HaShem's Food for Man
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
HaShem's Food for Man
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
Everything in creation was originally created perfect. Because of the sin of Adam, all of creation
crashed. Originally, Adam ate only vegetables and fruits and there was no
excretion because his food had no negative components which needed refining.
After the sin, there was a negative component to food which needed refining.
This is why the Jews of the Exodus in the days of
Moses did not have to go to the bathroom. The manna had no negative component,
therefore there was no excretion. This was a great mercy from HaShem! Consider
that the camp in the wilderness was more than ten miles
across. This means that one would have had quite a hike just to go to the
bathroom! (Excretory functions had to be performed outside the camp.)
Just as man is made up of
a spiritual and a physical component, so too is
everything that lives. Things like fruits and vegetables, as well as meat, have
a physical and a spiritual component. Thus the physical component is used to
nourish the body and the spiritual component is used to nourish the soul. This
is why eating only those things permitted by HaShem
is so important! If we eat that which is not called “food”, then we fail to
nourish our souls and we become unable to absorb spiritual matters. Throughout
the Tanakh and the Nazarean Codicil, if it is permitted by HaShem
to be eaten, then it is called FOOD. Unkosher things which are eaten, are never
called food by HaShem.
When we eat, we are
extracting the positive components of food and excreting the negative
components. The physical is excreted as brown stuff, and the spiritual
component is the smell. As Chazal teach, the sense of smell is a direct connection to the soul.
Consider the following
very sober thought: Since Yeshua (Jesus) kept the
whole Torah (law), therefore He ate only kosher things. He ate
only what the scripture calls “food”. Everything He ate was kosher.
Could Yeshua
come to your house for dinner?
At the
marriage feast of The Lamb, will everything be kosher?
How ought we to live in
light of this? Do we want Yeshua to be able to come in and sup with us? Do we
want to have fellowship with HaShem?
The rest of this paper
will be examining what it takes to be able to have Yeshua, or any other
orthodox Jew, come to your house for dinner.
Definitions
and explanation:
What is food? We can understand the answer to this
question by examining what happens when we stop eating. After a few days, or
less, we start to become weak and faint. If we continue without food for an
extended period, we will die. Therefore, Chazal (Our Sages) teach that food is
used to connect the soul to the body. This explains why
the korbanot (sacrifices) are called “food” for HaShem. HaShem does not eat in
the sense that we eat. HaShem has no physicality. Thus we understand that HaShem’s food is that
which connects Him to our physical world. He is The “soul” of the world He is
the spiritual component of our physical world. In fact, the Hebrew word korbanot means “to draw near”.
The only time the word "kasher" or Kosher
is found in the scriptures is in the following passages. Note that the context
has nothing to do with food:
Esther 8:5 "If it pleases the
king," she said, "and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right
thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling
the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to
destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces.
Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 10:10 If the ax is
dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.
Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 11:6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands
be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
3787 kasher, kaw-share'; a prim. root prop. to be
straight or right; by impl. to be acceptable; also to succeed or
prosper:-direct, be right, prosper.
The Encyclopedia Judaica translates the word to mean
"fit" or "proper". The encyclopedia Judaica says that it is
to "denote food that is permitted", among other things.
G-d's food for man before
the flood:
Bereshit (Genesis) 1:26-31 Then G-d
said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule
over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all
the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So G-d
created man in his own image, in the image of G-d he created him; male and
female he created them. G-d blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful
and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the
sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the
ground." Then G-d said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on
the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They
will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the
birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything
that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food."
And it was so. G-d saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there
was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.
Originally man and animals were vegetarians. Were
mushrooms included? It says every "green" plant...
Bereshit (Genesis) 2:15-18 HaShem G-d
took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work
it and take care of it. And HaShem G-d commanded the man, "You are free
to eat from any tree in the garden; But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you
eat of it you will surely die." HaShem G-d said, "It is not good
for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Eating food was the
initial factor which caused man's death. The original sin
was eating non-kosher food!!
Bereshit (Genesis) 3:17-19 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and
ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat
of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for
you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you
will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were
taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
We are to eat of that which is from the ground.
