Hechsher
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2009) |
A hechsher or hekhsher (/hɛxʃər/; Hebrew: הֶכְשֵׁר [(h)eχˈʃeʁ] "prior approval"; plural: hechsherim) is a rabbinical product certification, qualifying items (usually foods) that conform to the requirements of Jewish religious law.[1]
Forms
A hechsher may be a printed and signed certificate displayed at a commercial venue or on a media advertisement advising the consumer that the subjected product is
It may also be a certification marking on individual retail packaging of items which have been certified as Kosher. This marking is usually a basic stamp or emblem indicating the issuing rabbinical court. Modern hechsherim display sophisticated holograms and seals which are hard to forge.[2]
Types
A hechsher is typically issued for food products, and is also issued on non-food items which come in contact with foods, such as cleaning agents and disposable cutlery, certifying that its ingredients do not contain any animal extracts or other halakhically prohibited substances.
The dietary laws of
Observant
The rabbi may also apply additional words or letters after the hechsher to denote whether the product contains
It is also common for rabbis to issue a hechsher on religious accessories, such as
In Israel, it is common for manufacturers of all kinds to display a hechsher on products or in commercial advertisements, certifying that their production was not done during the Shabbat.
History
Seals
The
'LMLK seals' (bearing the Hebrew letters למלך, equivalent to LMLK) were stamped on the handles of large storage jars mostly in and around
have been found, but about 2,000 impressions (also referred to as stamps) made by at least 21 seal types have been published.The practice of marking food as a sign of kashrut can be dated back as far as the 6th century CE. A clay stamp bearing a Menorah image from this period was discovered in an excavation near Acre, Israel in 2011. According to archeologists, local Jews stamped their dough with Menorah impressions while preparing bread, in order for consumers to verify its kashrut.[5]
In New York City in the late 18th and early 19th centuries a
Certification
An 11th-century certificate found in the Cairo Geniza written by a rabbinical court, testified the kosher status "according to rabbinic law" of the cheeses being sold by a Karaite grocer, Yefet b. Meshullam of Jerusalem. The document explains that the cheese was produced in a factory on the Mount of Olives that followed rabbinic practice. The certificate reads: "The cheeses are kosher and it is appropriate for Rabbanite Jews to purchase them. We grant this permission only after having made a formal purchase from him and having witnessed an oath he took on the holy Torah."[8]
Specific authorities
In
In Britain, the largest hechsher symbol in Europe, is the "KLBD" of the London Beth Din based in London. The "MK" symbol of the Manchester Beth Din is also a globally recognised symbol, listed by many international brands.
Other hechsher include:
Kashrus Magazine publishes a bi-annual guide to almost all kosher supervision agencies worldwide;[12] its 2019 Kosher Supervision Guide (226 pages including an index) features 1,427 agencies. A bi-annual supplement of some 32 pages is published in alternate years. The latest supplement was published in September 2021 and brought the number of agencies listed to 1,493.
In popular culture
At the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee, contestant Saryn Hooks correctly spelled "hechsher", but her spelling was ruled incorrect. A few minutes later, the judges realized their printed spelling of "hechscher" was incorrect and reinstated Hooks, thanks to 7th grader Lucas Brown, who noticed the error and called it to the attention of his father.[13]
See also
- Chadash
- Civil laws regarding kashrut
- Kashrut
- Kosher foods
- Kosher tax conspiracy theory
- Magen Tzedek
- Products without kosher certification requirements
References
- ^ "Hechsher". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
- ^ Popper, Nathaniel (24 November 2006). "Kosher Goes High Tech in Fraud Fight". The Jewish Daily Forward. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ Shabbat 21b
- ^ Ussishkin (2004), The Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish, p. 89 ("As the work of the renewed excavations developed it became clear that the destruction of Level III must be assigned to Sennacherib's attack in 701 BCE.").
- ^ Ronen, Gil (10 January 2012). "Temple Menorah Stamp Affirms Jewish Claim to Land". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ a b Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, Issue 25, 1917, pp. 31-37
- ISBN 0881251089.
- ^ [1] Archived 2012-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 978-0-8052-4265-2.
- ^ "Home - MK Kosher". MK Kosher. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Kosher Made Easy! Kashrut Authority of Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific Region - Home". Ka.org.au. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ Lang, Avi. "Kashrus Magazine Online - The Guide for the Kosher Consumer". Kashrusmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ Buffa, Peter (2006-06-04). "Can you spell 'drama'?". Daily Pilot. Retrieved 2023-12-20.