Hekhsher Tzedek Revisited

The innovative idea for kashrut certification called Hekhsher Tzedek is now making inroads in the Jewish world and gaining the attention of the secular press as well. In a nutshell, Hekhsher Tzedek calls for a supplemental certification of a food company beyond compliance with the laws of kashrut to include certification that it conducts its business ethically.On a purely conceptual level, integrating the ethical with the ritual is a praiseworthy endeavor rooted in Torah values. Many authoritative hashkafic sources support this notion. Take for instance the powerful imagery Mechilta provides us with respect to the two tablets that contained the Ten Commandments. Etched in the right-hand column were the five precepts relating to our duties to God while the left-hand column presented the precepts relating to our duties vis-a-vis our fellow man.