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Feb 7, 2019
Chalak or Glatt in Bnei Braq?
someone sent me a letter written by Rav Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau, head of the Landau hechsher in Bnei Braq. It was also published on Yudel Shain's blog, though I do not know where it was originally published, but I will translate it here.
Rav Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau
Regarding beef "Kosher-Glatt" sold in stores in our city..
In advance of Pesach, meat will begin to be sold in our town marked as "kosher glatt". This meat is appropriate for Ashkenazim following the opinion of the Rama. In order for people to understand what this is about and to prevent confusion, I will explain the main points of the issue.
It is well known that the Mechaber and the Rama argue in Shulchan Aruch about the checking fo lesions on the lung of an animal. The Mechaber does nto allow any checking of any lesions at all. The Rama says that some allow checking lesions by rubbing and pressing them and he says that even though it is a big leniency, it has been the custom in our countries to do so. All Ashkenazic communities have accepted this custom.
Despite that, throughout the generation there were always some individuals who were stringent and careful to not eat meat that had lesions, even lesions that underwent the process of feeling and pressing. As time went on such meat became called "chalak" and meat that underwent pressing and feeling of possible lesions was called "kosher". However, even with such meat that undergoes the feeling and pressing, there are different levels - there are some lesions that come off easily without any effort and there are other lesions that are difficult to remove and need a lot of rubbing and pressing and even forcibly peeling it off. Being that animals without lesions are an uncommon minority everywhere, many communities have become accustomed to allowing lesions removed by rubbing and even lesions removed by peeling, based on the Rama. There were even places that out of necessity were accustomed to calling such meat "chalak" as long as there were no more than 3 lesions peeled off.
Thank God our generation is worthy and God Fearing, and if 50 years ago most people ate "kosher" meat and those stringent about "chalak" were just individuals, today most Haredim are careful about eating only "chalak" meat. So much so that good hechshers today only supply chalak meat. However, the high demand for chalak meat has forced them to bring down the level of chalak and include within it even meat that has some types of lesions and up to 3 actual lesions.
However, my father was very stringent, despite the difficulty, to not change an iota from the opinion of the Beis Yosef and would always say "Chalak is like a newborn calf, without any issues" and that is what we did all the years, with chalak under our certification being real chalak with no negative issues. In recent years, after merchants from abroad have already become accustomed by the different kashrus organizations to attain very high percentages of chalak they do not want to deal with us any longer due to lower profit margins so there has become a shortage of meat. With no alternative, and so as not to deviate from the custom of the stringent, I have decided that we can market in stores meat that is appropriate for those following the Rama called "kosher glatt". Meaning, "Chalak" will remain actual chalak as it always has been, and meat that his the minor lesions that required no major effort to remove will be marketed under the name "kkosher glatt". This meat can be eaten by those accustomed like the Rama and as Ashkenazic communities have followed throughout the generations. In all the other hechshers, this meat is included under the name "chalak". If someone tries to find the "chalak" according to the custom of the Beis Yosef, he will have to work very hard to find it.
So that this will be easily identifiable, and as a sign for understanding: meat called "kosher glatt" in Yiddish will be designated for Ashkenazim only eating in line with the custom of the Rama, while meat called "chalak" - in lashon hakodesh, will be appropriate also for Sefardim who follow the opinion of the Beis Yosef.
Therefore, the Ashkenazim following the Rama can buy from the kosher glatt and eat and enjoy.
In wedding halls and restaurants only chalak meat will be allowed as has been the case until today and this is appropriate for Sefardim following the Beis Yosef as well with no concern.
the original:
Rav Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau
Regarding beef "Kosher-Glatt" sold in stores in our city..
In advance of Pesach, meat will begin to be sold in our town marked as "kosher glatt". This meat is appropriate for Ashkenazim following the opinion of the Rama. In order for people to understand what this is about and to prevent confusion, I will explain the main points of the issue.