The first or "original" sin was eating
non-kosher food. What we eat is important! Look at all of the consequences of
that first sin.
Bereshit (Genesis) 3:21-24 HaShem G-d
made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And HaShem G-d
said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He
must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So HaShem G-d banished him from the Garden
of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the
man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of
Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to
the tree of life.
Eating of one tree will
cause us to live forever.
Bereshit (Genesis) 6:21-22 You are to
take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you
and for them." Noah did everything just as G-d commanded him.
The only food that G-d permitted to be eaten were
green plants for both man and animal!
G-d's food for man after the flood:
Bereshit (Genesis) 9:1-5 Then G-d
blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in
number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the
beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that
moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into
your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I
gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. "But you must
not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will
surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And
from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.
G-d gave Noah and his family and descendents plants
and animals to eat.
G-d specifically forbids eating meat with blood in
it. Does this prohibit transfusions?
This section is used by the
Rabbis to forbid eating flesh from a live animal. Also used to forbid
suicide.
Did G-d give Noah meat because most vegetation was
destroyed in the flood?
Some see that there is a comparison between animals
and "green" plants. That is: just as some plants are poisonous so too
are some animals permitted and some animals not permitted.
Only properly slaughtered animals are permitted.
Notice that even before the flood some animals were
"clean". (I know 'just' before...)
Bereshit (Genesis) 7:1-3 HaShem then
said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have
found you righteous in this generation. Take with you
seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of
every kind of unclean animal, a male and
its mate, And also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their
various kinds alive throughout the earth.
How did Noah "know" the clean and the
unclean?
CLEAN means: 2889 tahowr,
taw-hore'; or tahor, taw-hore'; from 2891; pure (in a phys., chem., cerem. or
moral sense):-clean, fair, pure (-ness).
------------- Dictionary
Trace -------------- 2891 taher, taw-hare'; a prim. root; prop. to be bright;
i.e. (by impl.) to be pure (phys. sound, clear, unadulterated; Levit.
uncontaminated; mor. innocent or holy):-be (make, make self, pronounce) clean,
cleanse (self), purge, purify (-ier, self).
G-d's food for man after Sinai:
Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:1-8 HaShem said
to Moses and Aaron, "Say to the Israelites: 'Of
all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat
any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.
"'There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you
must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split
hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The coney, though it chews the cud,
does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews
the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig, though
it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean
for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their
carcasses; they are unclean for you.
Animals that we may eat after Sinai.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:9-12 "'Of all
the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any
that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not
have fins and scales--whether among all the swarming things or among all the
other living creatures in the water--you are to detest. And since you are to
detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses.
Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be
detestable to you.
Sea creatures we may eat after Sinai.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:13-19 "'These
are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: the
eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, The red kite, any kind of black kite,
Any kind of raven, The horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,
The little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, The white owl, the desert owl,
the osprey, The stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
Birds we may eat after Sinai.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:20-25 "'All
flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. There are,
however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those
that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind
of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other winged creatures that
have four legs you are to detest. "'You will make yourselves unclean by
these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Whoever
picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean
till evening. Insects we may eat after Sinai. (John the Baptist food. Yuch!).
Note also that while the "bee" is forbidden; honey is permitted
because it is understood as "transferred nectar". (John the Baptist
food. Yummy!)
Things not eaten for other reasons
Bereshit (Genesis) 32:24-32 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till
daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the
socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob
replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked
him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the
man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,
because you have struggled with G-d and with men and have overcome." Jacob
said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you
ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel,
saying, "It is because I saw G-d face to face, and yet my life was
spared." The sun rose above him as he passed
Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites
do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket
of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon.
A tendon attached to the socket of the hip? The
Rabbis say it is the sciatic nerve.
Shemot (Exodus) 12:14-20 "This is
a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate
it as a festival to HaShem--a lasting ordinance. For seven
days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the
first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats
anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut
off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day.
Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to
eat--that is all you may do. "Celebrate the Feast
of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your
divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a
lasting ordinance for the generations to come. In the
first month you are to eat bread made without yeast,
from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first
day. For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats
anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of
Yeast is not to be eaten during Passover, but, is permitted the rest of the year.
