to go beyond the law and that is a holier way of serving God. Us consumers following acts of Eco Kosher would not only be making us serve God, but it would also help the environment.In Tractate Shabbat 15, "God will show mercy to those who are merciful" this happens when performing an ethical process of slaughtering and acts of Eco Kosher. Performing the opposite of Eco Kosher acts, Agriprocessors inc, another kosher slaughterhouse hired illegal immigrants so, when the slaughterhouse got shut down most were deported with no money. Unlike the text, this slaughterhouse did not treat its animals and employees with mercy. This goes against the spirit of jewish law. We the people should not stand idly by, we as the consumers should be protesting against these unjust practices by not giving them what they want and buying their products. "Shackling and hoisting" was performed by kosher and unkosher slaughterhouses and it is unethical and inhumane because during the process of slaughter the animal is treated very poorly. For jewish slaughter to not be inhumane, the animal must be calm. Instead the animals are stunned and tasered causing a lot of pain to the animal, also the animals are put upside down making them kick and hurt the workers. However, Dr. Temple Grandin brought up a different, more humane process to slaughter the animals. Unlike the other factories Dr. Grandin doesn't shackle and hoist the animal yet, she makes a better path for the animals to feel more comfortable. She explains how she wants the animals to really feel like they are in a natural environment. One of the ways she does this is by making sure the animals go from a light to dark setting, because thats what they usually go through. Another challenge we face is making sure our actions are ethical rather than unethical. In Exodus 23:19 it states that, “[y]ou shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk”. This means that we can not mix dairy and milk when we eat. Jacob Milgrom’s says that if you do boil a child in its mothers milk it is the "fusion of life and death." It is unethical to do this and animals should not be cooked in their own mothers milk. For the future we need to take better care of where we buy our food from and that where we get the food from uses humane animal slaughter, no pesticides, and something that is better for our environment.
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UnknownFebruary 28, 2013 at 10:58 PM
Aaron Mashian

Throughout the past, our species as the human race has greatly evolved in regards to technology and quality of life. Parallel to this evolution, are our eating habits, in regards to how we eat, when we eat, and particularly what we eat. In our day and age, a great portion of our diet revolves around meat. As Jews, we are required to fulfill our Kashrut, which is particularly stringent on the proper slaughtering of animals. Ever since the rise of industrialization in the early 20th century, Kosher meat has mainly been produced in factories. From this time period, arose the method of animal slaughter, Shackling and Hoisting. Shackling and Hoisting involves suspending the animal in the air by shackling one of its legs to a conveyor belt. Tongs are then used to grab onto its tongue, pulling its head up and exposing its throat for slaughter. Hanging such a heavy animal by just one of its legs, is known to cause tremendous suffering and discomfort to the animal. It is for this very reason that the United States government outlawed this practice in the Human Slaughter Act of 1958. However, this legislation exempted Kosher slaughter, for at the time no alternative was available. Decades later, despite a plethora of technological advances, the brutal method of Shackling and Hoisting still has a presence in modern day slaughterhouses. Adding on to the brutality of shackling and hoisting, many modern day slaughterhouses implement other techniques and are engineered in ways that cause much stress and suffering to the animals.
In "Kosher Slaughter" by Ben Wolfson, Dr. Temple Grandin's horrific encounter in a slaughterhouse is retold. In a Spencer Foods plant in Spencer, Iowa, Grandin witnessed cattle writhe in pain as they were hung by their hind legs, saw them slip and fall on slippery and angled floor, and watched as they were shocked with electric prods to get them to move. Slaughterhouses like these are the major problem. Although they are in accordance with the letter of the law of Kashrut, they absolutely contradict the spirit of the law. The purpose of the laws of Kashrut is to ensure comfort and minimal pain for the animal. Although these slaughterhouses and their methods ensure no pain at the very moment of death, they cause their animals to undergo a great amount of stress and suffering in all of the moments leading up to their final one. As consumers and Jews, we can act in accordance with Tractate Berachot 20b and take a stand against these slaughterhouses and poor methods of slaughter. As consumers, we have the power. With the best interest of these innocent animals in mind, we can boycott the meat of these brutal slaughterhouses, and follow in the footsteps on Dr. Temple Grandin. Grandin is revolutionizing the world of Kosher slaughter by developing and implementing techniques that minimize stress, pain, and discomfort to the animals. In her article "Maintaining acceptable animal welfare during Kosher or Halal slaughter", Grandin gives examples of improvement such as non-slip flooring. Additionally, Grandin has designed barriers to prevent the sight of equipment by animals, and has developed knife wielding techniques and methods that yield the least amount of distress for animals.

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UnknownFebruary 28, 2013 at 10:58 PM
Aaron Mashian Post Continued

By supporting Dr. Temple Grandin's ventures, and boycotting slaughterhouses that treat their animals poorly, we exceed the letter of the law and ensure a more stress free and painless environment for the animals. In turning our backs on these slaughterhouses with poor methods of practice and placing our support behind those that exhibit care and consideration, we will encounter several problems. The complexity and intricacy of providing a painless and comfortable environment for the animals, poses a greater financial burden than that of a slaughterhouse with no consideration for animal welfare. Additionally, when boycotting the meat products of these poorly conducted slaughterhouses, it is often difficult to determine which meat companies are executing their animals in a just and painless way, and which are not. However, both of these obstacles are able to be overcome, and the effort required to do so is greatly worth the reward of animal welfare. By overcoming the aforementioned obstacles and improving the system of slaughterhouses, we are ensuring a brighter future, in which the generations to come will eat meat of a better quality, coming from slaughterhouses that treat their animals well and with great amounts of respect. By acting drastically today, we exemplify proper slaughterhouse conduct and pave the road for a future of only slaughterhouses that treat their animals well.
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