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All questions of Kosher and
Kashrut should be directed to a reliable Rabbi |
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Living kosher is
living like a Jew
What does Keeping Kosher mean?
Without food we can't live. We all have heard the famous line, "Man does
not live by bread alone..."
The verse comes from Torah [Bible] and is a reference to the miraculous
manna, which fell from heaven daily during the Jewish people's sojourn
in the wilderness. The conclusion of the verse is that "rather, by the
utterance of God's mouth does man live." Thus, it is reminding us about
the true source of human sustenance and where it comes from.
What Kosher is NOT:
The modern World has
often thought the "laws of
kosher" were based
on hygiene. It was believed by some that kosher
animals were healthier to eat than non-kosher
animals. It was also noted that the laws of purity
(Leviticus 11-15) not only describe the difference
between clean and unclean animals, but also describe
other phenomena related to health. Thus, it was
natural for many to assume that all the laws of
kashrut were merely hygienic in intent and origin.
Also wrong is the belief that kosher means
blessed by a Rabbi.
What make something un-Kosher?
Food may be designated non-kosher for a
several of reasons. They include the species involved (for example; pig and
fish without scales and fins) the manner in which the food was processed
(animal improperly slaughtered, or the mixing of milk and meat); or time
(leavened product not properly disposed of prior to Passover or food cooked
on the Sabbath). |
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Also see: |
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You are what you
eat and the spiritual connection between man and
God.
What Kosher is:
Basically,
Dietary laws or rules
Rules such as do not
mix milk and meat to which animals you can eat.
There is nothing intrinsically wicked about eating
pork or lobster, and there is nothing intrinsically
moral about eating cheese or chicken instead. But
what the Jewish way of life does by imposing rules
on our eating, sleeping, and working habits is to
take the most common and mundane activities and
invest them with deeper meaning, turning every one
of them into an occasion for obeying (or disobeying)
God.
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Kosher Kitchen - Separating Dishes
Dishes and cooking
utensils must be sorted and stored in separate areas
according to Meat, Dairy and Parve. A color scheme
is very helpful: Meat - Red, Dairy - Blue, and Parve
- Green. Some kosher kitchen have two sides: a
Meat side and a Dairy side.
[read more]
Kosher Symbols
 If
you see any of the symbols that are represented, it
means "the food has been inspected by one of the
many kosher certifying agencies in the United
States. Each
 agency
identifies itself by its own unique symbol."
Kosher Symbols List with Pictures
Types of foods
Meat
Kosher mammals must both have cloven hooves and chew their cud. All
kosher mammals are artiodactyl herbivores that can be domesticated, such as
cows, goats, deer and sheep. The Torah specifies certain birds that are not
kosher; in general, scavengers are considered non-kosher. The modern Halakha
on kashrut classifies the flesh of both mammals and birds as "meat".
Jewish law states that kosher animals must be slaughtered according to a
strict set of guidelines, the slaughter (shechita) being designed to
minimize the pain inflicted. A professional slaughterer, or (shochet), uses
a large razor-sharp knife with absolutely no irregularities, nicks or dents.
A single cut is made across the throat, severing both carotid arteries, both
jugular veins, both Vagus nerves, the trachea and the esophagus, usually
causing death in 3-4 seconds. (If done improperly the death could take
minutes; this is true for any method of slaughtering.) If the knife catches
even for a split second, or is found afterward to have developed any
irregularities, the animal is not kosher and is sold as regular
meat.
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Once killed, the animal is opened to determine whether there are any
irregularities or growths (i.e. cancer), on its internal organs, some of
which can render the animal non-kosher. The term "Glatt" kosher means
strictly kosher where the glatt (lungs) are carefully examined for adhesions
(i.e. cancer). The word treif -- derived from the Hebrew treifah, meaning
"torn" -- originally referred to animals which had been killed by wild
beasts therefore were not fit for human consumption.
Large blood vessels must be removed, and all blood must be removed from the
meat,
as Jewish law prohibits the consumption of the blood of any animal. This is
most commonly done by soaking and salting, but also can be done by broiling.
An interesting fact, little-known outside of Jewish communities, is that the
hindquarters of a mammal are not kosher unless the sciatic nerve and the fat
surrounding it are removed (Gen. 32:33). This is a very time-consuming
process demanding a great deal of special training, and is rarely done
outside Israel, where there is a greater demand for kosher
meat,
since all
meat
sold in Jewish towns is required to be kosher by law. When it is not done,
the hindquarters of the animal are sold for non-kosher
meat.
