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Kashrus Awareness Staff

Making Waves In The Office

Updated: 1 day ago

What is the best setup for an office kitchen where all the employees don't keep kosher? How many microwaves do you need? These questions and more answered by Rav Shmuel Fuerst - Dayan of Agudas Yisroel of Illinois in this week's episode.



Rabbi Hisiger: Hello everyone and welcome back to Let's Talk Kashrus presented by the Kashrus Awareness Project in conjunction with Torah Anytime. Today I am privileged to be joined by Rav Shmuel Fuerst, Dayan of Agudas Yisroel of Illinois. Thank you so much Rav Fuerst for being here again. Today I'd like to ask the Rav about a very common question that comes up in work environments where there are Jewish employees, there are Gentile employees, there's a kitchen that's used very often it’s a shared space, but more often than not if it's a Jewish owned business they'll have separate microwaves for example for Jewish employees and for the non-Jewish employees for everyone to feel comfortable. Can the Jewish employees assume that because there are separate microwaves that the Jews are using the Jewish microwave we'll call it the kosher microwave and the Gentile employees are using the other microwave. Are there any Kashrus concerns?

Rabbi Fuerst: You can't assume anything today. The ideal thing if you have an environment with frum people and goyim or frei people, best thing if you can to have two separate kitchens one kitchen for the frum people and one kitchen for the frei and goyim. If that could be arranged that's ideal you have less Shailos in Kashrus. but in most cases they can't do that so they're going to have two microwaves let's say a kosher microwave and a non-kosher microwave. You can't assume that they tell the goyim to use only the non-kosher they're going to use always non-kosher. either it could be broken once in a while could be someone else is using and they're in a rush they want to and sometimes you just don't even look it says kosher, non-kosher. you can't assume that the kosher microwave is always kosher you have to do precautions for it don't have it next to each other have it on the other side of room and tell the goyim that on this side room is only the non-kosher part and the other side is the kosher part. you have to do as much as possible that there should be separation, so it shouldn’t come to a michshol. You have to be very extremely careful because very often the goyim don't care, kosher, non-kosher and even if you threaten them you're gonna fire them they're not scared about that today. there's no mirsas today and they'll find another job. another Jewish person will chap them so if it's a good worker someone's gonna chap him. so therefore you should not have the microwaves next to each other, they should be far apart from each other. plus you should have a sign on it this is only for kosher, people who keep kosher, something like that. A strong sign, big enough, not in small letters, but in big letters. and you have to let them know verbally also, that's the kosher side and this is not. it's not enough a sign there, you should tell them even when you hired them tell them listen you want to warm up a sandwich a non-kosher sandwich we have a place for you to do it but you have to be careful. and tell them, listen, there are people who have strict dietary laws and so on and if they have seichel they’ll understand it, and then they'll be careful.

Rabbi Hisiger: Why if there are separate kitchens is that sufficient?

Rabbi Fuerst: Because usually in the kitchen, if it's a treif kitchen you'll have certain drinks for them which they like that's not kosher, you'll buy things for them that they like, they want it better so they'll spend more time in that kitchen. they have no reason to go to the kosher kitchen. make everything available in the non-kosher kitchen and then you should have less chances of problems. and plus you have to keep your eyes open but the less chances of taruvos.

Rabbi Hisiger: Now in a business where let's say they don't have the wherewithal or the space or the money to make two separate kitchens and they have signs that clearly delineate which microwave is kosher which microwave is non-kosher and they have cameras so the Rav was saying before that there's no mirsas because there's nothing…

Rabbi Fuerst: Cameras mean nothing. cameras won't matter. what I would say if you use the kosher microwave put in a bag to be, on the safe side double wrap everything up and that's it and you have no problem then.

Rabbi Hisiger: so if you double wrap it no matter what you're safe.

Rabbi Fuerst: even a treif microwave, milchigs, fleishigs… so always double wrap your food and then you're safe no matter what.

Rabbi Hisiger: thank you so much you

 

 

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