Have I been eating treif all these years?!

amother

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:34 am

A friend of mine just informed me that if you leave meat in a place where non jews are (and you don't observe it) then it becomes non-kohser because we are afraid that the non jews will switch your kosher meat for non-kosher meat.

Now, I genreally bring my lunch to work with me every day. When its meat, I leave it in the fridge, in a bag marked with my name, as does just about everyone else in the company. I have never come across a case where my bag was tampered with and where the meat in my bag was obviously switched. I don't think any one in my work place would be so devious and underhanded as to secretly switch my lunch with someone else's -- especially when they try to accomodate kashrus laws with office lunches and the like.

Is it really true? Have all the meat lunches I've eaten in the last ten years been treif because I left them in the fridge? I don't know what to do... I'm so sick about this that I'm ready to throw up... ten years of treif food!! Hashem Yeracheim!!!

greenfire

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:37 am

hey ... you said you had it marked with your name ... that should be sufficient ... please stop vomitting ... you didn't really eat treif (unless you went to McDonald's and are keeping it secret)

Tefila

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:37 am

Quote:

Is it really true? Have all the meat lunches I've eaten in the last ten years been treif because I left them in the fridge? I don't know what to do... I'm so sick about this that I'm ready to throw up... ten years of treif food!! Hashem Yeracheim!!!

1. We are not your Rav so we can't pasken Exclamation

, I'm sure your Rav will look high and low b/4 paskening
2. Something done b'shogeg is very different then if done bamazid.............
3. Once you do know could u enlighten us clearly with a source on this Thanks Smile

greenfire

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:46 am

I actually used to slice cold cuts for the school lunches way back in time, I taped the wrapper and wrote something on it ... this way in transport to the boys building all was covered ...

sarahd

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:50 am

DefyGravity wrote:

I think the meat just has to be covered.

I believe it has to be sealed, as greenfire wrote. I also put a piece of tape across mine with something written on it - you have to have a way to be able to tell if the package was opened.

amother

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:50 am

I'm the OP:

My lunches were in bags, but not sealed with tape or whatnot. If it was a cold-cut sandwich, it would be in a plastic bag and then in a paper bag. If it was something to be heated up, it was just in the container and in a shopping bag - again not sealed in any way (except a simple overhand knot in the bag handles)

(Of course I wrapped the container twice before microwaving it. I just can't believe that despite that it was treif all along. Sad

)

amother

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:51 am

sarahd wrote:

DefyGravity wrote:

I think the meat just has to be covered.

I believe it has to be sealed, as greenfire wrote.

Then that sinks it then. Sad

amother

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 10:53 am

amother wrote:

sarahd wrote:

DefyGravity wrote:

I think the meat just has to be covered.

I believe it has to be sealed, as greenfire wrote.

Then that sinks it then. Sad

Sorry, the post got cut off.

Then that sinks it then. Sad

I can't believe I've been eating treif for ten years. This is horrible. It also means that all my containers that I brought to and from work are treif too... as is any leftovers I gave to my kids. This is HORRIBLE!!!

greenfire

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 11:01 am

Hello, go ask a rav ... and you cannot change the past but the future ... you marked it with your name, could be that is sufficient ... don't just assume anything ... and it is not really treif ...

red sea

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 11:04 am

I also learned sealed (double I think) BUT once I left a cleaning lady with an open not mevushal wine in the fridge by accident & I asked a rav and was told ( I guess bdieved) that it was ok cuz I knew for a almost certain fact she would never open the fridge (she never even got the broom out herself - always asked if s/t was in a cabinet or such) so maybe you should just find out how to pack your lunch from now on.

amother

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 11:15 am

if u didn't seal it, I wouldnt be surprized if a co-worker did switch your kosher food for treif food at some point if for no reason other than a practical joke. They do that, you know.

Mama Bear

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 11:54 am

its not considerd TRAIF. its considered 'bosor shenisalem min ha'ayin', meat that has been out of eyesight. You were just a shogeg. in the future, it has to be double sealed; put tape around the container or bag and then put it into another bag with more tape. you'll be fine. it's not traif.

morningstar

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 12:42 pm

There is a distinction between raw meat (where one piece of raw meat looks pretty much like another) and food that you prepared and that you could easily identify as yours.
Speak to a rav before tossing out all your containers.

technic

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 2:10 pm

amother wrote:

sarahd wrote:

DefyGravity wrote:

I think the meat just has to be covered.

I believe it has to be sealed, as greenfire wrote.

Then that sinks it then. Sad

Sorry, the post got cut off.

Then that sinks it then. Sad

I cant believe I just signed on and found this thread - I was freaking out w a kashrut shaila 2nite and imagining the worst and bh bh bh my rav called back FAST w the answer that bdieved it was all ok....PLS PLS PLS call ur rav, there is a safek here and nothing definite and iyh itll all turn out fine 4 u 2 Very Happy

Sunangel

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 2:29 pm

You learned something new...that does not mean you need to punish yourself because of the past...take it easy. You did not know about this...and thats ok. Now you know for next time. Call your rav about your containers but for goodness sakes...calm down.

Piper

Mon, Jul 16 2007, 4:18 pm

amother wrote:

if u didn't seal it, I wouldnt be surprized if a co-worker did switch your kosher food for treif food at some point if for no reason other than a practical joke. They do that, you know.

Are you trying to freak her out?

If the food was switched, you would have surely tasted the difference. Non kosher meat tastes differently than kosher meat (from salting).

At the market, I've seen packs of ham and bacon tossed in with the kosher meat as a "joke" Exploding anger

, but nothing was unsealed.