Many times one is faced with the question if he is allowed to buy a non-kosher item in order to give it to one’s workers, or if one is allowed to sell items which are not permitted to be eaten. In addition some kashrus agencies may give hechsherim to companies which manufacture vegetables that may contain bugs, is this permitted? These issues and many others will be discussed below.

The Prohibition

Halachically Speaking

Volume 10 Issue 12

Authored by Moishe Dovid Lebovits

Reviewed by Rabbi Ben-zion Schiffenbauer Shlit”a

Piskei Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlit”a

Reviewed by Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlit”a

One may not do business with foods which are forbidden to be eaten m’d’oraisa. Although it may be permitted to have enjoyment from such food, it is still forbidden to do business with them since one may come to eat from the food. Included in this are non-kosher animals, kosher animals which become neveilos, chometz on Pesach, and non-kosher wines.

D’oraisa or D’rabanan?

There is a discussion in the poskim if this issur is d’oraisa or d’rabanan in nature. The opinion of most poskim is that the issur is d’oraisa in nature.

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Only items which are meant to be eaten are forbidden. Accordingly, horses, donkeys, monkeys and camels etc. may be sold to goyim since they are used for work.

Wormy Fruits

A question arises if one is permitted to sell wormy fruits to goyim, since one is not allowed to conduct business with issurim d’oraisa. Some say that one is not allowed to sell such produce to a goy. However, others say doing so is permitted, since one is not doing business with the worms just with the fruit. The custom is to be lenient with this.

Fish Store

Some poskim do not permit a Jewish person to sell non-kosher fish. However, the custom is that a Yid may sell goldfish etc since they are not sold to be eaten.

Birds – Dogs

Many people have in their homes non-kosher birds. Since one does not eat the bird, many poskim say that this is permitted since it is made to beautify the house. The same applies to a dog etc which one keeps in his house. Similarly, one is permitted to do business with these kinds of animals.

Pet Food

Food which is meant for a pet and is not able to be eaten by a human (such as fish food, and dog food) is not called a food item, and one is permitted to buy or sell such items.

Animal Skins

A Jew is permitted to be in the animal skin business since they are not sold to be eaten.

Selling Shatnez Garments

We only find an issur to sell things which one may come to eat, therefore, one would be permitted to sell shatnez garments to goyim and we are not concerned that the Yid may come to wear the garment.

Partnership with Goyim

There are many poskim who maintain that one should not enter into a business venture with a goy who is selling items that the Jew himself may not sell. Therefore, one who decides to enter into such a business with a goy should speak with a competent halachic authority before doing so. One may rent a house to a goy who will bring in items that are forbidden to do business with. The reason is that the Jew has no dealing with the items he is just renting the house to the goy.

Feeding Workers

The Rama says one is not allowed to buy non-kosher food for his workers. However, many say that doing so is permitted. The reason to permit this is because buying lunch for workers is not considered doing “business” with non-kosher food. The custom is that doing so is permitted if the food is not being given to them as part of their wages.

Some say even according to the stringent opinion, one is permitted to tell the workers to take this money and buy the non-kosher food themselves.

Fish Food

Food which is disgusting may be bought or sold. Based on this one is permitted to buy worms in order to feed fish etc.

Happened Upon it

The Shulchan Aruch

Based on the above, a slaughter house which has animals that became non-kosher during the slaughtering process may be sold.

One who receives a non-kosher food item from a goy is allowed to sell it since it is considered “happened upon.”

Owning a Grocery Store – Selling non-Kosher in a Kosher Store

As discussed above, one may not buy and sell non-kosher food on a steady basis. One who must buy both kosher and non-kosher, is permitted to buy the entire package since the prohibited items are considered to have come to him by chance. However, stocking up on these non-kosher items on a steady basis is forbidden even if it will cause one business to fail. In the above situations one should first discuss the details with his Rav.

Giving a Present to a Goy

We will not discuss the issur of giving presents to goyim for no reason. However, even if one is giving a present when it is permitted (i.e. for a worker), food items which are forbidden to do business with on a d’oraisa level may not be given to a goy as a present either. The reason is because giving a present is like doing business. If one sent the

gift directly to the goy (without actually acquiring the gift) some say that this may not be considered buying non-kosher. There is a discussion in the poskim if one is allowed to accept a non-kosher (neveila or treifa food) and then sell it or give it to a goy. Many poskim say that doing so is permitted because it is considered happened upon.

Food which is forbidden m’d’rabanan

Food which is only forbidden to eat m’d’rabanan may be sold to goyim and the issur of doing business with forbidden foods does not apply. Included in this is the blood of a kosher animal, non-food items such as soaps and furs, pas akum, bishul akum, cholov akum, gevinas akum, and non-kosher fat from a kosher animal. However, if there is a concern that a goy will sell it to a Jew to eat then one should not sell it to the goy in the first place.

Can A Jew Purchase Stock in McDonalds?

When one is dealing with stocks he does not see the items that he is dealing with. Therefore, some say one would be able to buy stocks in a company that deals with food

which would be ossur to sell, since there is no concern that he will come to eat the food. The Gilyon Maharsha says that even if one will not come to eat the food it is forbidden to give a goy money to do business for you in forbidden items. Others say that this only applies if one is doing business, but owning a stock (if he is a limited share-holder or a

non-active party) is not viewed as doing business with the non-kosher food. One reason is since the stockholder may have a few shares and he may be considered an investor rather than actually doing business with the items. In any case one should try to find parnasa in other areas.

Working for a Goy (who sells treif)

There is a big discussion in the poskim if one is allowed to work and cook treif for a goy. (This can be very common when one wants to be a salesman for a company which sells treif). Some permit doing so if one will not be able to find another means of parnasa. Before one accepts this type of job he should discuss it with his Rav. Harav Moshe Feinstein zt”l permitted one to drive a delivery truck with non-kosher meat for various reasons (see footnote).

Selling non-kosher food in a vending machine

One is not allowed to sell non-kosher (treif) food in a vending machine. The reason is because one is not allowed to sell items which are forbidden to do business with. If the food is permitted to do business with then placing them in the vending machine is permitted even if they may be purchased on Shabbos.

Investment Bankers

A common practice among investment bankers is to receive their compensation in the form of equity. If a company deals with non-kosher items, is the banker permitted to get paid his fee when they do not have cash to pay him?

The Rama says one is permitted to accept a pig as a debt. Nonetheless, he has to sell it right away. Accordingly, it would seem that an investment banker is permitted to take non-kosher equity if he sells it when he gets paid.

Renting a Store to a Goy

There does not seem to be anything wrong with a Yid renting his store to a goy who will be selling non-kosher (treif) food. The products being sold there have nothing to do with the Yid, and it is just a way for the goy to make business.

Selling Other Items

One should not sell items which will be a michshal for Yidin. Included in this are books or newspapers which one should not read and clothing which should not be worn.

After word

We have presented many scenarios of doing business with forbidden and permitted items. According to most poskim the issur of doing business with non-kosheritems is d’oraisa. Therefore, when one has a question if one should engage himself in business with non-kosher he should talk it over with his Rav. ((Refer to Shevet Ha’kehusi 6:285 (end).