Today, in places such as Israel, America and other countries - all kosher food has a kosher label. A Jew must always check the kosher label before buying a product - even if the food is potentially kosher - such as a can of mixed fruit. That is because sometimes factories add ingredients to the preservatives that render the whole product non-kosher.
-Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy (However many strict Jews will not eat fish with meat.)
- All blood must be removed from meat, either by soaking, salting and rinsing or boiling. But the liver may only be koshered by broiling method, as so much blood is in the liver. Jews believe that soul of the animal is in their blood.
-The whole process of the blood must be completed within 72 hours of slaughter.
-Eggs that contain a blood spot may not be eaten. So what the Jews do is break an egg into a container before they put it into a heated pan, the reason they do this is because if they put a blood-stained egg into a heated pan then the pan becomes non-kosher.
-Grape products made by non Jews may not be eaten e.g. wine.
-Other forbidden foods are certain fats, known as chelev and may not be eaten.
KEEPING KOSHER AND CHARACTER REFINEMENT.
The Torah also prescribes guidelines for the Jews on how to treat animals.
Although animal rights activists and Torah observant Jews agree that animals should not be treated in a cruel, improper way, their goals in doing so are miles apart. The animal rights activists are concerned primarily with the rights and feelings of animals. To the Jew, however, equating animal “rights” with human rights is not a step toward refinement of man; it debases man by equating him with the animal. The kosher laws were not given to elevate the rights of animals, but rather to help human beings develop proper sensitivity toward G-d's creations. It is inconsistent for a human being, who is trying to perfect his character, to treat animals improperly.
This is why Judaism forbids tearing a limb from a living animal, or hunting for sport. Jews may not unnecessarily frighten or tease animals. Jews are forbidden to muzzle together two animals of different species because it causes the animals anguish. Jews must quickly help unload an animal that has finished transporting an item. Jews must even feed their animals before feeding themselves (unless they forget).
Similarly, the laws of Shechita (ritual slaughter) are designed to insure that the animal suffers no pain at all. The knife must be so extremely sharp that the incision is painless, and the main artery to the brain is severed on contact, so the animal feels no pain.
These laws are for man to maintain and develop his unique sense of humanity, to refine his character traits. Why no cheeseburgers? The Torah commands Jews: ‘You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk’ Exodus 23:6. The Oral Law explains this is the prohibition of mixing meat and milk. One possible explanation for this separation is that meat is taken from the flesh of a slaughtered animal. It therefore represents the finite, physical body, which ultimately ends up in death. Milk, on the other hand, is the quintessential life-giving force, the single substance through which a mother can sustain her infant. Milk, therefore, can be compared to spirituality, which sustains our connection with the ultimate, eternal life. Judaism wants Jews to be aware on every level - conscious and subconscious - of the difference between, that which leads to life and that, which leads to death. Even though we must nourish our physical bodies - indeed, G-d allows us to eat meat alone in order that our bodies be healthy - we must not mix in milk. We must never make our physical bodies the goal of living. We must never blur the difference between the physical, mortal world, and the world, which is our ultimate goal, the world of spirituality, of eternal life. That is why meat and milk must remain separate. The bottom line is G-d said so.
Ultimately, Jews cannot fathom the depth of each commandment. Even Jews do
understand a commandment there is still so much more to be discovered. That
is why Jews must keep the commandments even if Jews themselves do understand the
reason for the commandment. Yes, there is more to keeping kosher than meats
the palate...
Jews dessert: This story happened to one of Aish HaTorah's Discovery lecturers, Dr. Andrew Goldfinger. This story was told to me by Rabbi Tuvia Hoffman who I contacted to ask him some questions about kosher.