It is well known that the Mechaber and the Rama argue in Shulchan Aruch about the checking fo lesions on the lung of an animal. The Mechaber does nto allow any checking of any lesions at all. The Rama says that some allow checking lesions by rubbing and pressing them and he says that even though it is a big leniency, it has been the custom in our countries to do so. All Ashkenazic communities have accepted this custom.
Despite that, throughout the generation there were always some individuals who were stringent and careful to not eat meat that had lesions, even lesions that underwent the process of feeling and pressing. As time went on such meat became called "chalak" and meat that underwent pressing and feeling of possible lesions was called "kosher". However, even with such meat that undergoes the feeling and pressing, there are different levels - there are some lesions that come off easily without any effort and there are other lesions that are difficult to remove and need a lot of rubbing and pressing and even forcibly peeling it off. Being that animals without lesions are an uncommon minority everywhere, many communities have become accustomed to allowing lesions removed by rubbing and even lesions removed by peeling, based on the Rama. There were even places that out of necessity were accustomed to calling such meat "chalak" as long as there were no more than 3 lesions peeled off.
Thank God our generation is worthy and God Fearing, and if 50 years ago most people ate "kosher" meat and those stringent about "chalak" were just individuals, today most Haredim are careful about eating only "chalak" meat. So much so that good hechshers today only supply chalak meat. However, the high demand for chalak meat has forced them to bring down the level of chalak and include within it even meat that has some types of lesions and up to 3 actual lesions.
However, my father was very stringent, despite the difficulty, to not change an iota from the opinion of the Beis Yosef and would always say "Chalak is like a newborn calf, without any issues" and that is what we did all the years, with chalak under our certification being real chalak with no negative issues. In recent years, after merchants from abroad have already become accustomed by the different kashrus organizations to attain very high percentages of chalak they do not want to deal with us any longer due to lower profit margins so there has become a shortage of meat. With no alternative, and so as not to deviate from the custom of the stringent, I have decided that we can market in stores meat that is appropriate for those following the Rama called "kosher glatt". Meaning, "Chalak" will remain actual chalak as it always has been, and meat that his the minor lesions that required no major effort to remove will be marketed under the name "kkosher glatt". This meat can be eaten by those accustomed like the Rama and as Ashkenazic communities have followed throughout the generations. In all the other hechshers, this meat is included under the name "chalak". If someone tries to find the "chalak" according to the custom of the Beis Yosef, he will have to work very hard to find it.
So that this will be easily identifiable, and as a sign for understanding: meat called "kosher glatt" in Yiddish will be designated for Ashkenazim only eating in line with the custom of the Rama, while meat called "chalak" - in lashon hakodesh, will be appropriate also for Sefardim who follow the opinion of the Beis Yosef.
Therefore, the Ashkenazim following the Rama can buy from the kosher glatt and eat and enjoy.
In wedding halls and restaurants only chalak meat will be allowed as has been the case until today and this is appropriate for Sefardim following the Beis Yosef as well with no concern.
the original:
הרב משה יהודה ליב לנדאghjghj
אודות בשר בהמה "כשר-גלאט" המשווק החנויות בעירנו.
לקראת חג הפסח, יתחילו לשווק בעירנו בשר שיסומן בשם "כשר-גלאט", בשר זה מתאים לאשכנזים הנוהגים כהרמ"א. בכדי שהציבור יבין במה המדובר וכדי למנוע מבוכה ובלבול, אבאר את עיקרי הדברים:
ידוע ומפורסם, שהמחבר והרמ"א נחלקו בשו"ע אודות בדיקת סרכות הריאות בבקר, שהמחבר אינו מתיר בדיקת הסרכות כלל וכלל. והרמ"א הביא שיש מתירים כל סכרא שעוברת ע"י מיעוך ומשמוש, וכתב. "ויש מתירין למשמש בסרכות ולמעך בהם.. ע"פ שהוא קולא גדולה כבר נהגו כל בני מדינות אלו..". ובמנהג זה החזיקו בכל קהילות אשכנז.
