Kosher foods: Difference between revisions

With four exceptions, all insects and other invertebrates (including those usually consumed as seafood), all reptiles, and all amphibians are considered 'loathsome', 'crawling' creatures, and are forbidden by the Torah. The exceptions are a type of locust, the kosher locust native to the Arabian peninsula, encompassing four distinct species. The tradition for identifying which species of locust were and were not kosher has been lost among all Jews except the Jews of Yemen. (One hypothesis links these kosher insects to the Biblical manna which was provided as food for the Israelites in the desert).^{[citation needed]}

Bee honey is Kosher, even though bees are not, because the honey is made by the bee, not a secretion of the bee.^[2]

In the summer of 2004, a controversy arose in New York City over the presence of copepods (tiny crustaceans) in the city water supply. While some authorities hold that these creatures are microscopic and therefore negligible, others note that they are almost the size of a small insect, such as a gnat, and far larger than a bacterium or other single-celled creature; and in fact can be detected by the naked eye. As of this writing a definitive ruling has not been produced as to whether copepods are kosher, but many families have begun using filters on their drinking and cooking water supply.

Milk and milk-derived products derived from kosher animals are always kosher. All milk from cows, goats, and sheep is kosher. In the past, when milk from cows was more expensive, adulteration with camel milk or horse milk was a serious issue; today this is not considered a practical concern in the USA or in most western countries. As such, some Haredi rabbis, most Modern Orthodox rabbis, and all Conservative rabbis hold that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMEA) supervision is sufficient for milk to be considered automatically kosher. However, where it is available, many Orthodox Jews still adhere to the centuries-old ruling that only "Cholov Yisroel" (חלב ישראל) milk and dairy products may be consumed; this label means that the milk has been under constant rabbinical supervision from milking to bottling, to make sure that it is not mixed with the milk of a non-kosher animal.

Breast milk is considered parve.

Cheese is, of course, considered a dairy product. Hard cheeses, however, are made from milk and rennet, an animal product, 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. Kosher rennet may be made from the stomachs of kosher animals slaughtered in conformance with the laws of kashrut, or may be made from vegetable or microbial sources. The Mishna and Talmud (in Avodah Zarah and Hullin) state that cheese made with rennet derived from a non-kosher animal is non-kosher. Orthodox authorities follow this ruling, and hold that rennet is a "d'var ha'ma'amid" (דבר המעמיד), an ingredient which changes the food so significantly that its presence cannot be considered negligible, so that even tiny amounts make the food it is added to non-kosher. Conservative authorities classify rennet as something that has changed so much from its original form that it is a "d'var chadash" (דבר חדש), "something new", and thus is no longer non-kosher. In practice Orthodox and some Conservative Jews eat only cheese made with kosher rennet, while other Conservative Jews follow the Conservative ruling and eat any hard cheese.

Historically, the extent of the restriction on meat/dairy mixtures has evolved over time and locale.

I. Biblical text

The original prohibition of meat/dairy mixtures is found in three verses in the Torah, which identically state, “You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk,” (Ex 23:19, 34:26, Deut 14:21).^[3] These verses are the ultimate basis for not eating meat and milk together. However, this requirement is much less restrictive than Rabbinic Judaism's prohibition against all mixtures of milk and meat. Rabbinic tradition relies on the existence of an Oral Torah, which in this case maintains that all mixtures of milk and meat are intended by the verses.

II. Talmudic period

The Talmudic Rabbis (Chullin 115b) state that the verses only prohibit meat actually being cooked in milk, but the rabbis also added in a prohibition of eating meat with milk products. Additionally, they mandated a waiting period after the consumption of meat before dairy is allowed to be eaten.^[4] Mar Ukva tells how his father would not eat dairy after a meat meal, but rather would wait until the next day. Mar Ukva himself would not eat dairy at the same meal, but would at the next one. (Chullin 105a) The exact time period "between meals" is thus of importance in determining the amount of time one must wait.^[4]

III. Medieval and Modern periods

Tosafot (Chullin 105a) explains that as long as one has cleared the table after the meal and recited the blessing after a meal, then one may begin a new meal with dairy.^[5] Maimonides explains that waiting is necessary because meat becomes stuck in the teeth longer than other foods. Another reason is that it takes approximately six hours to digest meat^{[citation needed]}. Because Maimonides writes "about six hours" and not simply "six," some interpret this to mean that 5½ hours of waiting is allowed.^[6] He also connects it to health issues and idolatry. ^[3] The Shulchan Aruch, on the other hand, requirs waiting a full six hours for meat, including fowl, even if one has just been pre-chewing food for a baby and not really eating. If food is stuck between teeth one must take it out.^[7] This ruling is binding for Sephardi Jews. Ashkenazi Jews, however, have various customs. Most European Jews will wait six hours, even if the table is cleared and the blessings have been recited. German Jews wait three hours, and Dutch Jews wait only one.^[7]

Eating meat after dairy is considered less problematic. One must only (a) say the blessings, (b) clean and rinse mouth, and (c) wash hands.^[4]

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:

• cooking meat and milk together is prohibited, even if the resulting dish is not eaten;
• eating milk and meat together is prohibited even if they are not cooked together; and
• no benefit can be attained from such activity; for instance, one cannot even serve meat and milk together to an animal.

