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 Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:00 am
I know I can just go to Dictionary.com and look this up, but it will not give me the history behind this.
I have always wondered the reasons behind certain food beliefs and what better way than take it to the people who know. Why is it called kosher? What makes it different? And why is it important?
I have an inkling, but just want more information.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:27 pm
Kosher basically just means 'Okay,' 'acceptable,' or 'good.'
But you're probably thinking of Kosher food, being the Kashrut laws over which foods are "Okay," "Acceptable," or "Good" for eating.
Kashrut is designed as it is to set Jews apart from the rest of the world by how we maintain our bodies through eating(The muslims weren't around yet, so we were the only ones doing this).
- Do not boil a Calf in its mother's milk: When you eat beef and top off the flavor with some cheese, you are doing a horrible insult to the calf who died for that burger. For all you know, you could be eating him with cheese from his own mom's milk; The same milk that fed him now used to help him be eaten. It's very sadistic, spiritually speaking.
It's ethical to pay respect to the dead calf by not eating dairy in the same meal that you eat the meat.
From this we get a basic Kashrut Breakdown:
-MEAT (Beef, Turkey, and Chicken according to the Rabbis but not according to most Jews)
-PARVE (All vegetables and fruits. Bread.)
-DAIRY (Milk, Cheese, etc.)
You can eat Meat.
You can eat Parve.
You can eat Dairy.
You can eat Meat and Parve together in the same meal.
You can eat Dairy and Parve together in the same meal.
But you may NEVER eat Meat and Dairy together in the same meal.
Pork and Shellfish:
Forbidden also. According to Leviticus, pigs and ashellfish are among creatures who shall not be eaten. Unless, of course, eating them is the only way you or someone else will survive; All Jewish Commandments are null and void if there is a danger to human life or health involved.
And there's more, too, but I don't really know it that well....
sweatdrop
Kosher-Style: The rules I mentioned above. Follow them.
Kosher: All the rules. Follow them. Including the ones I don't know about and therefore did not mention.
Glat Kosher: All the rules. Follow them.
While keeping Glat Kosher, one must never eat food from an Unkosher kitchen. Unless of course someone's going to die or get really sick and whatever...
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:34 pm
Lumanny: What makes a dill pickle Kosher? There are "Kosher Dills" ...Why is this? xD
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:12 pm
I didn't know about the dairy and meat in one meal. I definitly understand how you could be disrespecting the cow who is the burger by using cheese. But it's sooo good gonk
Are pigs and shellfish considered unclean? I thinks that's what I've heard. There are a ton of risks with them so I would definitly understand that.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:17 pm
I don't know a whole lot about this either, I'm not Jewish by religion, but it's more complicated than explained. There are many kosher laws, even something that's generally worthy of eating still has to be checked for certain flaws. People who are very hard on kosher-keeping would make sure all products they use are supervised.
I only know a little bit because I had just a tiny bit of experience with this kind of things. Some place where I had worked in before was kosher, and I remember they had so many pages on instructions posted on the wall of the kitchen, that specify exactly how each product needs to be taken care of. Even vegetables and such have a certain way of mending before you can eat them (I do remember cabbage is a tricky one, you have to get all the leaves apart and put them all vinegar and such, to kill any possible pests living in it). Some of those rules really are just there for the sake of hygiene. Some I can't figure out the logic behind them.
However, even if all food is generally kosher at some place, it wouldn't be considered kosher if the food was made on Sabbath, for example.
I work in a gelateria and there's obviously only dairy there, but since we work on Saturdays and make that food on Sabbath, our gelato isn't considered kosher. Sometimes it doesn't even matter if it was made on any other day, but since the factory or whatever it is works on Sabbath their products might not get to be 'kosher'.
