Speaking to Kol Chai Radio on Wednesday afternoon, Chief Rabbinate kashrus official Rav Schneur Zalman Revach explained a great deal but failed to answer the basic question. He was exquisitely ambiguous and while he said a great deal, he masterfully avoided any concrete responses that would reflect policy decision by him or the Rabbanut.
He was asked of the cruise liner Magic 1 presently had a kosher certificate from the Rabbanut. Unfortunately, after a relatively lengthy interview, the answer remains a mystery.
From his remarks we learn that the cruise liner was under the supervision of a private individual, which Rav Revach said was operating contrary to the law, further stating the level of kashrus was unacceptable. The matter made its way to Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, who oversees the Chief Rabbinate’s nationwide kashrus, who stated a solution must be found since 7,500 portions a day are being served and there are Shomer Shabbos passengers as well.
According to a report in the secular press, the Rabbanut granted the boat a hechsher from Sunday to Thursday, with the provision that separate dishes and silverware are used on erev Shabbos and Shabbos. The Rav tactfully avoided direct responses, so it remains unknown exactly what transpired and what the status of the cruise liner’s kashrus is today. Rav Revach did state that the Rabbanut kashrus committee will be meeting in the coming days and definitive decisions vis-à-vis the ship will be made.
The rav did state that at one point, his rebbe, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar was consulted, and “this year” a deal was reached with the ship’s management to comply with Shabbos regulations but the operators did not adhere to the agreement and the hechsher was removed. He did not elaborate.
Rav Revach did state that the Rabbanut has a rule, which is based on halacha and not operating guidelines, that no place can have a kosher certificate if it is not Shomer Shabbos.
Bottom line, when asked if in this specific case the ship was granted a kashrus certificate from Sunday to Thursday as reported, the rav did not respond.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
Perhaps the explanation is quite simple. Sunday to Thursday the menu included cholent (under the Rabunut’s hechsher), while Friday and “Saturday” the menu was pork.
The reason the Rabbunut could give the Sunday to Thursday hechsher is because they used separate keilim, as verified “under the supervision of a private individual.”
what happens in a lot of these cases, is that the masgiach locks everything up that is under the sunday-thursday hasgacha on thursday night and unlocks it sunday morning.
it’s a compromise that ones sees in remote places from time to time, the question is, is the compromise really necessary here.
Joseph,
The Sloatsberg cholent peddler has to sell cholent somewhere now that he’s been evicted from the mincha stop.
However the pots and pans are not mentioned and they be a greater problem because they are directly on the fire and they definitely have bli’ahs from prohibited food. (Food cooked on Shabbos even if it’s kosher.)