Dairy Milk and
milk-derived products derived from kosher animals are always kosher. All
milk from cows is kosher. In practice, many Orthodox Jews use only "Cholov
Yisroel" milk and dairy products; this label means that the milk has been
under constant rabbinical supervision from milking to bottling, to make sure
that it is not adulterated with the milk of a non-kosher animal. In the past
this was a serious issue; today this is not a practical concern in the USA
or in most western countries. As such, most Modern Orthodox rabbis and all
Conservative rabbis hold that FDA supervision is sufficient for milk and
dairy products to be considered automatically kosher.
No mixing of
meat
and dairy Milk
products and
meat
products may not be eaten together in the same meal, much less cooked
together. Jewish law thus mandates a set of fence laws that prevent this
from happening. Jewish homes have two sets of silverware, cookware, cups,
and dishes. One is for milk (Yiddish milchig, Hebrew halavi) dishes, and one
is for
meat
(Yiddish fleishig, Hebrew bsari) dishes. This prevents any trace of
meat
or dairy from being accidentally mixed. (Foods that contain neither milk nor
meat
are considered "neutral" -- Yiddish parev, Hebrew parve.)
Jewish law considers glass (and some say Pyrex) to be non-absorbent; thus,
one could use just a single set of glass plates and dishes. In practice,
this is rarely done not only because of the cost, but also because it is
held that it would weaken the traditional system of kashrut observance.
However, it is common even within the most religiously observant households
to allow drinking glasses to be used for both dairy and
meat
meals, as long as they are thoroughly washed.
Various customs are observed for how long it is necessary to wait after
eating
meat
before eating dairy foods again, and vice versa. Waits of three hours and
six hours are the most common practices, though some communities wait only
one hour.
 Kosher
Wine ~ Here is a list of
the laws.
No wine may be produced from a vine until
its fourth year.
The vineyard, if within the biblical
lands, must be left fallow every seven years.
Only vines may be grown in vineyards.
From arrival at the winery, the grapes and
resulting wine may only be handled by strictly Sabbath-observing Jews, and
only 100 per cent kosher materials may be used in the wine-making,
maturation, and bottling processes.
*The fourth law applies only to those who
handle the must or the wine itself.
What makes beer kosher?
Produce
All fresh fruits and vegetables are kosher. Jewish law requires that they be
carefully checked and cleaned to make sure that there are no insects on
them, as insects are not kosher (except Orthoptera, see below). In the last
century the laws of kashrut have become much stricter in the Ultra-Orthodox
Jewish community; they refuse to eat many vegetables, such as broccoli,
because they hold that such vegetables are too difficult to remove tiny
insects from.
Canned and frozen foods
Most such goods are usually permissible since manufacturers add only water
and spices during the packaging process. Sometimes, however, fruits or
vegetables are prepared with milk products or with non-kosher ingredients
such as non-kosher
meat
broth. Orthodox Judaism thus holds that canned and frozen goods should
generally not be consumed unless there is a heksher (mark of rabbinical
certification of kashrut) on the product. Conservative Judaism often is more
lenient, and holds that a careful reading of the ingredients is sufficient.
Grains and cereals
Unprocessed grains and cereals are kosher. Processed items (e.g. dry
cereals, baked goods) often contain small quantities of non-kosher
ingredients. As such Orthodox Judaism holds that these goods should
generally not be consumed unless there is a heksher (mark of rabbinical
certification of kashrut) on the product. Conservative Judaism often is more
lenient, and holds that a careful reading of the ingredients is sufficient.
Grains and cereals during Passover
During the 8 days of Passover there are additional restrictions on what
foods may be eaten. Jewish law forbids Jews from eating any leavened or
possibly leavened product made from wheat, rye, barley, spelt, or oats.
An Orthodox discussion of the kitniot controversy
An Israeli Conservative discussion of the kitniot controversy
Rabbinical Assembly Passover guide
Eggs Eggs from
kosher birds are kosher; they are also considered pareve (neutral; neither
milk nor
meat.)
Eggs that contain blood may not be used. A partially-formed egg which is
found inside of a slaughtered bird may be eaten, but it must undergo the
same process of blood removal as the animal, and it is considered to be
fleishig.
Birds Kosher
birds include: capon, duck (domestic), goose (domestic), chicken, turkey,
guinea fowl and many others. As a general principle, scavenging birds such
as eagles and vultures are not considered kosher, and others (generally)
are.
Leviticus outlines the non-kosher birds and the rest are all kosher. In
practice, however, only the birds that Jews have a tradition of eating are
actually eaten.
Insects
With three exceptions, all bugs and insects are forbidden as treif
(un-kosher). The exception is a type of locust from the Arabian peninsula;
this type of locust encompasses four distinct species of locust. The
tradition for identifying which species of locust were and were not kosher
has been lost among all Jews except the Jews of Yemen. The Grasshopper and
beetle are also kosher.
