Commentary on the situation in Postville.

Mitchell Levin, from Cedar Rapids, offers the following Op Ed, "Being kosher goes beyond slaughter rules," published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

See also the JCRC/Jewish Federation's statement on Postville ( May 15, 2008) "Enforce the law humanely, Reform the system, and Ensure fair labor practices."



IMMIGRATION RAID
Being kosher goes beyond slaughter rules
By Mitchell Levin

Writing a column about Agriprocessors, the Rubashkins and/or Postville is difficult. On the one hand, Jews are cautioned against L’shon hara, “the tongue of evil,” or speaking ill of another person.

In addition to which we are all mindful of the admonition of “judge not lest you be judged.” On the other hand, we have an obligation to speak out against injustice and those who lead others astray. In the spirit of fulldisclosure,readers should understand that we are probably one of the few families in Cedar Rapids who actually buys (or used to buy) the Rubashkins’ meat, which means that I am, by turn, angry, ashamed and disgusted.

We bought it because it was kosher. What does kosher mean?

This is a difficult to answer in a brief column, so please remember you are getting the “Cliffs Notes” version.

The Hebrew word “kosher” literally means “fit,” as in fit for purposes of Jewish ritual.

The laws of Kashrut (keeping kosher) have their origins in the Bible and have been amplified and clarified by respected rabbis and scholars.

Among other things, the Bible provides lists of animals that may be eaten (kosher) and those that cannot be eaten.

(This explains why Jews eat beef but not pork). Additionally, to be kosher, these animals have to be slaughtered in a ritually proscribed manner that ensures a humane, swift death. People are allowed to eat meat, but animals are not supposed to suffer for our pleasure. This form of slaughter also ensures all of the blood will drain from the animal because Jewish dietary laws include prohibitions against consuming blood.

When a meat-processing operation like Agriprocessors is described as kosher, it means that it follows all of the Jewish dietary laws, the slaughtering is performed and overseen by the proper religious officials, many checks and balances required by Jewish law are being followed and that the whole process is certified by an appropriate Jewish organization, as well as being in compliance with the USDA.

So why are there Jews who contend that the Rubashkins’ meat is no more kosher than a Smithfield Ham? Because they believe that being kosher means more than just following the ritual rules pertaining to the slaughtering of meat. It means that the company operated in a manner that conformed to all civil laws and relevant biblical injunctions.

Based on the sages’ interpretation of Deuteronomy 23:19, “illgotten gains cannot be cleansed ... for holy ends,” which means that something done in violation of the law cannot be turned around and deemed fit for ritual use. If a company is violating the commandments concerning the proper treatment of workers, including the injunction to pay workers promptly and fairly, its product cannot be deemed ritually fit. These laws concerning the treatment of workers are so important that the prophet Malachi singles out the violators of these laws as people who will receive special punishment at the time of the Final Judgment.

I am angry when I read reports of any meatpacker breaking the law. But as a Jew, I am angry, ashamed and disgusted when a Jewish businessman cloaks his operation in Jewish ritual law and then breaks the law and that includes the laws of the Bible, which is the whole excuse for the existence of Agriprocessors in the first place. The Talmud teaches “if one is honest in his business dealings and people esteem him, it is accounted to him as though he fulfilled the whole Torah.” As Rabbi Telushkin points out, for Jews, ethics are not just for the synagogue, but for the marketplace as well.

People ask, “How could a Jew do such a thing?” Simple. Jews are human beings.

According to our tradition, people are imbued with the “inclination to do good” and “inclination to do evil.” The commandments are there to guide us to choose the former, but each of us has the free will to make that choice. In the case of Agriprocessors, it would appear that it chose to follow “the inclination to do evil” while companies like Empire and Hebrew National, whose businesses are thriving, chose to following “the inclination to do good.”

Mitchell Levin is human resources director for a company with headquarters in Cedar Rapids. He edits two blogs “This Day ... In Jewish History,” http://thisdayinjewish history.blogspot.com/ and “Downhome Davar Torah,”