| Halakhic texts relating to this article | |
|---|---|
| Mishnah: | Avodah Zarah chapter 2, Mishnah 6 |
| Babylonian Talmud: | Avodah Zarah 35b, 39b |
| Shulchan Aruch: | Yoreh De'ah 115:1 |
Chalav Yisrael (Hebrew:חֲלַב יִשְׂרָאֵל), also pronouncedcholov Yisroel,[1] refers tokoshermilk whosemilking was observed by an observantJew. Thetakkanah ofchalav Yisrael, which originates in theMishnah andTalmud, was instituted due to a concern that anon-Jew might mix milk of anon-kosher animal with the milk of a kosher animal.[2] Today, many observant Jews rely on the ruling of RabbiMoshe Feinstein, who argues that in countries such as theUnited States, where there is strict regulation against mixing milks, non-chalav Yisrael milk is considered kosher.[2]
According to Jewish law (halakha),milk is only consideredkosher if it derives from a kosher species of animal—this primarily coverscows,goats, andsheep.[3] Milk from anon-kosher species, such ashorses andcamels, is inherently non-kosher.[4][5]
By the time of theMishnah, the rabbis of the time (the (Tannaim) instituted an injunction against any milk whosemilking was not done by, or under the supervision of, a Torah-observant Jew.[6][7] The prohibition, which is listed in the Mishnah tractate ofAvodah Zarah, prohibits drinking such milk, although it allows for benefit to be derived from it, for fear that a non-kosher animal's milk was mixed into the kosher milk.[8] Milk milked by a non-Jew without proper supervision came to be known as "chalav akum", literally "milk of a non-Jew", and milk that was properly milked in accordance with the law is known as "chalav Yisrael, literally "Jewish milk".[9] The traditionalAshkenazi pronunciation of the latter is "cholov Yisroel".[10][11]
The rule ofChalav Yisrael was codified inMaimonides'sMishneh Torah.[12] and later in the influential code theShulchan Aruch.[7] Modernchalav Yisrael milk is overseen by amashgiach, or kosher supervisor, who is required to be present at the beginning of the milking but does not need to be there constantly for the whole time.Mashgichim are also responsible for ensuring that there is no opportunity for the milk to become non–chalav Yisrael at any point before it leaves the facility.[7]
With regard to cheese, according to traditional sources, it is impossible to use milk from non-kosher animals to make cheese. Therefore, as noted by theStar-K kosher certification, there are those who eat non–chalav Yisrael cheese while still only drinkingchalav Yisrael milk.[11] This position is also noted in theMishneh Torah. There is a separate prohibition on cheese manufactured by non-Jews, which has its own parameters (gevinat akum).
The termchalav stam, literally translated as "plain" or "default" milk" refers to milk that can be trusted to be kosher even if a Jew did not personally witness its milking with their own eyes. The most well-known licence to drink such milk came from the prominent post-war Americanposek RabbiMoshe Feinstein. In hisIgros Moshe, Rabbi Feinstein permittedchalav stam in areas where local laws prohibit the mixing of kosher and non-kosher milks. In this case, the government supervision of food regulations is tantamount to the required Jewish supervision and provides sufficient assurance that there has been no cross-contamination of milks.[13] This ruling specifically referred to theUnited States, but was also accepted inEuropean Union countries, among others, by theOrthodox Union. However it does not apply to countries where such regulations are laxly enforced.[9]
Despite this ruling, many Jews, including Rabbi Feinstein himself, prefer to only usechalav Yisrael milk in the stricter sense—milk actually supervised by a Jew.[13] This includes theChabad movement, which argues that, particularly whenchalav Yisrael is readily available, there are negative spiritual ramifications of consuming non–chalav Yisrael milk.[14] This has led to the usage of the termchalav Yisrael to refer to milk supervised by Jews which does not rely on Rabbi Feinstein's leniency. The termchalav stam is used to describe milk reliant on the leniency. In recent years, it has become more and more common for Orthodox Jews to preferchalav Yisrael.[15]
For those who requirechalav Yisrael, there is a disagreement over whether or not food cooked on equipment that is clean but previously used non–chalav Yisrael product can be eaten.[16][failed verification]