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What is the history of Chalav Yisrael?

by Rabbi Gordimer

  

Library » Mitzvot » Kosher » Miscellaneous | Subscribe | What is RSS?

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In order to prevent the mixture of milk from non-Kosher animals into kosher milk (i.e. cow milk or milk from other kosher species), the rabbis prohibited us to consume “milk which was milked by a gentile without a Jew supervising”. 1 Even if a gentile farmer has no non-kosher species of animals present when he milks his cows, his milk is nevertheless prohibited by this gezerah (rabbinic prohibition) unless there is Jewish supervision to assure that milk from non-kosher animals was not mixed in.2

Chazal enacted the ban on unsupervised milk even when standard milk is normally kosher
Our Sages enacted the ban on unsupervised milk even when standard milk is normally kosher. On a D’oraitah (Biblical) level, if the majority of milk available in a given market is derived from kosher animals, one would be permitted to purchase that milk without further concern, based on the principal of “rov” (one can rely that a product has the status of the majority).

Notwithstanding the principal of rov, unsupervised milk was subject to the aforementioned rabbinic prohibition. Thus, unless it can be fully verified that milk is from kosher species, it is prohibited without Jewish supervision.3 Like all prohibited foods, unsupervised milk renders kelim (food vessels) non-kosher when cooked in them, etc.4

Today, we commonly refer to milk under Jewish supervision as “chalav Yisroel” (“Jewish milk”), whereas milk lacking Jewish supervision is called “chalav Akum” (“gentile milk”) or “chalav stam” (“regular milk”).

Copied with permission of oukosher.org.

Footnotes

  • 1. Talmud Avodah Zarah 35b; Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 115:1.
  • 2. Shulchan Aruch ibid.
  • 3. Chochmat Adam 67:1.
  • 4. Shach YD 115 s.k. 17.

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Kosher
Literally means "fit." Commonly used to describe foods which are permitted by Jewish dietary laws, but is also used to describe religious articles (such as a Torah scroll or Sukkah) which meet the requirements of Jewish law.