{"id":2345,"date":"2018-10-22T07:00:57","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T11:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hebrew\/?p=2345"},"modified":"2018-09-24T11:15:19","modified_gmt":"2018-09-24T15:15:19","slug":"eating-kosher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hebrew\/eating-kosher\/","title":{"rendered":"Eating Kosher"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Image via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

Kosher (\u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05b5\u05e8<\/strong>, pronounced as ka-sher) is a Hebrew adjective, meaning \u201cfit\u201d, \u201cproper\u201d, or \u201ccorrect\u201d. \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05b5\u05e8<\/strong> also means \u201cfit to eat\u201d according to the Jewish laws of Kashruth (\u05db\u05bc\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea<\/strong>) \u2013 a set of dietary rules that dictates what kinds of food can be eaten and how it needs to be prepared.<\/p>\n

The \u05db\u05bc\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea<\/strong> laws concerns any kind of food. Milk and eggs are included, and apparently not all kinds of milk and eggs are permitted for eating (\u05de\u05bb\u05ea\u05bc\u05b8\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4<\/strong>). It depends on the animal. The rule, as it quoted in the Babylonian Talmud \u2013 a Jewish text from the 5th<\/sup> century CE \u2013 says:<\/p>\n

\u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b5\u05d0 \u05de\u05c5\u05df \u05d4\u05b7\u05d8\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05b5\u05d0 \u2013 \u05d8\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d0, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b5\u05d0 \u05de\u05c5\u05df \u05d4\u05b7\u05d8\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u2013 \u05d8\u05b8\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Literally means: \u201cwhat comes out of the impure is impure, and what comes out of the pure is pure\u201d. If the animal is \u201cpure\u201d, that is to say permitted for eating, so will be its products. The cow, for example, is a kosher animal, and therefore cow milk is kosher as well. Chicken is also a kosher animal, hence its eggs are permitted for eating. Sheep and goat are kosher, so their milk is \u05de\u05bb\u05ea\u05bc\u05b8\u05e8<\/strong> \u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4<\/strong>, too. Quail is a kosher bird and so its eggs. But how we decide which animal is \u05d8\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d0<\/strong> (impure), and which animal is \u05d8\u05b8\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8<\/strong> (pure)? The bible enjoins:<\/p>\n

“\u05d6\u05b9\u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05dc \u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b5\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5;<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u05db\u05bc\u05b9\u05dc \u05de\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b6\u05e1\u05b6\u05ea \u05e4\u05bc\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e1\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d5\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b9\u05d5\u05e1\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e1\u05b7\u05e2 \u05e4\u05bc\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05e1\u05b9\u05d5\u05ea, \u05de\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b7\u05ea \u05d2\u05bc\u05b5\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b5\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b9\u05d5\u05ea\u05b8\u05d4\u05bc \u05ea\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b5\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThese are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth; Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud \u2014 that you may eat.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(book of Leviticus, chapter 11, verses 2\u20133)<\/p>\n

The bible gives three conditions \u2013 the land animal must have hooves (\u05de\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b6\u05e1\u05b6\u05ea \u05e4\u05bc\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e1\u05b8\u05d4<\/strong>), the hooves must be split (\u05e9\u05c1\u05b9\u05d5\u05e1\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e1\u05b7\u05e2<\/strong>), and the animal must be ruminant (\u05de\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b7\u05ea \u05d2\u05bc\u05b5\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4<\/strong>). Chapter 11 in the book of Leviticus gives examples of animals who don\u2019t meet the criteria. The camel is the first example mentioned as an animal that chew its cud but doesn\u2019t has hooves. So are the coney and hare. The pig, on the other hand, has hooves and they are even cloven, but he is not a ruminant animal, and hence is not \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05b5\u05e8<\/strong> (kosher).<\/p>\n

The bible elaborates on the conditions of kosher sea animals:<\/p>\n

“<\/strong>\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d6\u05b6\u05d4 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05bc\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd: \u05db\u05bc\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e1\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05e9\u05c2\u05b0\u05e7\u05b6\u05e9\u05c2\u05b6\u05ea \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd, \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05e0\u05bc\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b9\u05d5\u05ea\u05b8\u05dd \u05ea\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b5\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e1\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05e9\u05c2\u05b0\u05e7\u05b6\u05e9\u05c2\u05b6\u05ea \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05e0\u05bc\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd, \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05bc\u05b9\u05dc \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05bc\u05b9\u05dc \u05e0\u05b6\u05e4\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e7\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d4\u05b5\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b6\u05dd.<\/strong>“<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOf all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water you are to detest.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(book of Leviticus, chapter 11, verses 9\u201310)<\/p>\n

For sea animals to be \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05b5\u05e8<\/strong> there are two conditions: only fish with fins (\u05e1\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8<\/strong>) and scales (\u05e7\u05b7\u05e9\u05c2\u05b0\u05e7\u05b6\u05e9\u05c2\u05b6\u05ea<\/strong>) may be eaten. Tuna, salmon, carp, sea-bass, sardine and herring, for instance. Shellfish such as shrimps, crabs, mussels, and lobsters are forbidden to eat.<\/p>\n

The bible doesn\u2019t give us signs for birds, so there are no conditions for us to determine which are \u05d8\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d0<\/strong> (impure) and which are \u05d8\u05b8\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8<\/strong> (pure). It simply details twenty non-kosher poultries:<\/p>\n