Shemot (Exodus) 21:28-30 "If a
bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its
meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held
responsible. If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner
has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the
bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death. However, if
payment is demanded of him, he may redeem his
life by paying whatever is demanded.
A permitted animal becomes forbidden when it kills a
man.
Shemot (Exodus) 22:31 "You are to be my holy
people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to
the dogs.
Some food is only dog food.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 3:12-17 "'If his
offering is a goat, he is to present it before HaShem. He is to lay his hand on
its head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of
Meeting. Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on
all sides. From what he offers he is to make this offering to HaShem by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is
connected to them, Both kidneys with the fat on them
near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the
kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by
fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is HaShem's. "'This is a lasting
ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat
any fat or any blood.'"
Fat from the kidneys or all fat?
Vayikra (Leviticus) 7:15-20 The meat of
his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered;
he must leave none of it till morning. "'If, however, his offering is the
result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the
day he offers it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day. Any meat
of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up. If any meat of
the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It
will not be credited to the one who offered it, for it is impure; the person
who eats any of it will be held responsible. "'Meat that touches
anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As
for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. But if anyone who is
unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to HaShem, that
person must be cut off from his people.
Meat involved in sacrifices has special
requirements.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 7:22-27 HaShem said
to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'Do not eat any of the fat of cattle,
sheep or goats. The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be
used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.
Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to HaShem must
be cut off from his people. And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood
of any bird or animal. If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from
his people.'"
Fat from cattle, sheep, and goats is forbidden.
Blood is forbidden.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 17:10-12 "'Any
Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any
blood--I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him
off from his people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have
given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on
the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Therefore I say
to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living
among you eat blood."
Blood is forbidden again - same basic consequence
just emphasized.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:26 "'Do not
eat any meat with the blood still in it. "'Do not practice divination or
sorcery.
Blood is forbidden AGAIN.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:29-45 "'Of the
animals that move about on the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel,
the rat, any kind of great lizard, The gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall
lizard, the skink and the chameleon. Of all those that move along the ground,
these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be
unclean till evening. When one of them dies and falls on something, that
article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth,
hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then
it will be clean. If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will
be unclean, and you must break the pot. Any food that could be eaten but has
water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from
it is unclean. Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean;
an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to
regard them as unclean. A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water
remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. If a
carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted,
they remain clean. But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on
it, it is unclean for you. "'If an animal that you are allowed to eat
dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean till evening. Anyone who
eats some of the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till
evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be
unclean till evening. "'Every creature that moves about on the ground is
detestable; it is not to be eaten. You are not to eat any creature that moves
about on the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on
many feet; it is detestable. Do not defile yourselves by any of these
creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean
by them. I am HaShem your G-d; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am
holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the
ground.
Reptiles we may not eat after Sinai
Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:41-45 "'Every
creature that moves about on the ground is detestable; it is not to be eaten. You
are not to eat any creature that moves about on the ground, whether it
moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is detestable. Do
not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean
by means of them or be made unclean by them. I am HaShem your G-d; consecrate
yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by
any creature that moves about on the ground. I am HaShem
who brought you up out of Egypt to be your G-d;
therefore be holy, because I am holy.
Insects are off limits because of G-d's holiness.
Ezekiel (Yehezekel) 33:24-29 "Son of
man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel
are saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are
many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.' Therefore say to
them, 'This is what the Sovereign HaShem says: Since you eat meat with the
blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then
possess the land? You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of
you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?' "Say
this to them: 'This is what the Sovereign HaShem says: As surely as I live,
those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the
country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in
strongholds and caves will die of a plague. I will
make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and
the mountains of
Eating meat with the blood still in it has a more
emphatic consequence.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:39-40 "'If an
animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be
unclean till evening. Anyone who eats some of the carcass must wash his
clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass
must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till
evening.
We are permitted to eat that which dies? Apparently
not without consequences.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:5-8 "'When
you sacrifice a fellowship offering to HaShem, sacrifice it in such a way that
it will be accepted on your behalf. It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice
it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned
up. If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be
accepted. Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has desecrated
what is holy to HaShem; that person must be cut off from his people.