Is Honey Kosher?
Cheese Cheese
made from milk and non-animal enzymes is kosher. But much cheese is made
from milk and rennet, and the kashrut of such cheeses is a matter of debate
in the religious Jewish community.
Rennet is the enzyme used to turn milk into curds and whey; most forms of
rennet derive from the lining of the stomach of an animal, and thus are
classified by most religious Jews as
meat
products. A vegetable substitute for rennet can be used, in which case none
of these restrictions apply. Other Jewish authorities maintain another long
standing Jewish legal tradition: rennet is held to be a secretion of the
stomach wall, and thus does not have the status of
meat.
Further, in its normal processing, rennet undergoes a chemical change and
becomes inedible, thus halakhically becoming a non-food. All foods in this
category automatically lose any kashrut restrictions. They are considered to
have changed so much from their original state that they are a d'var chadash,
"a new substance" with properties significantly different from those of
their original form. All such substances are considered pareve (neutral and
kosher).
Fish and Seafood
To be kosher, a fish must have both fins and scales. The lack of either
characteristic renders that species of fish unclean. Examples of unkosher
fish include shark, catfish and eels. All shellfish, such as crabs, lobster,
and shrimp are not kosher. All sea mammals, such as dolphins, whales and
seals are not kosher. All other sea animals, such as octopus, squid and
jellyfish are also not kosher.
Seaweed and other sea plant life are all kosher.
There are two fish that are controversial: Swordfish and sturgeon. Both of
these have scales as young fish, but lose them later in life. Most Orthodox
rabbis rule that these fish are not kosher; many Conservative rabbis rule
that they are kosher.
Gelatin A
controversial topic is the status of gelatin. This substance comes from the
processed bones of animals. If the source of gelatin is a kosher animal that
was properly slaughtered according to Jewish law, then such gelatin is
considered kosher by all Jews. All other gelatin is usually considered treif
(non-kosher). However, a number of prominent rabbinic authorities have noted
that gelatin undergoes such extensive processing and chemical changes that
it no longer has the status of
meat,
and as such may be considered pareve and kosher. Most Conservative Jews, and
a significant minority of Israeli Orthodox Jews, accept that all gelatin is
kosher.
Vegetarianism
Genesis 1:29 states "And
God said: Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed which is
upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding
fruit - to you it shall be for food." According to many classical Jewish
Bible commentators, this means that God's original plan was for mankind
to be vegetarian. According to many rabbis, God later gave permission
for man to eat
meat
because of man's weak nature, but the ideal would be for man to be
vegetarian. Some prominent rabbis were vegetarian, such as the first
Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel, Abraham Isaac Kook. However, others
argue that people may eat animals because God gave Eve and Adam dominion
over them. (The Torah and vegetarianism)
In addition, some Jews follow a more or less vegetarian diet for
pragmatic reasons, if kosher
meat
is expensive or hard to come by in their area.
Kashrut and animal welfare
The method of slaughtering used in strict adherence to Jewish law has been
criticized as being cruel by many animal rights organizations, in particular
because animals are killed without the use of anesthesia. This has resulted
in several restrictions or even an outright ban on kosher
meat
in a number of countries, though other countries grant ritualistic slaughter
such as kashrut special exemption from the relevant regulations. However,
some bans were in place before animal rights had become a general public
concern.
Animal rights groups claim it can still take several minutes for the animal
to die and thus would cause immense suffering. Jewish groups point to
studies showing that the technique is no more painful than conventional
techniques, and in most cases quicker and less painful; the conclusions of
these studies are rejected by animal rights advocates. In addition, there
are campaigns to have the practice of ritualistic slaughter globally banned
[1].
Many Jewish organizations suspect that anti-semitism may also be an
influence behind the efforts to ban kosher
meat,
partly because of a distinct anti-semitic element among the opponents of
ritualistic slaughter, partly because of the age of some bans. |
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Theories on the origin of the Biblical dietary laws
Such a rationale seems reasonable when considering the laws prohibiting
the consumption of scavenger birds, which may carry disease from the carrion
they consume; shellfish, which can contain parasites which can harm people;
and pork, which can harbor trichinosis if not properly cooked. However, this
hypothesis does not seem to make sense when one looks at the other laws of
kashrut: They also forbid the consumption of birds of prey, which do not
carry such diseases, and all fish without true scales, such as sharks. They
even permit animals such as cows and sheep which also can harbor diseases
which are dangerous to humans. In addition, this hypothesis does not explain
the following parts of the Jewish dietary laws: Fruit from trees may not be
eaten before the tree turns four years old; one must remove all blood from
the
meat; fruits and vegetables may be eaten without prohibition (even
though there are many poisonous herbs, seeds, berries and fruits).