Note that in most current forms of Judaism (but not among all Karaites, Ethiopian Jews and some Persian Jewish communities), this even applies to the flesh of birds, not just mammals. Most observant Jewish homes maintain two sets of silverware, cookware, cups, and dishes. One is for milk (Yiddish milchig, Hebrew halavi) dishes, and one is for meat (Yiddish fleishig or fleishedik, Hebrew basari) 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, modern Hebrew parve). All foods which do not fall into the categories of meat or dairy are considered parve, and can be consumed freely with either meat or dairy. This includes all fruits and vegetables and foods derived exclusively from such sources; salt and other non-organic foodstuffs. Fish is considered parve, and may be eaten directly before or after both meat and milk, but see Seafood above.

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 amongst Ashkenazi Jews because it is held that it would weaken the traditional system of kashrut observance. However, it is common within most religiously observant households to allow drinking glasses to be used for both dairy and meat meals, as long as they are thoroughly washed. Amongst Sephardim, glass dishes are often used for both milk and meat — including for hot food.

There are varying views on how long to wait before consuming milk or dairy after the other. Traditionally, three distinct customs are observed regarding how long it is necessary to wait after eating meat before eating dairy foods again; most Eastern European communities including Litvaks and the majority of chasidim, wait six hours, but many Galitzianers and German Jews wait only three to five hours, and Dutch Jews only 55 minutes.

Various laws apply to fruits, vegetables and produce. Most of these apply only to produce of the Land of Israel:

• Orlah - fruits, harvested from a tree, less than three years after its planting (Mishnah tractate Orlah 3:9, Shulchan Arukh Yoreh De'ah 294:9-10)
• Various tithes (Shulchan Aruch ibid ch. 391-393):
  • Terumah - originally given to the Kohanim (priestly caste)
  • Maaser Rishon - originally given to the Levites
  • Maaser Sheni - originally consumed in Jerusalem or given to the poor (in specific years)
• Shmita - produce from each seventh year (Mishna tractate Shevi'it and Maimonides Hilchot Shevi'it ve-Yovel)
• Challah - a portion of dough which must be given to the Kohanim (Mishna tractate Challah, Shulchan Aruch ibid 322-330)

Unprocessed grains and cereals are kosher. Processed items (e.g. dry cereals, baked goods) may contain small quantities of non-kosher ingredients; therefore Orthodox Judaism holds that these goods should generally not be consumed unless there is a hechsher (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.

During Passover, there are additional restrictions on what foods may be eaten. Jewish law prohibits the consumption of leavened products, and furthermore any product made from the so-called "five species" of grain – conventionally viewed to be wheat, rye, barley, spelt, or oats^[8] – which may have been inadvertently briefly moistened sometime after harvest, and thus begun the fermentation process which is key to leavening. The exception to this rule is matzo – bread which has been ritually supervised from harvest to packaging to ensure that no leavening has occurred.

Ashkenazic Jews are further restricted, by custom, from eating rice, legumes, and corn (collectively called kitniyot) during Passover. The reasoning for this restriction was the inability to separate, with confidence, all traces of grain from stores of kitniyot, particularly since they are often stored together during the year. Due to the prevalence of corn syrup in American processed foods, many common items are disallowed for Ashkenazic Jews during Passover. Coca-Cola produces and distributes "kosher Coke" (a version of Coke made without corn syrup) during Passover in the United States. Sephardic Jews are permitted to eat rice and typically legumes and corn as well. In order to prevent inadvertent consumption of leaven, observant Jews maintain an entirely separate set of dishes, cutlery, pots, pans, etc. for Passover, much as they maintain separate sets of kitchenware year-round for milk and for meat. Before Passover, the house is rigorously cleaned to eliminate any remnants of chametz, no matter how small. Some upper-class Jews even maintain a separate kitchen for use during Passover, to eliminate the need for such a laborious procedure in their regular kitchen, with the risk of overlooking some nook or cranny where a crumb has lodged. Karaite and Karaitic Jews, who reject the rabbinic Oral Torah and accept only the Written Torah as binding, commonly just avoid leavening during Passover, since the written law does not actually say that chometz or kitniyot cannot be eaten – it just says it cannot be leavened.

All fresh fruits and vegetables are kosher in principle. 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 certain grasshoppers and crickets according to the Jews of Yemen only, see above). In the last century emphasis on this aspect has increased, especially in the Haredi Jewish community. Many Haredim avoid certain vegetables, such as broccoli, because they may be infested and exceedingly hard to clean. Responding to this issue, some companies now sell thoroughly washed and inspected produce for those who do not wish to do it themselves, even going to the trouble of filtering the wash water to ensure that it carries no microscopic creatures (see discussion of such animals in tap water, above).

There are actually some restrictions on consumption of produce. The fruit of a tree for the first three years cannot be consumed (the law of orlah). For crops grown in the Holy Land, tithes must be taken and allocated according to the precepts of the Bible, otherwise the entire crop is not considered Kosher.