‘Dr. Goldfinger was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. Several times a year, Oxford would invite their students to special university banquets attended by very famous people. As the students entered the banquet hall, they would be announced at the door, formally seated, and served dinner. Since Dr. Goldfinger is an Orthodox Jew, he would always request in advance that he be served kosher food. On one of these occasions, Dr. Goldfinger was standing in line right behind a very famous Jewish author. Like most of the students, he was quite nervous. Finally, they announced his name, he was led to his seat, and as luck would have it, he was placed right next to the author. The meals were served. After everyone had received an elegantly prepared plate with the finest cuts of meat on delicate china, out came Dr. Goldfinger's kosher meal: an unopened can of tuna fish and an apple - on a paper plate. Suddenly, this author turns to Dr. Goldfinger, and in a voice loud enough or the entire assembly to hear, says, "See, here. Both of us are Jews. Yet I am eating the food of Freud, Mozart, Beethoven and Voltaire. While you are eating the food of absolutely no one of any significance whatsoever." Goldfinger almost fell through the floor in embarrassment. He opened his mouth to answer, but was so nervous, he couldn't utter a sound. Dr. Goldfinger said, "Since that time, I've replayed that scene in my mind a thousand times, wondering what I could have said in reply. I realize now that I should have said the following: "Yes it's true that you're eating the food of Freud and Mozart. But I am eating the food of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, King David, Maimonides and the Vilna Gaon. And in fact, it is because they ate this kind of food that none of them would have ever been so cruel as to humiliate another person in public like you did.’
This story shows that you should embrace people’s beliefs and not put them down. The food that Dr. Goldfinger was eating had meaning and it shows that Dr. Goldfinger was a more committed Jew then the author.
All Jews read the torah, it is the guide to life to them as it contains the laws by which Orthodox Jews live there lives, and therefore they listen to the Torah and take advice from it. So when the Torah says do not ‘boil a kid in its mothers milk’ (Ex.23:19:ex.34:26:Deut.14:21), it has been interpreted as prohibiting eating meat and dairy together. Rabbis have limited prohibition to include not eating milk and poultry together or serve them in the same plates and so it is prohibited. They are, however, allowed to eat fish and dairy together, as well as eat to eat dairy and eggs together. Jews must wait a significant amount of time between eating meat and dairy. People have different options on exact timing and they are between three to six hours, this is because meat particles and fatty residues tend to cling to your mouth. But from dairy to meat, however you would only rinse your mouth or eat a neutral solid, such as bread.
Even the smallest amount of dairy or meat in something renders completely dairy or meat for purposes of Kashrut. For instance most margarine is dairy for kosher purposes because they have small amount of whey or other dairy products which gives it a dairy like taste. Animal fat is considered meat for dairy purposes of Kashrut. All Jews read the ingredients very carefully, even if the product is Kosher.
In a kosher kitchen you will need special apparatus (e.g. pots, pans, plates, cutlery etc.) they must all be specially prepared. A utensil (e.g. apparatus) picks up the kosher “status” from the food that it is cooked or eaten off it, then its status moves back to the next food that is cooked or eaten off it. Its can be extremely easy for the kosher status to be moved from the utensil to the food, the only thing you need to do is heat it up, but if you are eating cold food in a non-kosher restaurant or café the situation of the plates is not a problem.
Sinks and stove tops are non-kosher because they always make contact with meat and dairy in the presence of heat. So when they are being washed up they should use dishpans when cleaning dishes and use to use different spoons when putting things down on the cooker. Dishwashers are a Kashrut problem. They have to have separate dish racks or they have to run the dishwashers in between meat and dairy loads.
Chelev is a certain kind of fat that surrounds the body’s vital organs and the liver cannot be eaten. All of the kosher butchers remove this from the animals so that it cannot be eaten. The kosher butchers take this away. Modern scientists have found biochemical differences among this kind of fat and the permissible fat around the muscles and under the skin. The Suet is a hard fat below the diaphragm is forbidden because it was originally used for burning on the alter. The sciatic nerve and the adjoining vessels must not be eaten by Jews. This is because it was the memory of the biblical story in which Jacob wrestled all night with G-d and ‘he struck him in the hollow of his thigh, so that Jacob’s hip was dislocated as they wrestled.’ (Genesis 32 verse 25). You need to remove the nerve and vessels but it takes a really long time so the slaughters sell the hind quarters to non-kosher butchers.
Wine was commonly used in rituals of all ancient religions and wine was usually sanctified for pagan purposes while it was being processed. For this reason the use of wines and other grape products made by non-kosher was forbidden.
