By Tom Brennan
What’s okay to eat and what’s not and a general discussion of what it means.
One of the things about Jewish lifestyle that everyone seems to know about is Kosher. Many grocery chains have Kosher aisles in the market and the term “Rabbinical supervision” is on the label. There are many misconceptions and just as many arguments about “what’s Kosher” and how strict is it interpreted that make it an intriguing item for discussion. And what better place to start than in Israel
What is the definition of Kosher? Very simply it means unsuitable or unacceptable for food or use. The Torah lists the animals, birds, reptiles and fish that are not to be consumed as food. It also gives instructions against mixing or combining certain things. This is explained as a matter of each according to its kind. No reason is given and no exceptions, “just say no”. Many reasons have been put forth for the prohibitions. Some commentaries conclude that the list includes almost all carrion eaters. There is to be a general avoidance of already dead things. The one who touches a dead body was unclean and had to stay outside the camp (the Torah was written down while the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years) for a set period. That person had to perform rituals of cleaning self and clothes before being allowed back within the camp of 12 tribes. But this is not stated as the reason, only as a cleaning ritual.
The Torah includes many other instances where someone could be declared “unclean” and has to perform washings and have a sacrifice offered by the priests to be allowed to rejoin the camp. Where the many additional rules and traditions make their entrance is in the Talmud, or “Spoken Law”. These are collections on commentaries and interpretations of how to obey the Torah which were assembled in later years. Eventually they took on an identity of their own and set the scene for very elaborate and detailed rules on how to eat, how to prepare it and to even have two sets of dishes and cookware to avoid any mixing of foods which would combine into a violation of the Talmudic interpretation of what is Kosher and what is not.
Kosher is not a blessing or recipe. To be Kosher according to Torah means don’t eat it, don’t mix unlike material and don’t combine certain things. Being prepared in Kosher style really means that the food does not contain prohibited ingredients.
Israel is a place of many peoples and some do not keep Kosher. Some like the Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox maintain a very strict adherence to the Talmudic interpretations or Halacha traditions. They have two sets of dishes, cooking utensils and even two kitchens. Perhaps the best example of this is the commandment not to boil a kid in the milk of its mother. This is one way not to mix dairy and meat or expose the house to misplaced leaven on feast days. This has also been interpreted as an act of kindness to animals, not mixing dairy and meat (no cheeseburgers!), or the next closest guess is related to the command to not worship the Creator with any of the rituals the idol worshipping Canaanites used. Once again, the best answer is, Torah says no! There are volumes of arguments and thousands of words over the generations about why the elaborate traditions of Kosher.
What are kosher foods? According to the Bible and Torah, anything not forbidden for food is kosher. Animals permitted to be used as food are to be slaughtered in a certain way and that way has been considered one of the quickest available. No blood is to be consumed and this method of slaughter kills and drains all the blood in an extraordinarily quick manner.
Here is where the wonderful world of Israel’s food comes in. Matzo ball soup, gefilte fish and latkes are nowhere to be found in the Bible. But the Jews who returned to The land brought with them recipes of where they had gone and what their ancestors ate and are willing to share with us.
Christian visitors may have trouble with Kosher since Peter’s vision of the clean and unclean things has many interpretations. But for the time of your visit try “going native” and eat as Israelis do. Remember to respect the differences in interpretations the Orthodox see in following the traditions and ask your tour guide how best to enjoy visits to Orthodox populated areas. There are unique rules and roles for men and women here and visits will help you to see the wide variations in how Judaism can vary in what was the Diaspora. You can glimpse back several hundred years to see a people who have been caught in time and still preserve the coherence and belief that helped them endure.
There are several feasts where leaven (the yeast that makes bread rise) is forbidden. This is where many observant Jews will follow strict procedures. Depending where you are staying and with whom, you may want to be very careful with your eating habits and not bring any baked goods or other foods that contain leaven into the residence. This courtesy will go far in mutual understanding and win friends.
So, Kosher has many meanings for us to learn. But when it’s about food it opens up a door to the many cultures and palates that Israel calls its own today. Good taste has many meanings, and Kosher is one more way to enjoy The Land.
Suggested reading: Enter His Gates
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