Eggs from kosher birds are kosher; they are also considered parve (neutral, neither milk nor meat). Traditionally, eggs are examined in a glass cup to ascertain that they contain no blood. Eggs containing blood in the white may be used according to Sephardi halakha if the blood can be removed, but the egg must be discarded if any blood is found on the yolk. Ashkenazim generally do not distinguish between blood in the white or on the yolk. Partially-formed eggs found inside slaughtered birds may be eaten, but they must undergo the same process of blood removal as the animal, and these eggs are considered to be fleishig (status of meat) in Ashkenazi Judaism.

Most canned and frozen foods 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 hechsher (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.

Traditionally, all wheat, oil, and grape juice products, including wine, were considered kosher only if produced by Jews; those produced by non-Jews were considered non-kosher. However, over time the prohibition against the consumption of wheat and oil products produced by non-Jews was dropped.

Nonetheless, the prohibition against gentile-made grape products continued. This is a result of the religious use of wine by non-Jews (as well as Jews). In the past, an entire vineyard, or an entire round of grape-pressing might be dedicated to a deity. The wine thus produced would be considered idolatrous, and its consumption would be prohibited by Jewish law. Such wine is known as Yayin Nesekh, and may not be consumed even if it was never used in a religious ceremony. This prohibition, enacted by the rabbis, remains in effect to this day, even though the basis for concern is now virtually non-existent.

As a consequence, many candies, drinks, and other foods are often not available in grape flavor. Many blends of fruit juices are also flavored with white grape juice, and are thus viewed as grape products.

One area of leniency is in regard to pasteurized wine, which falls under the category of "cooked wine" ("yayin mevushal"). Such wine was historically viewed as less suitable for religious practices, and is therefore not subject to the same prohibitions as uncooked non-Jewish wine, primarily regarding the way it may be handled. However, even mevushal wine is forbidden without proper supervision.

Some distilled spirits may potentially fall under the purview of the kosher restrictions relating to wine -- for example, brandy and cognac are themselves distilled from wines, and some varieties of whiskey obtain their characteristic flavor from aging in used wine barrels.

Within Conservative Judaism, the law is regarded as being upheld, but the practice has significantly changed. In the 1960s the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards approved a responsum ("legal ruling") by Rabbi Israel Silverman on this subject.

He notes that most classical Jewish authorities agree that Christians are not considered idolaters, and that their products cannot be considered forbidden in this regard. He also noted that most wine-making in the United States is fully automated. Based on 15th-19th century precedents in the responsa literature, he concluded that wines manufactured by this automated process may not be classified as wine "manufactured by gentiles", and thus are not prohibited by Jewish law. This responsa makes no attempt to change halakhah in any way, but rather argues that most American wine, made in an automated fashion, already is kosher by traditional halakhic standards. Some criticism was later made against this teshuvah, because (a) some wines are not made by automated processes but rather, at least in some steps, by hand, and (b) on rare occasions non-kosher fining ingredients are used in wine preparation.

A later responsum on this subject was written by Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, and also accepted by the CJLS. Dorff noted that not all wines are made by automated processes, and thus the reasoning behind Silverman's responsum was not conclusively reliable in all cases. He explored rabbinic thought on Jewish views of non-Christians, also finding that most poskim refused to consign Christians to the status of idolator. Dorff then explored the traditional halakhic argument that avoiding such wine would prevent intermarriage. Dorff asserted, however, that those who were strict about the laws of kashrut were not likely to intermarry, and those that did not follow the laws would not care if a wine has a heksher or not. He then discussed the fact that many foods once considered forbidden if produced by gentiles (wheat and oil products) were eventually declared kosher, and proceeded to extend this leniency, in such situations where applicable, to grape-products, including wines.

Questions of kashrut also crop up regarding items which are not themselves consumed, but are used in food preparation or consumption. For instance, production of aluminum foil involves lubricants (derived from animals or plants). In the past, tallow or lard were often used, which would leave a residue on the foil rendering it non-kosher. However, today, use of these products is economically unfavorable compared to use of vegetable-derived lubricants.

Mixing fish and meat, while technically kosher, is nevertheless restricted by rabbinical law.^[9] The Talmud prohibited this specifically, on the grounds of the Torah requirement to carefully guard one’s health. Though it might be presumed that those in Talmudic times did not have the wealth of medical knowledge that we have today, many observant Jews continue to follow this restriction, believing that the scholars of the Talmud may have known something we do not, or that there might be other unstated reasons for the restriction.^[10]

Kosher is the word used to describe food which Judaism allows for Jews, and Halal is the word to describe food which Islam allows for Muslims. Each contains restrictions and leniencies not found in the other. For more information, see Comparison of Dhabiĥa Halal and kashrut.

• Clean animals
• Kashrut
• Taboo food and drink
• Halaal
• Hechsher
• Comparison of Dhabiĥa Halal and kashrut
• Kosher tax

• The Kosher food list of Leviticus in isolation, at wikisource
• The Kosher food list of Deuteronomy in isolation, at wikisource