Should people who do not eat forbidden food sell it?

Question

I live in a community with people who believe in the forbidden food laws as related in Deuteronomy and Leviticus- such as not eating pork, crawfish/lobster, crab , fish without scales etc. My guests and I went to the restaurant of one of these Christians; and she served lobster.They ate it and enjoyed it too. It is now crab seasons and i am expecting guests who are looking forward to a meal with land crabs. I was talking about this situation with a relative. he said that just because you do not eat something it doesn't mean you cannot serve it. He gave the example of a businessman selling diapers,denture adhesive,panties etc in his store even though he does not use the named products. His attitude is to give consumers what they want so you can get a steady income and profit from the business. What do you think? If you did not eat food forbidden in the Bible would you serve it in your restaurant?

Answer 1

I'm an Orthodox Jew, and I keep kosher. If I had a restaurant, it would probably be a kosher restaurant--and by definition, would not serve those foods.

But if I DID have a non-kosher restaurant, I'd have no problem selling those foods to my customers. Why? Because those foods are forbidden to JEWS--and Jews only. I have no problem with other people eating anything they want.

For that matter, Jewish cashiers at grocery stores constantly sell 'traif' (non-kosher) items. Do you think that Jews shouldn't work at grocery stores? Because the list of forbidden items goes far further than just pork & shellfish--for a food to be kosher, it needs to have a hecksher, or a mark that it has met kashrus standards. Half the food at the store isn't kosher!--but any Jew could work there.

In fact, I used to know a very frum Jew who worked behind the non-kosher deli counter. He joked, calling himself the "traif deli". He couldn't EAT the stuff--but he could sell it. For that matter, I once considered working @ a restaurant & checked with the Rabbi because I was worried about what it would look like. He told me there was no problem--

Now--the things *I'd* have a hard time selling would be cigarettes.

Answer 2

Well if you own a restaurant in an area where people eat things that you are to religious to eat personally and you do not serve these things aren't you basically asking to go bankrupt? Does your Landlord deserve no rent because of your beliefs, or your bank no mortgage payments?