by Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
The OK has enjoyed sustained growth for a number of years, reflecting the increased demand for kosher supervision. This expansion was underscored by our recent Mashgiach Conference, held in Brooklyn, New York, on Nov. 29, 2000. The event drew close to 100 participants from Brooklyn to Bangkok, from Atlanta to Amsterdam. (By contrast, a similar event held several years ago drew only one-third as many participants.)
 Rabbi Levy addresses the mashgichim. ALL PHOTOS BY SHIMMY BEN-ABOU |
I was privileged to deliver welcoming remarks to our guests. I began by citing a Kabbalistic concept to help illustrate the respective roles of the OK’s Rabbinic Coordinators, located in our central office, and our field mashgichim, who carry on regular inspections of food manufacturing facilities. The concept involves the sparks of holiness that, at the time of Creation, were embedded within every object in the physical world. When we perform a mitzvah with an object, we gather the sparks that reside within that object. By eating in a proper manner (kosher food, with a blessing), we also gather these sparks.
There are two ways to worship the A-mighty. One is to elevate the spiritual, that is, the sparks, from the physical world — to bring them up from below. The other is to bring holiness down into the physical world. Thus, one method involves elevation, from the bottom up, while the second goes from above to below.
In the world of the OK, we also have this two-way street, this bilateral relationship. All policy decisions are made by our team of Rabbinic Coordinators in our main office. The OK operation is centralized, so that there is accountability at the top. Nonetheless, because the field mashgichim have a thorough familiarity with specific manufacturing plants and plant personnel, the mashgichim offer a unique perspective on the practical implementation of supervision. We value highly the input of the mashgichim.
The Rabbinic Coordinators perform the initial inspection of a plant and subsequently make an annual visit. These visits give us a vital overview of the plant in macrocosm. Indeed, some of our Rabbinic Coordinators have visited over 1,000 plants. However, the plant at the microcosmic level is within the purview of the field mashgiach. The field mashgichim have a unique vantage point. They deal with the average worker in a plant on a recurring basis. This access often leads to the discovery of valuable information about the workings of a plant and any problems that require attention.
I noted that the mashgichim receive a complete listing of ingredients and formulas used in a plant’s kosher production. It is vital for the mashgichim to ascertain the accuracy of these lists and to correct any errors. If non-kosher items are processed in the same plant, a mashgiach should be familiar with all parts of the facility, including the non-kosher sections. I recollected the time when an OK-certified plant in Wisconsin had labeled a non-kosher product with the OK. This product was bought for use in the non-kosher section of an OK-certified facility in New Jersey. Had our mashgiach in New Jersey inspected the non-kosher section of the facility, he would have caught the error.
 Clockwise from top left; Rabbi Shimon Lasker, Rabbi Hershel Krinsky, and Rabbi Leizer Teitelbaum speak to the mashgichim. Participants came from around the world. |
If kosher items are manufactured in a facility where non-kosher products are also made, the latter may inadvertently end up in a kosher product. By being familiar with the entire facility, the mashgiach can help minimize the chance of error.
The field mashgichim perform a critical function. They are truly the eyes and ears of the OK in the factory. Of course, ultimately we serve the kosher consumer, who is entitled to the best supervision possible; the field mashgiach is thus a vital link in the chain of kashrus.
What happens when the OK makes a mistake? We are human, and it is inevitable that we will commit errors. (In fact, I have little regard for kashrus agencies that are unable to admit their mistakes.) When an error does occur, we move as quickly as possible to correct it. But our goal is to minimize errors, and our field mashgichim are vital to this effort, by making sure that ingredient and formula lists are current and complete.
I encouraged the mashgichim to report any unresolved issues to me. I quoted Harry Truman’s classic words “The buck stops here” in stating that the final responsibility for kashrus at the OK lies at my desk.
I exhorted the mashgichim to perform their task at a consistently high level. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt’l, derives from the Torah’s words that while one has a tendency to be more easygoing as he gets older, our forefather Abraham did not slack off. Even in his final years, Abraham approached the service of G-d with wholehearted effort. Similarly, a mashgiach that has been working at his profession many years may begin to do his job by rote. He may have seen the same plant hundreds of times and acquired a sort of numbness to it. This is not an acceptable approach to kashrus supervision. I emphasized that our mashgichim must maintain the same level of professionalism and excellence each time they visit a facility.
I concluded by telling how, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe urged me to follow my father into the world of kosher supervision, I responded that I preferred to become a shaliach, a Lubavitcher emissary, so that I could spread Judaism. The Rebbe replied that giving Jews access to kosher food is also a method of spreading Judaism.
There is a famous Rabbinic statement that when the Jews were slaves in Egypt, they did not change their names, their style of clothing, or their language. It was because of this adherence to tradition that the Israelites merited redemption from Egypt.
There is a lesser-known Midrash that the Jews also did not change their diet; they continued to eat only kosher food, and this helped them to merit redemption. The final redemption is associated with the redemption from Egypt. Therefore, in the merit of making kosher food readily available to the consumer, may we witness the imminent arrival of the Mashiach.
On behalf of the entire OK Labs staff, I wish our readers a very happy and kosher Pesach.