But many people just do this more roughly and just mind the bigger 'issues', like not eating meat with dairy or staying away from pork and shellfish.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 3:37 pm
Call Me Apple Lumanny: What makes a dill pickle Kosher? There are "Kosher Dills" ...Why is this? xD That's a good question. I'm not sure. Something about the brine, maybe? Aakosir I didn't know about the dairy and meat in one meal. I definitly understand how you could be disrespecting the cow who is the burger by using cheese. But it's sooo good gonk
Are pigs and shellfish considered unclean? I thinks that's what I've heard. There are a ton of risks with them so I would definitly understand that. Yes, they are unclean. We should love them as G-d's creatures but should never eat them and associate with them. @Milk and Meat comment: I know, right??? I am educated Jew and I think I've demonstrated that I know a little something about keeping Kosher. But I don't do it myself. I say the blessing over food and then I eat a Bacon Cheeseburger. True story.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:41 pm
I love bacon cheeseburgers... I craved them all the time when I was pregnant.
So we have kosher dills pickles in the fridge and I asked my mom "What makes it kosher?" And she says, "It's because it's blessed." O.o I'm suprised she thinks that i the only reason. She did go to a Jewish high school, but I have no clue if there was a religion class. It's kind of weird how some people just say somethings without even thinking about it. I mean, there's gotta be more to it. And there obviously is.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 5:22 pm
Aakosir I love bacon cheeseburgers... I craved them all the time when I was pregnant.
So we have kosher dills pickles in the fridge and I asked my mom "What makes it kosher?" And she says, "It's because it's blessed." O.o I'm suprised she thinks that i the only reason. She did go to a Jewish high school, but I have no clue if there was a religion class. It's kind of weird how some people just say somethings without even thinking about it. I mean, there's gotta be more to it. And there obviously is. I got o a Jewish Highschool. There are 2 religion classes.
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 7:23 pm
Lumanny the Space Jew Aakosir I love bacon cheeseburgers... I craved them all the time when I was pregnant.
So we have kosher dills pickles in the fridge and I asked my mom "What makes it kosher?" And she says, "It's because it's blessed." O.o I'm suprised she thinks that i the only reason. She did go to a Jewish high school, but I have no clue if there was a religion class. It's kind of weird how some people just say somethings without even thinking about it. I mean, there's gotta be more to it. And there obviously is. I got o a Jewish Highschool. There are 2 religion classes.
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 9:49 pm
one sort of a joke... I don't say this to offend or anything but when you said you shouldn't associate with pigs the first thing that popped into my head was that you aren't allowed to talk to or befriend them..... sorry Lumanny you have been banned from being friends with Babe...... sorry.... lol and I have a question for you... did you get your name from History of the World pt. 1??? I love that movie!!!
*quotes* "We're Jews in space!!!"
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:41 pm
Do the dill pickles have something to do wtih salt? I don't know where I got the idea, but I think I heard someone say they don't use salt for them.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 3:33 pm
Aakosir Do the dill pickles have something to do wtih salt? I don't know where I got the idea, but I think I heard someone say they don't use salt for them. I hate to see you so troubled over this. I almost feel bad for you for being so confused. XD I don't think it has anything to do with salt, no. But there's also a big aspect of rules to agriculture in kashrut, you could say. For example, during harvest, you must donate a certain percent to the poor. And there's a 7 year cycle - at the 7th year, you (the farm / field / whatever owner) are not allowed to harvest. Also, I don't remember how long it takes, but say you plant a tree (not very relevant when it comes to your pickles, but whatever), you can not harvest for the first few years. But I'm not sure if they do that everywhere. I think some of those things are only done in Israel. The most reasonable thing in my view - bugs aren't kosher, and the product has to be checked to make sure there are no bugs in it. XP So... umm... Could be that too. XD
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 7:57 pm
Im A Little Pea Aakosir Do the dill pickles have something to do wtih salt? I don't know where I got the idea, but I think I heard someone say they don't use salt for them. I hate to see you so troubled over this. I almost feel bad for you for being so confused. XD I don't think it has anything to do with salt, no. But there's also a big aspect of rules to agriculture in kashrut, you could say. For example, during harvest, you must donate a certain percent to the poor. And there's a 7 year cycle - at the 7th year, you (the farm / field / whatever owner) are not allowed to harvest. Also, I don't remember how long it takes, but say you plant a tree (not very relevant when it comes to your pickles, but whatever), you can not harvest for the first few years. But I'm not sure if they do that everywhere. I think some of those things are only done in Israel. The most reasonable thing in my view - bugs aren't kosher, and the product has to be checked to make sure there are no bugs in it. XP So... umm... Could be that too. XD
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:01 pm
I have a question about the salt. We have this box of it in the pantry that has "Kosher approved for passover" on the front. How are the two related?
