Glatt Or Not?

I have heard in conversation that the rate of treifos found is 40 percent of all cows slaughtered. However, I have a friend who is involved in the processing of meat for a chain of stores who told me that in his production only 40 percent of the cattle are kosher, and a whopping 60 percent have some type of lesion on their lungs that renders them treif. Since finding lesions on lungs is commonplace, we have an obligation to check all of the lungs of the cows that are slaughtered.

It is interesting to note that R’ Hershel Schachter, shlita, is reputed to have said that the aforementioned rates of treifos apply only to young cows. Mature milking cows that are 15 years old have a much higher rate. In fact, it could well be over 90 percent. We generally don’t eat the meat from older milking cows because it is too tough. However, the milk from a treif animal is non-kosher as well. R’ Schachter is therefore concerned about the kashrus of milk from those older animals.

Perhaps as an environmentalist, you will argue that the rate of treifos is due to the way we raise our cows nowadays. Not so. The Aruch HaShulchan already noted this phenomenon over 100 years ago. He questioned, “If the Gemara states that most animals are not treifos, then why are most of our cows treif?” He concluded that in fact most lesions found on lungs do not truly render the animal treif. However, since we are no longer experts at differentiating between a true lesion and just a superficial scab, we have to treat all lesions found as treif.

If a lung is found to be smooth and lesion-free then it is glatt kosher. The word glatt means smooth. The Rema, though, does permit some lesions. If a lesion can be easily removed or disintegrates when touched, the animal is still kosher. The Shulchan Aruch rejects this leniency and insists that the lungs must be completely free of any lesion. Beef that meets the Shulchan Aruch’s higher standard is called Beit Yosef glatt. Sephardim generally insist on meat that follows this higher standard. Ashkenazim suffice with glatt kosher. However, what is considered glatt kosher can vary according to the certifying kashrus agency.

I have seen the term “shechitat Beit Yosef,” which my brother, Rabbi Yosef Sebrow, points out is not technically correct. The difference between Beit Yosef beef and regular glatt kosher depends on how imperfection-free the lungs are. The actual shechitah, though, is the same. If anything, the Beit Yosef has more lenient standards for shechitah than the Rema does.

The friend I mentioned earlier told me that in his runs, 20 percent of the cows are Beit Yosef glatt, and another 20 percent are just glatt kosher. The remaining cows are sold to non-Jews who own the slaughterhouse.

The term glatt kosher pops up everywhere now. Have you ever seen glatt kosher sushi? Does it mean that no imperfections were found on the fish’s lungs? Yes, of course, since fish don’t have lungs! The term glatt kosher has lost its meaning and nowadays usually means a high standard of kashrus.

A store in Queens was recently spotted selling pork with Shechitas Beit Yosef printed on the label. An Ashkenazi spokesman said he is pretty sure that neither Sephardim nor Ashkenazim wouldn’t eat that!