Even permitted food must be taken at a permitted
time:
Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:23-25 And when ye
shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food,
then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be
as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all
the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise HaShem [withal]. And in the fifth
year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase
thereof: I [am] HaShem your G-d.
Remember also that chametz, leaven, is permitted all year EXCEPT at Passover.
The following vision is
often misunderstood. Most folks believe that it means that there are no longer
requirements for kosher food:
II Luqas (Acts) 10:13-35 Then a voice
told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not,
Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or
unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything
impure that G-d has made clean." This happened three
times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was
wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out
where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if
Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking
about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three
men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go
with them, for I have sent them." Peter went down and said to the men,
"I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?" The men replied,
"We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and
G-d-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish
people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could
hear what you have to say." Then Peter invited
the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with
them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. The following day he
arrived in
Now, in the above passage, I would like everyone to
note that Peter DID NOT EAT ANYTHING! This was a VISION. Further, Peter himself
tells us that the vision had absolutely nothing to do with food! It had to do
with the acceptance of righteous Gentiles.
The following passage again emphasizes that the
vision had nothing to do with food, further, it was just a VISION:
II Luqas (Acts) 11:1-18 The apostles
and the brothers throughout
Has G-d "cleansed" the unclean animals for
food? The issue seems to be Gentiles not food. Why three
(3) times?
Matityahu (Matthew) 15:1-20 Then some
Pharisees and teachers of the law
came to Yeshua from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do
your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands
before they eat!" Yeshua replied, "And why do you break the command
of G-d for the sake of your tradition? For G-d said,
'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must
be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother,
'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to
G-d,' He is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of G-d
for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he
prophesied about you: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts
are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught
by men.'" Yeshua called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and
understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what
comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" Then the
disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were
offended when they heard this?" He replied, "Every plant that my
heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them;
they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a
pit." Peter said, "Explain the parable to us." "Are you
still so dull?" Yeshua asked them. "Don't you see that whatever
enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a
man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man
'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"
The issue in this passage is unclean hands, NOT food. Mashiach
says that we do not have to baptize our hands before
we eat.
Marqos (Mark) 2:23-28 One Sabbath
Yeshua was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along,
they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, "Look,
why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" He answered, "Have
you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in
need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he
entered the house of G-d and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only
for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his
companions." Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
The sages teach that life has precedence over the
law. The purpose of the keeping the law is for us to
live, not die. In this passage Mashiach is apparently teaching the same thing.
The following is an interesting statement...repeated
three (3) times!!
Shemot (Exodus) 23:19 "Bring the best of the
firstfruits of your soil to the house of HaShem your G-d. "Do not cook
a young goat in its mother's milk.
Shemot (Exodus) 34:26 "Bring the best of the
firstfruits of your soil to the house of HaShem your G-d. "Do not cook
a young goat in its mother's milk."
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 14:21 Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to
an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat
it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to HaShem your G-d. Do not cook a young goat in its
mother's milk.
1. What is the relationship of this to firstfruits?
2. What is the relationship of a dead animal to
this?
3. Why is it repeated three (3) times?
A Guide to Keeping Kosher
Fundamental Practices of the
Jewish Dietary Laws
Why Keep
Kosher
In seeking a rationale behind any commandment, one
must understand that the essence of a mitzvah is its emanation from G-d: a holy
Divine decree designed to elevate the Jew in both
body and spirit. Whatever reasons we discover to explain and heighten the
importance of keeping kosher are merely theories, not meant to supersede the
ultimate value of kashrut - the establishment of a bond between G-d and His
people.
Eating is a basic function, common to all human
life. We spend a good deal of our time with food: buying it, cooking it, eating
it. No fewer than 50 of the 613 Biblical commandments deal with food. A Jew
must approach this universal need in a spiritual as well as a physical manner,
and elevate it to a holy act. by asking, "Is it kosher?", by shaping
our diet to conform to G-d's dictates, we sanctify our tables, and ourselves.