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Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 5:16 am
VK Fox I have a question about the salt. We have this box of it in the pantry that has "Kosher approved for passover" on the front. How are the two related? lol, I remember being SO confused over this until I finally figured it out. XD During Passover leavening is forbidden. This means you get rid of all the bread and clean your home very very well to make sure there's none left. So you want your entire home to be leavening-free. But if the factory where the goods are made isn't leavening-free, then you can't use their products, even if those are products that aren't supposed to contain anything you can't keep, the surrounding where they're made still has to be clean of it. I'm quoting Wikipedia because I'm too lazy to explain this aspect of Passover. XD Quote: Removing all chametz Main article: Chametz Chametz (חמץ, "leavening") refers either to a grain product that is already fermented (e.g. yeast breads, certain types of cake, and most alcoholic beverages), or to a substance that can cause fermentation (e.g. yeast, sourdough or high fructose corn syrup). The consumption of chametz is forbidden during Passover in most Jewish traditions. According to Halakha, the ownership of chametz is also proscribed. The specific definition of chametz varies among religious and ethno-cultural traditions. In Ashkenazic and certain Sephardic applications of Jewish Law, chametz does not include baking soda, baking powder or like products. Although these are leavening agents, they leaven by chemical reaction whereas the prohibition against chametz is understood to apply only to fermentation. Thus, bagels, waffles and pancakes made with baking soda and matzo meal are considered permissible, while bagels made with yeast, sourdough pancakes and waffles, and the like, are prohibited. Karaite Jews and many non-Ashkenazic Jewish traditions do not observe a distinction between chemical leavening and leavening by fermentation. The Torah commandments regarding chametz are: * To remove all chametz from one's home, including things made with chametz, before the first day of Passover. (Exodus 12:15). It may be simply used up, thrown out (historically, destroyed by burning, since there was no weekly garbage pickup in ancient times), or given or sold to non-Jews (or non-Samaritans, as the case may be). * To refrain from eating chametz or mixtures containing chametz during Passover. (Exodus 13:3, Exodus 12:20, Deuteronomy 16:3). * Not to possess chametz in one's domain (i.e. home, office, car, etc.) during Passover (Exodus 12:19, Deuteronomy 16:4). [edit] Spring cleaning Observant Jews typically spend the weeks before Passover in a flurry of thorough housecleaning, to remove every morsel of chametz from every part of the home. The Halakha requires the elimination of olive-sized or larger quantities of leavening from one's possession, but most housekeeping goes beyond this. Even the cracks of kitchen counters are thoroughly scrubbed, for example, to remove any traces of flour and yeast, however small. Any item or implement that has handled chametz must then be fully cleansed to remove all traces of chametz from them. This is usually accomplished through heat: either by directly heating the implements or by subjecting them to boiling water. Some Jewish bakeries subject their ovens to blowtorches until they glow red hot (a process called libun gamur). Traditionally, Jews do a formal search for remaining chametz (bedikat chametz) after nightfall on the evening before Passover. A blessing is read (על ביעור חמץ - al biyur chametz, "on the removal of chametz"), and one or more members of the household proceed from room to room to check that no crumbs remain in any corner. In very traditional families, the search may be conducted by the head of the household; in more modern families, the children may be the ones who do the search, under the careful supervision of their parents. It is customary to turn off the lights and conduct the search by candlelight, using a feather and a wooden spoon: candlelight effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows; the feather can dust crumbs out of their hiding places; and the wooden spoon which collects the crumbs can be burned the next day with the chametz. Some forgo the traditional tools and use modern equivalents, such as a flashlight, table brush and dustpan. Because the house is assumed to have been thoroughly cleaned by the night before Passover, there is some concern that making a blessing over the search for chametz will be for naught ("bracha l'vatala") if nothing is found. Thus, 10 morsels of bread smaller than the size of an olive are traditionally hidden throughout the house in order to ensure that there some chametz will be found.
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