tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post6797174214827773818..comments2023-11-02T12:16:19.495+02:00Comments on The Jewish Worker: The real cost of mehadrin standardsblukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03774763780910614203noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-67407982548115209022011-09-27T12:03:01.625+03:002011-09-27T12:03:01.625+03:00What really bothers me is that I would bet that sh...What really bothers me is that I would bet that she (not to pick on this woman, it probably applies to most people) has no real idea why she only eats these hashgochas and not other hashgochas. <br /><br />The OU recently introduced a line of mehadrin chicken, Fleish, that is significantly cheaper then the hechsherim mentioned above. To the best of my knowledge it hasn't really been accepted by people like the women listed above. Can anyone really say that those hechsherim are better or worse then the OU hashgacha? Does anyone really know? In fact, does anyone even know what the standards are for R' Rubin. R' Landau, Shearis etc.? My understanding is that these are not public knowledge. It would be very helpful to consumers if every hashgacha would list what chumros it keeps, what kulos it relies on, etc. so that people could make decisions based on some real information. Unfortunately today this is not the case.blukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774763780910614203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-16222429227655616472011-09-26T23:52:35.880+03:002011-09-26T23:52:35.880+03:00an email just sent to my local neighborhood email ...an email just sent to my local neighborhood email list said:<br /><i> There's a single mom with 7 children here in Bet Shemesh who<br />has no chicken for the chagim. If you have some meat or poultry that you can donate, it will be a wonderful mitzvah to make Hashem happy on Rosh Hashana. (Eida, Landau, She'eiris, Rav Rubin)..."<br /></i><br /><br />notice she has no chicken to put on her table to feed her 7 kids over yom tov, but she insists on eating only the most expensive hechsherim.Rafi G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00699851287106903971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-91054038788994652932011-09-25T19:21:04.721+03:002011-09-25T19:21:04.721+03:00And "mehadrin" isn't necessarily bet...And "mehadrin" isn't necessarily better. My daughter worked for a small dairy run entirely by yirei shamayim, and she was impressed by the thoroughness of the rabbanut masgichim. They really checked everything out and asked questions every time. The other mashgichim, not so much. They basically wanted their money, and they's sign.<br /><br />The staff at the dairy referred to the latter as "Chatam Sofer", a pun meaning "sign the form and count the money".Chanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13525977869500274123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-47542460766773376912011-09-23T20:52:29.416+03:002011-09-23T20:52:29.416+03:00Mehadrin is a double-edged sword. It's more ex...Mehadrin is a double-edged sword. It's more expensive for the consumer - but it's also an employment industry for many, many people in the community, whether it's certifying products or selling expensive esrogim.Mississippi Fred MacDowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02734864605700159687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-60726231292136483792011-09-22T21:10:26.560+03:002011-09-22T21:10:26.560+03:00First, it's great that you're back on a re...First, it's great that you're back on a regular basis.<br /><br />Now, there are two factors at play here:<br />1) Money. Yes, there's isn't a lot to go around but those that have, have a lot and they aren't shy about spending it on "mitzvos". This helps create a more expensive standard. If no one was buying mehadrin meat, the price would come down but there's enough people who want to buy "the best" and they support the industry.<br />2) Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that the same money and effort is not invested into bein adam l'chavero as it is into bein adam l'makom?Mighty Garnel Ironhearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09571194550300367249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-75589929584115983142011-09-22T17:01:22.036+03:002011-09-22T17:01:22.036+03:00True, and I'm not arguing that point. [how tho...True, and I'm not arguing that point. [how those people let themselves get to such a point is a different matter; one that you've covered very effectively in the past]Mikeagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15827275300296295639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-52333663682819857422011-09-22T16:59:04.372+03:002011-09-22T16:59:04.372+03:00Mikeage,
I agree with you that we don't need ...Mikeage,<br /><br />I agree with you that we don't need to to eat meat/chicken every day. However, I get at least 1 tzedaka pamphlet in my mailbox every day describing people who can't put food on the table. <br /><br />From what I read understand, the Charedi world is very poor and has a lot of trouble making ends meet. Mehadrin standards makes it a lot harder.blukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774763780910614203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11287959.post-15580345195406990812011-09-22T16:55:44.455+03:002011-09-22T16:55:44.455+03:00In general, I agree with you completely about this...In general, I agree with you completely about this, but I'd add two notes.<br /><br />First, those who only buy mehadrin probably consider the comparison to be between, say, a Volvo station wagon and a Ford Pinto; it's not about luxury, but "safety". The other one's ok, but it's rather risky.<br /><br />Second, who said we need to have meat every day? I would agree that a family that can't afford a mehadrin chicken for shabbos should consider "hatorah chasah al mamonam shel yisrael". But who says we need to have fleishigs every day? Up to that point, perhaps we should be cutting back out luxuries if we can enhance our kiyum hamitzvos (for the cases where "mehadrin" includes some form of hiddur, of course).Mikeagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15827275300296295639noreply@blogger.com