Keeping kosher, a way of life not nearly as
difficult as it at first seems, carries with it immense rewards and
satisfactions. It makes a home a Jewish home; it gives our meals a unique,
traditional quality; it forges a link in the grand chain of Judaism now more
than 3,000 years young. Above all, it creates a special feeling in that man,
woman, boy, or girl, who is making his or her life a little bit more divine.
How Do I Know
It's Kosher?
The word "kosher" means fit for use
according to Jewish law. Although the Torah does list the signs identifying
kosher animals and fish, the intricacies of food processing today require a
strict supervision by a qualified Mashgiach (kashrut supervisor). For all
processed foods, it is absolutely impossible to determine the kashrut of a
product strictly by examining the ingredients on a package. Federal law does
not require the listing of all ingredients. A product may contain kosher
ingredients but be prepared in an unkosher fashion (i.e., pans greased with
animal fat); an ingredient may in itself require supervision (i.e., mono and
diglycerides). Therefore, an essential part of kashrut is the symbol
accompanying the product which informs the consumer that every aspect of
kashrut has been observed regarding this product.
There are many kashrut symbols. The most widely
accepted of these are the Circle-U (OU), Circle-K (OK), Chof-K, and the
Triangle-cRc. Other symbols should be checked out with a competent orthodox
Rabbi as to the level of qualified supervision. A "K" alone on a
product does not assure its kashrut, since the "K" cannot be
copyrighted and anyone may put a "K" on a product, kosher or not. The
words "Kosher", "Parve", or "Kosher-style" do not
assure kashrut, again for the above-mentioned reasons. Both products and
establishments (butcher shops, restaurants, etc.) need proper supervision by a
competent orthodox Rabbinical authority or organization.
Setting Up a
Kosher Kitchen
Kashrut, there are several steps involved in setting
up a kosher kitchen.
1) Consult your rabbi to determine what foods,
utensils, appliances, and kitchen paraphernalia are kosher or may be made
kosher.
2) Make a list of the utensils and dishes for meat
and dairy meals.
3) Tour a supermarket with a kashrut-observing
friend to familiarize yourself with kosher products.
4) Designate specific areas of your kitchen for meat
and dairy.
5) Color-coordinate your meat and dairy utensils and
dishes.
6) Designate and label baking utensils as pareve,
and store them in a parve area.
7) Designate one sink (or one side of the sink) as
meat and the other as dairy. Each should have its own dish rack, sponge, and
mat.
8) Prepare a brief description of your kitchen's
kashrut setup (such as where you keep your meat and dairy dishes and silverware)
for baby sitters and house guests.
9) There are several organizations which provide
subsidies for those converting a home to kosher. Up to 50% of the cost of your
new dishes may subsidized. Contact your rabbi for details.
10) In the event of a mix-up in your kitchen, set
aside the dish or utensil and contact your rabbi.
Separate
Dishes and Utensils
The kosher kitchen has separate sets of dishes,
pots, silverware, trays, and sugar and salt containers. It is advisable to have
different colors or patterns for meat and dairy utensils, so as to avoid their
accidentally being mixed together. Utensils should be differently designed or
properly labeled "M" or "D", if possible, and kept in
separate cabinets.
The Sink
Separate sinks for washing dishes and preparing
foods are preferable. If there is only one sink, dishes and silverware should
not be placed directly in the sink. Separate dish pans or slightly elevated
racks should be placed in the sink, and the meat or dairy dishes placed on
them.
The sink accessories, such as dish towels, sponges,
scouring pads, and draining boards, should be separate for meat and dairy, The
same tablecloth, unless washed in between, should not be used interchangeably
for meat and dairy. Kosher detergents and soaps must be used.
The Refrigerator and Freezer
Meat and dairy products may be placed in the same
refrigerator or freezer; however, care should be taken to prevent spilling or
leaking from one shelf to another. It is advisable to designate different
shelves for meat and dairy products.
The Dishwasher
It is preferable that a dishwasher be used for
either meat or dairy only, but not both.
Small
Appliances
A mixmaster, blender, food processor, grinder, etc.
does not require a separate motor in order to be used for meat and dairy
products. However, one must use separate attachments to the appliance (blades,
dough hooks, glass bowls, etc.) which come into direct contact with food. Even
when using separate attachments, the machine should be cleaned thoroughly after
each use.
