HaRav Bentzion Mutzafi Shlita during a recent shiur defended his hashgacha, Badatz Bnei Tzion, attacking the behavior of other badatz hashgachos. He compared their actions towards him to “organized crime”.
The rav told his talmidim that “no one can understand what I have been through”, hinting that when it comes to money it appears the hashgachos are willing to go to areas one should distance oneself from. He spoke of the miracles and Siyata Dishmaya that his badatz has seen in bringing meat into the country despite efforts to prevent this from occurring.
Rav Mutzafi accuses “badatzim” of making a great deal of money on the backs of avreichim, those who do not have it. In his radio advertisements his badatz stresses how one may not enjoy mehadrin shechita without the price for he is not in the game for money, simply to provide kashrus and nothing more. He told talmidim that once it became known that he is selling his shechita for a far less expensive price than others, the efforts against him behind the scenes began in full fury.
“They don’t want others in this market. Why? I will tell you why” he explained. “They are selling meat for 60 or 70 [shekels] a kilogram or more. Why do we have to line the pockets of others” he exclaimed.
The rav continued “I am standing here aside the Aaron Kodesh and tell you never have I benefited from a single coin in black money from kashrus. I thank HKBH and daven to continue like this…”
He told talmidim the Sephardi badatzim are acting like “organized crime” in their efforts to shut him down. He spoke of how they sent in people to take photos and then accuse him of miraculously schechting and having 60% glatt when others are lucky to emerge with 20%, working to besmirch his good name. “I know the mashgiach they sent who also has a white beard and two pairs of tefilin. B”H they were not successful and my name remains what it is, trying to persuade the tzibur that I am feeding the tzibur treif chas v’sholom”.
He concluded explaining that chickens cost 5.90 NIS per kilo and many badatzim sell them for over 20 NIS. “One can add additional costs and even reach 12, or 14 NIS with value added tax but this is still not 20 NIS” Rav Mutzafi explained.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Does anyone think the ashkinazi ones are any better?
It is all a political money maker, and there are two losers in this. 1) the consummer that pays the mark up of his hashgach. 2) and more importantly if Badatz bad months Belz and Belz bad mounths Launda and Launda bad mouths chug chsam sofer, when there is a hashgach that is realy no good and the hashgachos come out and say it too is no good, pleaple say tyhey said Chesam sofer is no good and I know lots of good frum poeple who use it so this one also it is probably good just a policitcal fight like the rest and the hashguchos infighting is feeding traifus to the khal!!!!
junkfreesignup says:
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April 9, 2014 at 11:31 am
Does anyone think the ashkinazi ones are any better?
It is all a political money maker, and there are two losers in this. 1) the consumer that pays the mark up of his hashgach. 2) and more importantly if Badatz bad months Belz and Belz bad mouths Launda and Launda bad mouths chug chsam sofer, when there is a hashgach that is really no good and the hashgachos come out and say not to use it, people will think, they said Chesam sofer is no good and I know lots of good frum people who use it so this one also it is probably good, just a political fight like the rest. and the hashguchos infighting is feeding traifus to the khal!!!!
– See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/226219/rav-mutzafi-the-sephardi-badatz-hashgachos-act-like-organized-crime.html#comment-507448
You have to know details.
Many times idealistic people are willing to do things for zero profit for the Tzibur and thereby undercut all those who are making an honest living in the field.
The same can be done in any market. If someone would volunteer his time and import shoes at cost price and all yidden selling shoes would have to close shop – I’m not so sure it’s the best thing.
Such a thing should be done only for a select tzibur, like the poor, Klei Kodesh etc.
Again, I don’t know the details of this specific case.
60-70 NIS per kilo sounds terrible, but it works out to about $8.50 a pound. That’s still high, but not as bad sounding.
60-70 NIS is equal to 3 hours of labor at minimum wage and 2 hours at the average wage in Israel…
$8.50 is $1.25 over US minumum wage or 1 hour and 10 minutes of labor.
MDshweks,
No matter what the details are, one thing is for sure they’re acting like Organized Crime
by persuading the public that he’s selling trief in order to bring him down.
Regarding if the badatz charges too much that is something we need more details.
A simple solution would be to make all the hashgachos non profit with the books and records available for public viewing (as all non profits are in the USA ).