The Shearis Yisroel Beis Din and their kashrus supervisors
made several visits last week to the Shemen Industries
factory in Haifa. The 58 year-old Shemen Industries Ltd. is
one of Israel's leading producers of vegetable oils and dish-
washing soaps.
Several months ago, the Shemen factory, decided to drop its
longstanding rabbinic certification from the Badatz Eida
Chareidis, and requested kashrus certification from Shearis
Yisroel. Shearis Yisroel's kashrus team and Beis Din were
able to gather firsthand kashrus information on all aspects
of manufacturing, from delivery of raw goods, production,
bottling, to details of the actual machines, in order to
ensure adequate kashrus standards.
Additionally, the Shearis Yisroel thoroughly examined
allegations that the factory had been operating on the
Sabbath. Shearis Yisroel found that the plant had never
operated on Shabbos and Yom Tov, even using automatic
equipment.
Shemen's management had once asked halachic authorities
about the possibility of using automatic equipment on
Shabbos. However, their request was denied. Shemen's owners
accepted the halachic ruling not to open or operate on
Shabbos and yom tov. Nor were there any plans for the plant
to operate on Shabbos, contrary to what was written by
anonymous sources on street signs plastered in religious
neighborhoods throughout Israel.
The Shemen factory is owned by chareidi Jews. Several months
ago, the factory owners began to implement kashrus
improvements in their products. Most noteworthy was the
separation of terumos and ma'asros from
Shemen's soy oil. Although the soy beans used are imported
from outside Eretz Yisroel and thus are themselves exempt
from the taking of terumah and ma'aser, since
the final processing into soy oil is done in Eretz Yisroel,
there are various opinions about whether the finished
product must be tithed. The Eida Chareidis maintains that
the finished product is still exempt from tithing. However,
the Chazon Ish zt"l ruled that produce that was
refined (gemar melochoh) in Eretz Yisroel must be
tithed.
In Adar of this year, Shemen Industries announced that after
conferring with contemporary halachic authorities, they
decided to follow the Chazon Ish's ruling that oils refined
in Eretz Yisroel be tithed. Shemen's advertisement further
emphasized that the observance of this stringency is unique
to their company and that the factory's kashrus will
also be supervised by the Center for Agriculture in
Accordance with the Torah, headed by HaRav Yosef Efrati.
The Shearis kashrus team scrupulously examined different
aspects of Shemen's oil manufacturing, including production
from Israeli-grown raw ingredients, production from imported
raw ingredients and manufacturing partially refined oil
products. The main issue under discussion by the Shearis
crew was the tithing of terumah and ma'aser
from all refined oils, which is obligatory in order to
receive the coveted Shearis hechsher. From its
inception Shearis has followed the strict ruling of the
Chazon Ish regarding tithing oil refined in Eretz
Yisroel.
Shemen Industries remains completely closed on Shabbos and
Jewish holidays. In addition, the owners maintain various
plants around the globe which are all also closed on
Shabbos, yom tov, and even the second day of yom tov, and
even though the employees are gentile.
Shemen's owners, Boaz Tsafrir, CEO, and Chaim Fink,
Chairman, in a written affidavit signed before the Shearis
Yisroel Beis Din dated the 22nd of Sivan (June 13), testify
that the "factory was always completely shut down on Shabbos
and Jewish holidays throughout its existence and there was
never any production, refinement, or operation of machinery,
even automatically. We guarantee not to make any change in
this situation."
Tsafrir and Fink also obligate themselves that all the
plant's operational guidelines will be in accordance with
Shearis Yisroel's instructions. In addition, Fink has
written to HaRav Efrati, reiterating that his company never
transgressed Shabbos in the past, nor does it intend to make
automatic runs on Shabbos in the future.
As a result of its recent inspections, Shearis Yisroel
decided to grant kashrus certification to Shemen's products.
Our reporter notes that all the inspections and
clarifications were coordinated with Gedolei Yisroel,
shlita.
