gelatin mahloket

Asked by michael · August 13, 2003 · Kashrut

Question

Rabbi i just wanted to post a website on the board with your permission of course,which states the whole mahloket in full detail of the gelatin situation. http://www.koltorah.org/ravj/mediGELcaps.htm Theres only one queestion i had rabbi and thats at the end of the whole thing he writes that," since all orthrodox jews in north america follow rav moshe who says out of a safek its not kosher,this is how we hold," is that true?

Answer

Answered by Aaron Abadi

Of course not. It's the standard Yeshivisha misconception that everything Rav Moshe says goes. The Posek in your town, city, whatever is in charge. Everything he says, goes. Rav Moshe passed away 15 or so years ago. He was taken from us about 10 years earlier by a grandson. From that time till now, we cannot follow Rav Moshe. In the Gemara they walk you through so many times where the City's Rav dies and the next in line takes over and many of the Halachot change instantly, based on the difference in opinion. That is the whole meaning of the Torah not being in the Heavens. When Moshe Rabbeinu went to get the Torah, the angels stopped him. They didn't think we deserved the Torah. They wanted it. Why couldn't we all have it? The concept of us receiving the Torah is that it was given to us, the human beings, to determine the laws, based on the proper Torah study, after proper working on one's character. To a point, that if God were to think the Halachah is one way, and the Posek on earth disagrees, the halachah is like the Posek. The Gemara says this very clearly, and all these "Rav Moshe, Rav Moshe" people should take the time out to look at Rav Moshe's Hakdamah (Preface). Incidentally, Rav Moshe is the one that says you can really on a letter from a company, which is certainly better if it's the actual listed ingredients. The gelatin today is processed to a point that it is not edible. If Rav Moshe were alive today, he too would agree it is fine. AA