AGRI AND THE OU

We have no connection to the Conservative movement, but we support their desire to see to it that companies who produce goods or food for the Jewish community be held to Toraitic standards of chesed. We are told to live by the commandments in the Torah, yet too often we find that people are real good at the ritual mitzvot between mankind and God, but not so good on the between people and people, behavioral mitzvot.

In truth, one can not call oneself religious without both aspects being present in our life. Members of the chapeau noir set who regularly break the laws of behavioral mitzvot between person and person are particularly disgusting. They, because of their pretense to great religiosity, bring shame upon all of our community.

Agri Processors hired illegal aliens, which is, of course, against the law. Apparently, based on what is now coming out in the media, they did not treat those workers very well. Workers were subject to work place blackmail, including that which came from sexual predators.

So far, the response of the OU has been less than enthusiastic or, frankly, Torah based. They have said over and over again that their purview extends only as far as the kashruth of the system and not the ethics of the system. Yet, halacha is clear- we can not trust a person who cheats in business when it comes to kashruth. There is a clear cut line.

So the question is, why does the OU so steadfastly refuse to look into the matter? We say give the matter your honest due diligence. Find out the truth. It is just too pat to sit back and wait for the Government to rule before stepping in with ethical objections based on a life of Torah.