Monday, January 20, 2025

Veal is Kosher?

Igros Moshe (EH IV, 92:2) Concerning the calves that are fattened in a way that their meat is white (veal). Regarding the matter of calves that a new technique has recently been started in which each calf is fattened individually in a very narrow enclosure so that they do not have room to even walk a few steps and they are not fed any of the animal foods which appropriate for calves, and they do  not taste their mother's milk at all. Instead they are fattened with a very high fat drink that the animals do not enjoy, it is certainly permissible to lie down, etc. And in addition they become ill from this and need special medicines, The expert slaughterers have testified that only 15 calves per hundred provide kosher meat while the lenient slaughterers get 44 or 45 kosher  calves per hundred. In fact everyone agrees that most end up as unkosher which is just the opposite of regular animals  It seems most have defects of the lungs but there is possibly other significant damage and therefore the inner organs should be carefully examined.  Consequently it would seem reasonable to prohibit using this procedure. A Bal nefesh  should not eat veal even after the inner organs were examined. But for everyone else they should not be eaten unless the inner organs were carefully checked.  This practice clearly violates the prohibition of tzar baalei chaim, even though this is allowed when it is needed such as slaughtering them for food or have them carry loads but not to cause them uneccessary suffering even if this brimgs profits. For example if a goy wants to kill or beat an animal that angered him  this is prohibited even if he pays for the animal that he wants to mistreat. Harming is only permitted for eating it even for another’s animal or even that of a goy.  Similarly a person who is very upset about the death of his father is not permitted to beat his animal because of the prohibition of tzar baalei chaim he also is not allowed to burn or destroy anything to show great respect for his father or to calm his upset because this is not considered a need that would permit tzar baalei chaim even though it might not actually cause damage or death to the animal.  They are  is considered simply as destructive acts and not as a genuine need or therapeutic act.  In sum we see that not all everything  can be done with animals to cause them pain even if it brings benefit, only that which actually benefits him such as slaughtering for eating or work. It would also be permitted to feed them with food that or add fat and improves the flavor of the meat but not to change the color of the meat that tricks a person into thinking it is better quality and will pay more for it. .Possibly it would be permited if he knows it is not better meat but he prefers white meat better than red meat. Nevertheless it is prohibited to distress an animal by feeding it things which he does not like and cause it to be unhealthy for the purpose of fooling people  since this transgresses the Torah prohibition of tzar baalei chaim. 

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