Kosher Coursework A)

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Sasha Lord

a) Give a detailed account of the Jewish food laws and their origins.

The laws of the kosher diet are designed to fit the religious beliefs of the Jewish religion. ‘Kashrut dietary laws’ come from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Resh, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is from the same root as the more commonly known word ‘Kosher’ which describes foods that meet the standards of Kashrut.

In the concise English Dictionary kosher is defined as ‘Conforming to dietary laws, ritually poor’. ‘Selling or serving food prepared in accordance with dietary laws’. ‘Correct, Genuine’. The opposite of Kosher is terefah (forbidden), which includes food that Jews following the kosher food law are not allowed to eat.

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In the Torah, Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 give many food laws, which are still strictly observed today. “Everything among the animals that has a split hoof which is completely separated into double hooves, and that brings up its cud-that one you may eat”

“But this is what you shall not eat from among those that bring up their cud and have split hooves- the camel, for it brings up its cud but its hoof is not split- it is unclean to you”

The food laws used in today’s society- i.e. the meat that is ...

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