The Oven and Stove
It is preferable to have separate ranges and ovens
for meat and dairy products. For those who do not, meat and dairy products
should not be baked or broiled in the same oven at the same time, even in
separate and closed bake ware. One should also see that dairy products baked in
an oven which is also used for meat do not absorb the splattering of meat which
may drip from the top or sides of the oven.
Meat and dairy products may be cooked separately on
the same stove, but care should be taken to avoid splattering or boiling over
from one pot to another.
Microwave Oven
Again, it is preferable to have separate ovens for
meat and dairy products. For those who don't, both meat and dairy food may be
cooked in the same microwave oven, though not at the same time. However,
separate dishes for holding food should be used for meat and dairy.
Meat
The Bible identifies kosher meat as that which comes
from an animal which both chews its cud and has split hooves, and is slaughtered
according to Jewish law (Lev. 11:1-43). The abundance of laws and the necessity
of skill involved in shechita (kosher slaughtering) has created regional
centers where slaughtering is performed by a trained, observant Shochet with
the meat then shipped to local butchers. Cattle and sheep are the most
frequently used sources of kosher meat.
In addition to kosher meat markets (which, like all
food, must be under proper Rabbinical supervision), most major supermarkets
have a kosher frozen foods section and carry several varieties of pre-wrapped
kosher meat.
Only the forequarters of a kosher animal may be
eaten. The hindquarters contain the sciatic nerve and fats forbidden by the
Torah, and may not be eaten. Therefore, because of the difficulty of removing
the nerve and fat, real sirloin or T-bone steaks are not available.
Fowl - Poultry
Physical characteristics are not relied upon as a
means of kosher identification of fowl species. Only fowl having a tradition of
being a kosher species may be used. These include: Capon, chicken, turkey,
pigeon, tame duck, tame goose, tame dove. Wild birds such as wild hen, wild
duck, wild goose, and birds of prey are not kosher. Fowl and poultry, like
meat, must be ritually slaughtered by a qualified shochet.
Except for Yemenite Jews, who have a tradition of
which insects are kosher (as per Lev. 11:21-22), all manner of insects are
forbidden. Foods, especially vegetables, should be checked to be free of
insects and worms.
Kashering of Meat
The Torah explicitly forbids the eating of blood
(Lev. 17:11) for "the life of the flesh is the blood". Therefore,
after an animal is properly slaughtered, the blood must be removed. Though this
is usually done by the butcher, or processing plant, one must inquire so as to
be absolutely certain that the meat has been properly kashered. If the meat has
not been kashered, there are two methods of removing the blood: salting or
broiling.
A. Broiling
Proper broiling of meat extracts all blood. Prior to
broiling, the meat should be rinsed in cold water and lightly sprinkled with
coarse salt. The meat is then immediately placed over an open flame or electric
grid on a perforated tray, and broiled until at least half-done, on each side.
The drippings and the pan used to collect the drippings are not kosher, and
should not come into contact with the meat. The meat is then rinsed after
broiling. Separate knives and forks should be set aside for use with unkoshered
meat being broiled.
B. Salting
Meat must be salted within 72 hours of being
slaughtered, unless the meat has been thoroughly rinsed within that time. One
needs four objects for salting: 1) coarse "Kosher" salt, 2) cold
water, 3) a deep tub for soaking, and 4) an inclined perforated board.
The meat is rinsed and submerged in cold water in
the tub for one half-hour. The meat is then drained and placed on the inclined
perforated board so that the blood will be able to drain away from the meat.
The meat is then salted on both sides with a fine covering of coarse salt. The
salt will extract the blood from the meat. The meat should then remain on the
board, covered by the salt for one hour. The meat should then be thoroughly
rinsed three times.
Liver
Because it contains an abundance of blood, liver can
be kashered ONLY through broiling. A special pan used exclusively for broiling
liver should have a top or grid with regularly spaced holes, allowing the blood
to drip into the pan while the meat broils. The liver may not be broiled in its
own blood. The utensils used for broiling liver should be set aside and not be
used for any other purpose. The liver, after being sprinkled lightly with
coarse salt, should be broiled on both sides until edible, or at least until a
crust is formed. After rinsing the liver, it may be cooked in any way desired.