“\u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05bc\u05b6\u05d4 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05e7\u05bc\u05b0\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u05df \u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05e3, \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b5\u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e7\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d4\u05b5\u05dd: \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e0\u05bc\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e4\u05bc\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e1, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05d6\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05d3\u05bc\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4\u05bc. \u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05dc \u05e2\u05b9\u05d5\u05e8\u05b5\u05d1 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9. \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05bc\u05b7\u05d7\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05e1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05e3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e0\u05bc\u05b5\u05e5 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b5\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc. \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05db\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05da\u05b0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b7\u05e0\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e3. \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05bc\u05b4\u05e0\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05de\u05b6\u05ea \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05bc\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05ea \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05d7\u05b8\u05dd. \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b8\u05e4\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4\u05bc; \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05e4\u05b7\u05ea, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b2\u05d8\u05b7\u05dc\u05bc\u05b5\u05e3.<\/strong>“<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,\u00a0the kite, and the falcon after its kind;\u00a0every raven after its kind,\u00a0the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind;\u00a0the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl;\u00a0the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(Book of Leviticus, chapter 11, verses 13\u201319)<\/p>\n

Jews do not eat these twenty birds or their eggs. But even the permitted kinds of eggs have one more strict rule. The eggs of kosher birds are permitted as long as they do not contain blood. Therefore, eggs must be individually examined. If you crack open an egg to make an omelet, and notice blood inside, the egg should be thrown away.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Kosher restaurants in Israel highlight the fact they are kosher to attract customers who eat kosher, like this coffee shop in Tel-Aviv with the sign \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05b5\u05e8 as big as the place name (photo by Ayana)<\/p><\/div>\n

Milk, and all its derivatives \u2013 cream, cheese, butter etc., are never to be combined with meat. “\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05ea\u05b0\u05d1\u05b7\u05e9\u05b5\u05bc\u05c1\u05dc \u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d1 \u05d0\u05b4\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9”<\/strong> (\u201cYou shall not boil a young goat in its mother\u2019s milk\u201d) is a prohibition that appears three times in the bible (in the book of Exodus, chapter 23, verse 19, for instance). Jewish scholars expand this prohibition of eating, two thousand years ago. They banned cooking, eating and serving of meat products with milk on all its forms. Cheeseburger, pepperoni pizza and even chicken Parmesan are not kosher.<\/p>\n

This rule is scrupulously upheld in kosher diners and observant Jewish households. In which, two separate sets of dish are served: one for dairy meals (\u05d7\u05b2\u05dc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9<\/strong>), and the other for meat dishes (\u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05e9\u05c2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9<\/strong>). Public diners mark their meat utensils in red, and their dairy utensils in blue. The dairy cutlery is also distinguished from the meat cutlery by a small hole in the handle. A religious family might even have two basins in their kitchen and two refrigerators.<\/p>\n

\"\"

A dairy meal in Tel-Aviv hospital, 2018. The tray, plates and bowls are blue; the cutlery marked with a hole in its edge (photo by Ayana)<\/p><\/div>\n

After meat meals, one should wait six hours before eating dairy. After dairy consumption, on the other hand, drinking and eating a small piece of food is enough and no need to wait a few hours. Drinking water and eating bread, for example, will do. If you ate meat or dairy you are allowed to eat anything that is parve (\u05e4\u05bc\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d5\u05b6\u05d4<\/strong>). \u05e4\u05bc\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d5\u05b6\u05d4<\/strong> is a food that is not meat or dairy. A kosher meat meal will be followed by parve desserts \u2013 desserts that don\u2019t consist dairy products.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Twinscakes Bakery in Tel-Aviv. The sign reads: kosher parve\/halavi, and indicates its cakes and sweets are kosher, some contain dairy products, some don\u2019t (photo by Ayana).<\/p><\/div>\n

Vegetables, fruits and grains are kosher, but must be clean from insects. All products grow in the soil or on plants are kosher, but chapter 11 in the book of Leviticus ban Jews from eating worms, flies, insects etc. Flour, for example, must be sifted shortly before use, to make sure no small insects have hatched inside it.<\/p>\n

To summarize, here are the basics of the \u05db\u05bc\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea<\/strong> laws:<\/p>\n

1) Kosher animals are the ones who have cloven hooves and chew their cud.<\/p>\n

2) Certain types of birds are not kosher.<\/p>\n

3) Milk and eggs are kosher as long as they came out of kosher animal or bird.<\/p>\n

4) Meat and milk should never be combined together.<\/p>\n

5) Insects are not kosher, so vegetables, fruits and grains should be clean from insects to be kosher.<\/p>\n

But, believe it or not, this is only the beginning of it. There numerous rules, laws and customs regarding the soil, the timing of harvest, the donations from the harvest, the wine, the animals\u2019 conditions, the flesh parts, the process of slaughter, and so on. But as long as you know the basics you are safe.<\/p>\n

This video is a little bit long but quite interesting. A European tourist in the southern city of Israel, Eilat, decided to check out the differences between the kosher McDonald\u2019s and the non-kosher McDonald\u2019s. The two stores located in the same mall, and the tourist got the help of the locals, so you can also practice your Hebrew listening comprehension on the way:<\/p>\n