Rare Teshuva from the Satmar Rebbe ZYA"A from His Orshiva Period Foundations and Principles in Hashgacha and Care in Kashrus
Patrielly Unprinted
A Teshuva in the Holy Handwriting of the Satmar Rebbe ZY"A, from his tenure as Av Beis Din of Orshiva, with his sacred signature, regarding the kashrus of tsukeriya (sugar products). In this teshuva, the Rebbe elaborates on the general principles of kashrus and the criteria for relying on hashgachos.
At the conclusion of the teshuvah, the Rebbe blesses:
“Fortunate is one who is careful even from a mere concern of ma’achalos asuros. Hashem shall safeguard him in all his ways, and he shall merit great blessing from the G-d Who arranges all matters.”
Signed: "Your devoted friend, with immense love, the insignificant Yoel Teitelbaum."
Differences Between the Manuscript and the Printed Version
This teshuva was published in Shu”t Divrei Yoel (Siman 54), but many words were omitted, including an entire section where the Rebbe quotes the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. Now, with the discovery of the original manuscript, we have the unedited words of the Rebbe in full clarity.
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The Rebbe’s Stringent Approach to Kashrus and Hashgachos
In this teshuva, the Rebbe explains at length that even those who are lenient regarding the kashrus of tsukeriya do so only when there is an exceptional hashgacha from a renowned and truly G-d-fearing rav. However, one cannot rely on rabbanim from distant regions, such as Bohemia and Moravia, where the path of Torah has nearly been forgotten.
The Rebbe warns that in modern times, with constant innovations in factory production,
"Who knows what methods they have devised to mix forbidden substances in a way that even the mashgiach will not detect, leaving him completely unaware!"
The Rebbe’s Quotation from the Divrei Chaim – Omitted in the Printed Edition!
The Rebbe transcribes the holy words of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz regarding hashgachos, and adds his own commentary. This entire section was omitted in the printed Shu”t Divrei Yoel.
Here is the Rebbe’s holy text:
"See Shu”t Divrei Chaim (Hashmatos, vol. 2, Siman 40), where he writes regarding kosher wine:"
“One should not rely on hashgachos, even those of the most upright rabbanim, for many stumbling blocks occur this way. Many towns were misled regarding Pesach whiskey through a certification issued by even yerei’im and chassidim, as it is all too easy for mistakes to arise. The only true safeguard is to drink only from someone whom you personally trust, who either made it himself or through messengers that are known and reliable to him.”
The Rebbe continues:
"From here we see the extent of the issue with relying on hashgachos. How much more so in this matter, where even greater stringencies are required, since supervision must extend to their hidden processes!"