ONE SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO REMOVE THE PACKAGED LIVER
FROM CHICKENS AND
If one did inadvertently cook with the liver inside
the fowl, an orthodox Rabbi should be consulted.
Salt-Free
Diets
People on an absolutely salt-free diet, may broil
their meat on a grid to remove the blood before eating. Again, meat which is
soaked for two hours after salting does become dietetically salt-free, but a
doctor should be consulted.
Eggs
Only eggs of kosher fowl are permissible to be
eaten; eggs of non-kosher birds or fowl are not kosher.
A blood spot found on the white or yolk of an egg
renders the entire egg not kosher. Each egg should be examined individually
after cracking to determine whether there are any blood spots. In making an
omelet, for example, each egg should be examined by itself before being
combined with the other eggs. When boiling eggs, one should always boil a
minimum of three eggs, so as to render any possible blood spotted egg in the
minority.
Eggs are a basic ingredient in many food items,
including such products as noodles, mayonnaise, and salad dressings. Therefore,
all products containing eggs or egg albumen require kashrut supervision.
Fish
Only fish with both fins and scales may be eaten.
While all fish which have scales have fins as well, many fish which have fins
do not have scales and are therefore not kosher.
There is no prohibition regarding the eating of
blood from fish, nor is any ritual slaughter necessary.
Fish are considered pareve (neither meat or dairy)
and may be eaten together with milk or meat meals. However, fish should not be
cooked or eaten together with meat, and one should use separate utensils for
eating fish and meat.
A partial list of kosher fish includes: anchovies,
bass, bluefish, carp, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, pike,
red snapper, salmon, sardines, shad, smelt, sole, trout, tuna, whitefish. Among
the non-kosher fish are catfish, eel, porpoise, shark, sturgeon, and swordfish.
Crustaceans: All shellfish, such as clams, crabs,
lobsters, oysters, scallops, and shrimp are not kosher.
Caviar: The eggs of non-kosher fish such as lumpfish
or sturgeon are forbidden, as is caviar made from it. The roe (eggs) of salmon
and other kosher fish is permissible, but would require kosher certification.
Fresh Fish: When buying fresh fish which is
filleted, one must be sure that the fish was not filleted with the same knife
or on a board used for filleting non-kosher fish. It is preferable to either
fillet the fish yourself, or purchase fish from a store which sells only kosher
fish.
Processed Fish: Fried fish, fish sticks, or fish
patties need proper kashrut supervision, so as to be sure that the fish, oil,
and other ingredients are kosher, as is the preparation of the fish.
Smoked Fish: Kashrut certification is needed for
smoked fish products, even if the fish is whole and not filleted. Many
companies which produce both kosher smoked fish (sable, salmon, whitefish) also
produce non-kosher varieties (eel, sturgeon) and use the same utensils and
smoke house for both. Also, smoked salmon is often sliced and packed in oil
which must be certified as kosher.
Herring: Herring products must be certified as
kosher. Pickled herring contains several spice blends which are often prepared
with mono- and di-glycerides which need certification. Vinegar must be of
kosher origin. Wine vinegar requires certification. Sour cream used in herring
must also be certified. Chopped herring may contain bread crumbs, spices, and
dressings, all of which need supervision. Some varieties of Matjes herring are
made with wine and are not kosher. Schmaltz herring, while inherently kosher,
must be sliced and prepared in a kosher manner, separate from non-kosher
products.
Dairy Products
Dairy products should not be assumed to be kosher
merely because they are dairy. Numerous dairy products may be non-kosher unless
properly supervised.
Cheese: All varieties of cheese require Kosher
certification, including hard cheeses (American, Swiss, Cheddar, Muenster,
etc.). Cheeses are often processed with rennet, which is derived from the
stomach lining of animals, usually, calves. Kosher cheese requires that the
rennet used be from kosher animals properly slaughtered. Some cottage cheeses
and yogurts are also made with rennet and therefore need proper supervision.
Whey: Cheese by-products may be used only