8

There are many stores out there (e.g. Coffee shops) that have a hechsher, but are Chalav Stam. To get around this issue, some of these stores offer the option to request Chalav Yisroel milk for those who need it.

For visualization purposes: the store carries a Chalav Yisroel milk bottle. When a customer requests it, the storekeeper will substitute the standard milk with the milk from the Chalav Yisroel bottle.

My question, though, is whether this actually helps the Chalav Stam/Akum issue? After all, if the milk bottle is sitting in the store throughout the day, do we not suspect that the storekeeper (who's presumably a gentile) may mix the milk? Shouldn't this "Chalav Yisroel" milk once again become Chalav Stam/Akum milk?


Clarification: My question is due to my understanding that milk in particular requires an extra level of supervision. For example, in order to make milk Chalav Yisroel, it is required to have a Jew supervise the actual milking process. This is very much unlike other products where concepts such as נכנס ויוצא (perhaps best translated as "spot checking") do work.

So: the hechsher I referred to in this case is merely serving the purpose of providing a basic level of Kosher supervision - and confirming that the milk in question does indeed qualify for the "Chalav Stam" leniency. The milk in question, on the other hand was at one point Chalav Yisroel (according to the label), but is now sitting in the store - open and unsupervised. Does this change its status?

[If it helps: it's also possible to construct this case without any hechsher at all: simply pick your favorite unflavored coffee scenario that's permissible anywhere and add a Chalav Yisroel milk bottle. Was just trying to boil the case down a bit...]

10
  • 2
    Why wouldn't it need to have some sort of hashgacha just like any place that serves treif and kosher, particularly when a substitutable product is cheaper and readily available?
    – Double AA
    Sep 25, 2012 at 17:53
  • 2
    @DoubleAA in that sense, any customer should be worried if he wants (kosher) cow's milk, but the concern isn't one of cholov yisroel status. it is of kashrus. if you walk into shoprite and the fish guy says he has a separate knife for kosher fish how do we know that he does not switch knives? kashrut.com says this is acceptable if the store has "good supervision." same idea. if you can rely on the hashgocha, wouldn't it apply to this as well? there is no notion of cholov shenitaleim min ha'ayin, is there?
    – rosends
    Sep 25, 2012 at 19:59
  • 1
    @Dan Exactly my thoughts in my first comment.
    – Double AA
    Sep 25, 2012 at 20:32
  • 1
    @DoubleAA As I write in the question, suppose the store does have an Hashgacha. My question is focusing on the Chalav Yisroel issue. According to my understanding, Milk in particular is singled out as requiring an extra level of watching so that standard principles (e.g. Nichnas Veyotzei) aren't good enough. So the hashgacha in this case is simply saying that the store is Kosher - but the milk it uses relies on Chalav Stam.
    – yydl
    Sep 27, 2012 at 1:11
  • 2
    @yydl, perhaps spell out the "According to my understanding, Milk in particular is singled out as requiring an extra level of watching so that standard principles (e.g. Nichnas Veyotzei) aren't good enough." in the question? +1, though.
    – msh210
    Sep 27, 2012 at 3:09

1 Answer 1

3

Per Ohr Yisroel 20:186 this is indeed a problem and it would be inappropriate to drink such milk if one is Makpid on Chalav Yisroel.

1
  • 6
    Looks like Ohr Yisroel is a collection of Halachic essays from various authors. So it may be more correct to say per Rabbi Yisroel Amram Nagel of Boro Park published in Ohr Yisroel..
    – Michoel
    Sep 27, 2012 at 13:55

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .