To what extent should one not sell unkosher goods?

Question

I know that, as a Jew, I shouldn't sell unkosher goods. So, does this mean I can't directly make profit from selling unksher goods? For example, if I work for Walmart, and some one buys pork while I am at the register, am I allowed to sell it to them? Then, what if it was even less direct? What if I own a business who hires people to sell, for example, but not limited to, pork? Would I, as the owner, have to stop the sale of unkosher goods? Finally, what if I don't own the company, but I am in charge, like a boss or CEO?

Answer 1

For the general rule, Shulchan Aruch Yore Dei’ah Simon 117 reads like this (parentheses are RaMah): “Anything that is forbidden by Torah law, even if it is something that one may derive pleasure thereof, if it is something specifically for food – it is forbidden to do business with it (or to borrow against it. Even to buy it to feed it to his non-Jewish workers is forbidden.) With the exception of Cheilev {forbidden fats from kosher animals} because the Torah itself says it may be used for work.

If a hunter chanced upon a non-kosher animal/bird/fish (or someone that happened to have a Niveilah or Treifah in his house) – he may sell them, provided he does not do it intentionally. (He must sell it straight away and not wait for it to get fatter. Similarly, it is permissible to take non-kosher items from a non-Jew as payment of a loan. It is forbidden to sell a Niveilah animal to a non-Jew giving him the impression that it is kosher).”

Now for the questions raised, they are the subject of great arguments as one can see in Darkei Teshuva 117 specifically #18 & #19, this is definitely something which a competent rabbi has to decide on an individual case by case assessment.