Doing Business with Gevinas Akum

Q. Is a Jew permitted to do business (buy and sell) with non-kosher cheese (gevinas Akum)?

A. The Mishnah in Shevi’is (7:3) writes that is forbidden to do business (buy and sell) with Shemitah fruits and non-kosher meats. The Chochmas Adam (69:1) states that the accepted opinion is that this is a Torah prohibition. The Shulchan Aruch (YD 117:1) explains that this prohibition only applies to Biblically forbidden foods such as non-kosher meats and fish, but one may do business (buying and selling to non-Jews) with foods that are Rabbinically forbidden. The Rambam (Maachalos Assuros 8:17) writes explicitly that one may do business with gevinas Akum. Although we have previously pointed out that the prohibition of gevinas Akum is very severe, and when it comes to matters of doubt, we view gevinas Akum as though it were a Torah prohibition, nonetheless, gevinas Akum is a Rabbinic prohibition and it is permitted to buy these products and sell them in a store. Obviously, it should be clear that the cheese is not kosher to prevent mistakes from occurring.

______________________________________________________

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.