This is not to say that there could be no connection between the priestly
laws of kashrut and hygiene. As in the dietary codes of many societies, it
only makes sense that, over time, hygiene would likely play some role in the
development of the dietary laws of Leviticus.
The symbolic laws hypothesis
During the first few centuries of the common era some non-Jewish
philosophers held that the laws of kashrut were symbolic in character.
In this view, kosher animals represent virtues, while non-kosher animals
represent vices. The first indication of this view can be found in the 1st
century BCE Letter of Aristeas (par. 145-148, 153). This view later
reappears in the writings of Philo of Alexandria, and in the writings of
some of the early Church fathers. This hypothesis has long since been
rejected by Rabbis. Modern biblical criticism also has found nothing to
support this hypothesis.
The laws as statutes without explanation or reason
"Some Jewish scholars have held that these dietary
laws should simply be categorized with a group of
laws that are considered irrational in that there is
no particular explanation for their existence. The
reason for this is that there are some of God's
regulations for mankind that the human mind is not
necessarily capable of understanding. Related to
this is the idea that the dietary laws were given as
a demonstration of God's authority and that man
should obey without asking for a reason." (Source:
William H. Shea, Clean and Unclean
Meats,
Biblical Research Institute, December 1988)
This view has been rejected by the majority of
classical and modern Jewish rabbis, and by modern
biblical scholars. For example,
Maimonides
holds that all the laws given by God have a reason,
that we are permitted to seek out what these reasons
may be, and that we should feel comfortable in
knowing that rational reasons exist for all of God's
laws in the Torah, even if we are not sure of what
some of these reasons are. For Maimonides, the idea
that God gave laws without any reason is anathema.
Laws serve as a religious and social distinction
One theory widely
accepted today is that the laws serve as a
distinction between the Israelites and the
non-Israelite nations of the world. Gordon Wenham
writes "The laws reminded Israel what sort of
behavior was expected of her, that she had been
chosen to be holy in an unclean world." These laws
had the added effect of preventing socialization and
intermarriage with non-Jews, helping the Jewish
community maintain its identity. Wenham writes that
"circumcision was a private matter, but the food
laws made one's Jewish faith a public affair.
Observance of the food laws was one of the outward
marks of a practicing Jew, and this in turn enhanced
Jewish attachment to them as a reminder of their
special status." (Source: Gordon J. Wenham, "The
Theology of Unclean Food," The Evangelical Quarterly
53, January March 1981, p.6-15.)
The Biblical explanation: Distinctions lead to holiness
According to the
Biblical book of Leviticus, the purpose of the laws
is related to ritual purity and holiness. Indeed,
the Hebrew word for "holiness" is etymologically
related to the Hebrew word for "distinction" or
"separation". This idea is generally accepted by
most Jews today, and by many modern biblical
scholars. Cultural anthropologist Mary Douglas has
written an important work on just how the Israelites
may have used the idea of distinction as a way to
create holiness. Her seminal work, Purity and Danger
(1966), is still studied today.
Ethical and moral reasons
(To be added soon.)
How kashrut is viewed by Judaism today
Orthodox Judaism and
Conservative Judaism hold that Jews should follow
the laws of Kashrut. Reform Judaism and
Reconstructionist Judaism hold that these laws are
no longer binding. Most Jews in Reform Judaism have
considered these laws a hindrance, rather than a
facilitator, of piety; this is still the mainstream
Reform position. Some parts of the Reform community
have begun to move towards a more traditional
position. This tradition-leaning faction agrees with
mainstream Reform that the rules concerning kashrut
are no longer binding, but holds that keeping kosher
is an important way for people to bring holiness
into their lives. Thus Jews are encouraged to
consider adopting some or all of the rules of
kashrut on a voluntary basis. The Reconstructionist
movement advocates that its members accept some of
the rules of kashrut, but does so in a non-binding
fashion; their stance on kashrut is the same as the
tradition-leaning wing of Reform.
Linguistic usage
In English, the term
kosher is frequently used in a metaphorical sense to
mean "acceptable" or "approved", which is its
conventional meaning in Hebrew. It is also part of
some common product names. For example, "kosher
salt" is a form of salt which has large crystals,
making it particularly suitable for preparing
meat in accordance with Kashrut law, i.e.
removing as much blood as possible. (Thus a more
accurate name would have been "koshering salt.") And
a "kosher pickle" is a particular style of pickle
that originated in kosher delis. |
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