The Original Question:

To Ray or Anyone capable of answering,

1. Does anyone remember who was the speaker (R. Richman?) who spoke on the research the Rabbis did, going to slaughter houses, etc., and their summary decision that Noahides would need to purchase kosher meat in order to avoid transgressing the Noahide instruction to not eat the meat cut from a live animal?
2. Was this speech recorded on one of the 25 conference DVD’s & if so, which one?
3. Who were the Rabbis who, together, made this decision?
4. Did they ever follow up with something in writing?

 The reason I’m asking this is that nearly 4 years later there are Noahides who have never heard of this decision. I mentioned it and I’m being asked who was the speaker, what exactly did he say, exactly what was the decision, and who were the other Rabbis who together made this decision. I would like to be able to provide answers to their questions.

 Also, I’m hearing the objections, such as “I don’t have access to kosher meat in my area.” and “Kosher meat is too expensive.” I have replied but not to their satisfaction. Perhaps if I can provide them with the information above, it will quiet their objections.

 For those who don’t have access to kosher meat in their area, is there a Jewish kosher supplier who will ship frozen meat? I imagine there are restrictions and the cost would be very high, but if it is available, I’d like to let people know.

Thank you,
Kim Hanke

The Answer:

Dear Friends,
Rabbi Richman and I both responded to Kim. I quote the rersp0nses below:

Rabbi Richman:

Dear Kim,
Shalom from Jerusalem, hoping that this letter finds you well. It was I who delivered those remarks at Ray's first conference. I was conveying the ruling and opinion of Rabbi Yoel Schwartz. Since that time, the issue has been reviewed by the rabbis of the Noahide World Center here in Jerusalem, an organization founded by renowned Torah scholar Rabbi Oury Cherki, which works in consultation with the Chief Rabbis of Israel. The issue was thoroughly researched anew and clarified, and those deliberations resulted in the following suggestions:

1. The frequency within which this problem occurs in slaughterhouses is not a reflection on the majority of the meat made available to consumers...though the living limb problem definitely does occur and this is a fact, it is not in the 'rov," the majority of cases.
2. Noahides are not obligated to conduct themselves with extra stringency in cases of doubt wherein there is a majority that could be relied on.
3. Therefore, we make this information known for those who wish to conduct themselves with extra caution. For Noahide individuals that seek to be extra
scrupulous with their lifestyle for Hashem, refraining from non-kosher meat is praiseworthy conduct, but those who do not conduct themselves in this manner do not have to concern themselves with the minority possibility of 'ever min ha-chai.'
4. Noahides can also use Halal meat, under Islamic supervision, which is more readily available than kosher meats in many localities, and like kosher meat, this too will satisfy the requirements of assurance that there is no possibility that the prohibition of meat from a living animal was involved.

In summary: for those who want to be careful, and can eat kosher or halal without incurring monetary loss or extra difficulty, it is praiseworthy behavior. But for vast majority of Noahides for whom this will be prohibitive or very difficult, they are not obligated to conduct themselves in this manner.

I hope this is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any service to you. With blessings from Jerusalem

Rabbi Chaim Richman

My response:
In 2008, Rabbi Richman left Israel for the conference in Ft. Lauderdale before I did. The day before I left the US, I spoke with Rabbi Schwartz, and he told me
about the problem with the slaughterhouses. I discussed the problem from various Halakhic aspects, and showed Rabbi Schwartz that one cannot prohibit meat which is not Kosher to Noahides. He agreed.

I did not hear Rabbi Richman speak about this issue, and did not know that it had been discussed with/by Rabbi Richman before my arrival at the conference. At the conference there was a Q&A session, in which this was raised, and I told about my discussion with Rabbi Schwartz in which he agreed that ordinary meat is not prohibited.

Shalom,

Rabbi Yeshayahu Hollander