THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

You have to admire Rabbi Lipshutz (see our immediate past posting). He lets neither truth or fact get in the way of his diatribe. Like so many others who schrei gevald, the rabbi would have us believe that the attack on Agriprocessors is an attack on the very essence of Kashruth.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The attacks against Agri are all about business ethics and a Torah way of life. Why is it that the more “black” the Jew, the less likely he is to care about those halachot between mankind and mankind? Why are they so punctillious about observing mitzvot between people and God, but when it comes to a simple thing such as living an ethical life, they fall so woefully short?

One hasidic group famous for their outreach must have in their manual a note that says when you run afoul of the law, cry anti- Semitism. They do it all the time.

People like Rabbi Lipshutz seem to live by a notion of “Hey, if Agri is engaged in less than Torah proper behavior, let’s attack those who would attack and say that they are opposed to shechita. ” Let’s set the record straight. Forget about those wacky and fun folk at PETA- no serious adult pays them any mind. Yes, they want an end to shechita and or any other form of slaughter. They oppose eating meat. The fact that God gave us permission to do so is lost on them.

Instead, let’s talk about the myriad indictments being handed down at Agri. Let’s talk about the fact that even the OU finally had to threaten to pull their hashgacha. Is the OU opposed to shechita?

There probably is no meat packer who does not employ illegals. Just as every grocer, restaurant, deli and take out store do, too. Does that make it right? No! But we have a right to say to those who hold a position of supreme trust in the Jewish community- keep it clean! Keep it ethical!

People like Rabbi Lipshutz are guilty of being “ovayr” on a “lav” of the Torah. The rabbi keeps two sets of measures it would seem. And in Parshat Ki Taytzay, we read we should have a “hin tzedek- an honest measure.” Shame on you, rabbi.