The use of some wines and other grape products made by non-Jews is forbidden. But there is only really affected in wine and grape juice. For this reason it is really very impossible to find kosher baking powder, because baking powder is made with cream or tartar, a product of wine making.
B) What is the importance today for Orthodox Jews of
continuing to observe these laws?
As the kosher food laws are sent from G-d, Orthodox Jews do not need a reason to obey them. It is seen primarily by Jews partaking in keeping kosher to be a small way in which they can show their loyalty to G-d, as well as being a practise in self control and discipline. As it is so basic, the Jews have to use there self-control to limit what they eat, for example they are only allowed kosher food witch is prepared in the right way. Whenever Jews eat food they have there religion in mind, they must always respect the kosher food laws in whatever they eat. Its is important that the Jews observe these laws because it is part of the promise between Moses and Aaron which G-d had told them to spread the word of the kosher laws. G-d said if they followed the food laws then, he would deliver them from there enemies. The laws are connected with G-d Jews feel that they have closer to G-d and more holy to him when they eat kosher foods. Jews feel that when they eat kosher food they are imitating G-d. For the reason that some foods are holy and eating the food reminds Jews of G-d. They are worshiping G-d by eating. They are worshipping G-d by eating and preparing the food the way that G-d said, as it is considered to be holy food so they take great care and consideration.
The strict food laws are essential in everyday life to the Jewish people because they are central to their beliefs and following G-ds word. By observing the food laws they are following there religion and showing G-d that he means a lot to them and they depend on him. The Jews saying thank you to G-d for giving them freedom and helping them escape Egypt.
Jews eat an everyday meal that the Jews eat becomes a holy activity. This is because when the Jews eat their kosher food they are bringing there religion to their Orthodox home. In ‘Judaism for today’ by Angel wood, a Jewish family is asked about there way of life in a kosher home. They say ‘keeping kosher’ means that ‘several times a day we remember who we are and what matters to us’. The following words were said by a young Jewish boy, ‘we say blessings at many times and there are blessings for various foods. G-d made everything and we didn’t, so with these blessings we are really saying that G-d is blessed and we are thankful. That’s how we make ordinary thing special.
When Jewish butches slaughter animals they must make sure that the slaughtering is done within the kosher law, if this is not done in the kosher law the meat is therefore not kosher. The Jews must not show cruelty to animals, this shows respect to the animals’ lives, this is because animals are part of G-ds creation and G-d commanded Adam to look after all of his creations and told him ‘I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals’ (Genesis 128). It’s not just the slaughtering it is also when the Jews are cooking all of the kosher food, they must respect the feeling of the animals, ‘you must not cook a kid in its mothers milk’ (Exodus 23; 19). So it is important for the Jews to remember G-ds creation and treat animals correctly.
All of the Jewish food laws bring all the Jews together as a community. It does not matter wherever you are in the world you can go to a Jewish family and know all of there rituals and traditions, even if you speak another language. When the Jews are following the laws and doing exactly that they say, they are keeping alive what there Jewish ancestors have been doing for many centuries. It is important for the Orthodox Jews to pass the strict food laws on to their children, as there are fewer Orthodox Jews today. They can also recognise each other from the practises they carry forward on the food laws, for example buying meat at a kosher butcher.
Progressive Jews interpret the Jewish laws in the light of the modern life, they are more open minded. Progressive Jews believe that they should progress with the modern world, so they take the best of the Jewish laws into the modern world. Many progressive Jews do not feel that the kosher food laws make them a better Jew in G-ds eyes. What makes them feel better Jews is what they feel in the heart and their direct relationship with G-d. The Jews also have friends with non-kosher people but at the same time still respect the religion and remember that they rely on G-d and keep in mind what they did for them. Nevertheless these Jews find it easier to build broader relationships with people outside the Jewish community if they are no restricted by the numerous laws. Ultra-Orthodox Jews don’t care about questions of modern living but believe but Jews outside Israel are all-part time Jews. ‘Israel is the one place in the world today where your whole life can be Jewish, where you can be both fully Jewish and fully human’. This quote is telling the Jews that Israel is the only place for a true Jew to live and the Jews can be certain they are carrying forward the laws correctly.