[beth]

I have heard about Jews not being able to eat shellfish and pig products as outlined in the Torah. What were the reason for these foods being banned? I had heard it was for health reasons, but would these health reasons still exist with today's hygiene standards? Any info would be appreciated.

[chana613]

First of all, they are not 'customs' theya re mitzvot or laws from the Torah.
Other groups in the area ate those foods, so the health reason is not all that strong.

The reason that Jews eat kosher is beacuse it is part of a larger 'holiness code' that was given to us by G-d.
We do not know why he asked us to refrain from certain foods, but ultimately, if youa re a believing Jew, then knowing that he did is sufficient.
That does not mean that you cannot try to figure out the reason, but your post makes it clear why that could be problematic.
You could say "Oh, things are so clean these days, I do not need to keep kosher any more"
and so then the laws are disobeyed.

[PearlyWrites]

There are certain laws pertaining to keeping Kosher and eating Kosher foods.

Shellfish is not eaten, yes it is written in the Torah and also because they are scavengers of the ocean. Which means they clean up all the junk and dirt in the ocean. Fish that have scales and gills are considered Kosher to eat like Flounder, Salmon, and Tuna.

The other law of the Torah states animals with hoofs and chew its cud are Kosher to eat. Besides this rule, their are certain ways an animal should be slaughtered were it brings no pain to it. A shochet or butcher is trained for this job.

Also, meat must be soaked and salted to make sure no blood is ever left on the meat as the law states no blood should ever be eaten.

Another reason, which was told to me by someone, is our bodies break down dairy and meat products at different rates so not eating these together and keeping them seperate helps the body absorb the foods better. Again, this was told to me so don't know how true this is.

I hope this gives more insight into Kosher laws.

[beth]

Originally Posted by PearlyWrites

There are certain laws pertaining to keeping Kosher and eating Kosher foods.

Shellfish is not eaten, yes it is written in the Torah and also because they are scavengers of the ocean. Which means they clean up all the junk and dirt in the ocean. Fish that have scales and gills are considered Kosher to eat like Flounder, Salmon, and Tuna.

The other law of the Torah states animals with hoofs and chew its cud are Kosher to eat. Besides this rule, their are certain ways an animal should be slaughtered were it brings no pain to it. A shochet or butcher is trained for this job.

Also, meat must be soaked and salted to make sure no blood is ever left on the meat as the law states no blood should ever be eaten.

Another reason, which was told to me by someone, is our bodies break down dairy and meat products at different rates so not eating these together and keeping them seperate helps the body absorb the foods better. Again, this was told to me so don't know how true this is.

I hope this gives more insight into Kosher laws.

Thanks for all this information, it certainly does help. So, you would never have to walk into a restaurant and decide whether you wanted the steak rare, medium-rare, or well-done--the decision is made for you! I guess I still don't know why pigs aren't on the agenda. I realize that they don't chew cud, but what is the reason for excluding them?

[chana613]

Animals have to have BOTH signs. There is a catagory of Jewish laws called 'chokim'. Theya re laws that ahve no particular rational explanation and we obey them simply because they were given by G-d. The kosher laws are considered to be chokim.

[PearlyWrites]

Just like Chana said, the laws are the laws and Jews who keep Kosher follow these chokim.

As far as having a steak medium, rare, etc. we can still cook our meat to how we enjoy it. The salt and soaking takes out all of the blood so if a Jew liked their roast beef medium rare, they can cook it to their liking. As far as I know, there are no laws that state we cannot prepare foods certain ways.

[smylynjme]

Growing up, I was told that the reason for not eating pork was because of the way the pig is slaughtered and because pigs are also considered scavengers like shellfish and root in filth.

Again, like chana613 stated, those who follow the law are expected to follow it simply because G-d is not to be questioned. It is not for us to know why, it is just for us to do.

[miriammetzinger]

It is interesting that pigs are considered the "symbol" for non-kosher meat when there are other things (like bugs) which are equally not-kosher. However, there is a story behind this that show that there is something about the pig that makes it especially not-ok.
Kosher animals must chew their cud and have cloven hoofs. The pig chews its cud, but sometimes it will sit on the ground, hiding its hoofs, as if to say "see, I'm kosher, I chew my cud."
The pig represents a certain kind of hypocrisy, which makes it more of a symbol of something not kosher.
In any case, pigs are known to eat their own filth, and shellfish tend to trap contaminants in the water. However, this is a side benefit, but not the main reason for keeping kosher, but the basis is the Torah law.

[LunarG]

This foods were banned for a reason- they all carried a sickness within them.
Most of the laws in the torah are related to health or honor.
Such as the law of washing your hands, or the Kosher law for meat (Animals should not suffer in their death.)

[whatsup]

how many readers out there keep kosher? just curious.