אם זאת, בכל הדורות, היו יחידים שהחמירו שלא לאכול מבהמה שהיו בה סרכות. ואפילו סרכות שעברו ע"י מיעוך ומשמוש, במשך הזמן אף נקראו בשמות – בשר שלא היו בו סרכות כלל נקרא "חלק", ובשר שהוכשר ע"י מיעוך ומשמוש נקרא "כשר". אולם, גם בסרכות שעוברות ע"י מיעוך ומשמוש יש דרגות שונות זו למעלה מזו, יש סרכות שיורדות בנקל ללא כח של הבודק כלל וישנן סרכות שבכדי להסירם צריך למעך ולמשמש הרבה, ועד כדי קליפה בכח. והיות שבהמות ללא סרכות הם מיעוט שאינו מצוי בכל מקום, הנהיגו בהרבה קהילות להכשיר את כל הסרכות העוברות ע"י מיעוך, ואף התירו סרכות שיורדות ע"י קליפה, וזאת על יסוד דברי הרמ"א הנ"ל. היו גם מקומות כאלו, שמתוך הדחק הנהיגו להחשיב כ"חלק" עד ג' סרכות שנקלפות.
ב"ה אכשור דרא, ואם לפני יובל שנים היה רוב הציבור אוכל בשר "כשר" והמקפידים על בשר "חלק" היו יחידים ממש. כהיום, רוב החרדים לדבר ה' מקפידים על בשר "חלק". עד כדי שהשגחות מיוחסות מספקות בשר "חלק" בלבד. אולם, הדרישה המרובה לבשר "חלק" הכריחה אותם לרדת ברמת החלק ולהכליל בהגדרת "חלק" גם סרכות לפי סוגים שונים. ועד ג' סרכות ממש.
אולם אבי הגה"ח זללה"ה הקפיד מאד, למרות הקושי, שלא לשנות מדעת ה"בית יוסף", והיה אומר תמיד: "חלק הוא כמו שהעגל נולד, בלי שום ריעותא", וכך אנו נוהגים כל השנים, כאשר החלק שתחת השגחתי הוא "חלק" ממש, לא שום ריעותא. בשנים האחרונות, לאחר שהסוחרים בחו"ל הורגלו ע"י גופי כשרות שונים להגיע לאחוזים גבוהים של "חלק", הם אינם רוצים עוד לעסוק עמנו מחמת מניעת הרווח, וממילא נוצר מחסור בבשר בקר.בלית ברירה, ובכדי שלא לשנות ח"ו ממנהג המחמירים, החלטתי לאפשר לשווק בחנויות גם בשר המתאים רק לנוהגים ע"פ הרמ"א, שיקרא "כשר-גלאט". כלומר, ה"חלק" יישאר "חלק" כמו שהיה כל השנים. והבשר שהיתה בהם סרכה קלה ממש, שלא היה צריך כח הבודק כלל בהסרתם, (שאצל רבים הם מוגדרות כ"רירים"), ישווקו תחת השם "כשר-גלאט". בשר זה מתאים לנוהגים ע"פ מנהג הרמ"א, וכמו שנהגו בקהילות אשכנז בכל הדורות. ובכל ההכשרים הנפוצים בשר זה הוא בכלל "חלק" גמור. מי שינסה לחפש שם "חלק" ממש כפי שיטת ה"בית יוסף", יצטרך להרבות בחיפושים, וכולי האי ואולי.
כדי שההיכר יהיה ברור ולסימנא מילתא: הבשר הקרוי "כשר-גלאט" – באידיש, מיועד לאשכנזים בלבד הנוהגים כמנהג הרמ"א, ואילו הבשר שנקרא "חלק" – בלשון הקודש, מתאים גם לספרדים ההולכים בשיטת ה"בית יוסף".
ולכן, האשכנזים הנוהגים כהרמ"א יכולים לקנות גם מן ה"כשר-גלאט" ויאכלו ענוים וישבעו.
באולמות ובמסעדות יכנס רק בשר "חלק" כמו שהיה עד היום, ומתאים גם לנוהגים כחומרות ה"בית יוסף" ללא חשש.
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