Bill Suggests Kosher Certificate For Restaurants Open On Shabbos

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kashrusA new bill seeks to require the Rabbinate to grant a kashrus certificate to restaurants open on Shabbos, as long as the food they serve is kosher according to Jewish Law.

According to the proposal’s initiator, Knesset Member Elazar Stern (Hatnua), there is need for legislation preventing rabbis from stipulating that restaurants seeking a kashrus certificate must observe other mitzvos as well – an act which has already been banned by the High Court of Justice in the past.

The suggested amendment to the Kashrus Fraud Prevention Law has already been submitted to the Knesset, and will soon be discussed by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation. Stern expects Habayit Hayehudi ministers not to oppose it, as it takes into account the involved halachic restrictions and offers solutions.

According to the proposal, when a rabbi examines the kashrus of food served in a restaurant for the purpose of providing a certificate of inspection, he will not bring in extraneous considerations, such as the whether the place is open on Shabbos, the owner’s religious affiliation or opinions, performances or ceremonies held on the premises, etc. A rabbi who violates this order will face a four-month jail term or a fine.

As for businesses which desecrate Shabbos, the bill states that as a condition for receiving a kashrus certificate for the rest of the week, the restaurant must separate between sets of dishes so that on the Jewish holy day the utensils used during the rest of the week will be locked up and not used. The reason is that according to kashrut laws, it is forbidden to cook with them on Shabbos while desecrating the day of rest.

Several restaurants in Israel, mainly in the north, already have an inspection certificate for weekdays even though they are open on Shabbatos thanks to some rabbis who agreed to provide the certification. The dishes separation arrangement suggested by MK Stern is already implemented in those businesses.

The Kashrut Fraud Prevention Law states that “when providing a kashrut certificate the rabbi will only consider kashrut laws,” but according to Stern this definition is unclear, and as a result “the boundary is being stretched” and other considerations which have nothing to do with the food’s kashrut are taken into account.

The bill further mentions a High Court ruling in which judges ruled that the Rabbinate cannot toughen its conditions for a kashrus certificate just because a restaurant a owned by a Messianic Jew.

Read more at Ynet News.

{Matzav.com Israel}


9 COMMENTS

  1. Unbelievable violation of halachic definition and conditions of public kashrut certifications. Civil High Court ruling cannot ipso facto aND ULTRA VIRES nullify halacha! The Rabbanut must vigorously protest in public.

  2. What fools! keeping Shabbos is very much got to do with kashrut, if you brake shabat the food you cook has the laws of bishul akum!

  3. Hmmm. Is today Monday Or Tuesday? Is today the Kosher today? Or tomorrow?
    Oh, it was yesterday? So now I have to wait a week to eat out?

  4. “Unbelievable violation of halachic definition and conditions of public kashrut certifications.”

    Why? Every major kashrut organization in America certifies food producers that operate seven days a week.

  5. Someone who publicly violates Shabbos by keeping his restaurant business open 7 days a week cannot be trusted or believed with respect to the kashrut of the foods or mixtures of foods prepared and served by the restaurant or the kashrut of the appliances, dishes and utensils used by it. The proposed bill would legitimize a false hechsher on what is effectively bishul akum. It would also diminish the credibility of genuine kashrut certifications, and confuse and mislead the public. And RAM,7. above, asks a very good question… No one can or will assure their honesty, and it appears they are not credible on the issue either as a matter of halacha.

  6. I believe some of the issues are, who owns the restaurant? Are the employees who work there on Shabbos non-Jews? Is there a mashgiach available who will be youtzei v’nichnas every day including Shabbos?

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