Kosher

[cmleidi]

Posted: 4/4/04 at 10:46pm

Can someone tell me what kosher means? What makes a food kosher?

[Corine2]

Posted: 4/4/04 at 10:51pm

A food that is blessed by a Rabbi. I am not Kosher but that is only part of it. Updated On: 4/4/04 at 10:51 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/4/04 at 11:11pm

Okay, I'm Catholic, but I have lunch with several people who "keep kosher" and they've explained what this means. I'll do my best to explain:

Kosher is a strict diet. Certain foods cannot be eaten with others (ex: meat and diary don't mix). Pork is forbidden because pigs are dirty animals. The same applies to shellfish.

If you look at packaged products you may find a circled "U" on the front of it. This means the product has been prepared under the supervision of a rabbi and that the food has been canned or packaged under standards that meet kosher law (ex: the meat hasn't been sliced in a machine used to slice cheese).

A truly kosher household will have two sets of dishes: one for meat and another for dairy. As one of my friends explained it, "Kosher" means "You are what you eat". In other words, what goes into the body creates a better spiritual person--one who lives by Mosaic law.

I hope this is a satisfactory explanation. I admit it's simplified. If an orthodox Jew wants to correct me, please do. After all, I'm a goy. I'd call my kosher friends, but they are forbidden to answer the phone during Passover (the mere act of picking up a phone constitutes "work" and that is forbidden during this holy season)

I've used kosher law to settle (for me) the age old question about whether eggs can be eaten by Catholics on days like Good Friday, when we must abstain from meat. According to kosher law an egg is classified as "diary" and is not meat. Therefore I will feel comfortable in having eggs this Friday.

Mazel Tov!

Updated On: 4/5/04 at 11:11 PM

[BwayLover]

Posted: 4/5/04 at 6:28pm

At the risk of getting my head bitten off...

Nice explanation, Dollypop.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/5/04 at 7:07pm

My wife is Jewish but is not really Kosher. For example, Kosher applies to the way an animal is slaughtered. It has many other meanings as well as an expression for someone or something being false

[dramaqueen]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 4:04pm

as a jEw i would like to add that keeping Kosher for passover includes a stricter diet, whuich prevents consuming leavened bread

[emonkeygirl]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 8:07am

Actually, kosher means "separate but holy". Not just foods can be kosher, for example, a chanukah menorah must have eight even arms, with the ninth higher, to be kosher.
The reasoning behind the no milk with meat is ethical. Back in the day (ancient, that is...), people used to boil baby animals live in their mothers milk, which the laws of kosher declared unethical.
There's even more involved, if you REALLY want to know details, read Leviticus. It's a bit tedious & lists 213 commandments including the laws of kashrut (kosher-y goodness!).

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 9:28am

Not all Jews 'keep Kosher'. Probably a minority percentage, mostly those in the orthodox community. I don't know of many reformed or conservative Jews who do.