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Introduction to Judaism The Jewish Home: Kashrut Source Sheet by Rabbi Hannah Laner More info

א. ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה יי ֱא ֵלקינוּ ֶמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם, ֲא ֶשׁר Blessing for Torah Study .1 ִק ְדּ ָשׁנוּ ְבּ ִמ ְצוֹ ָתיו, ְו ִצ ָוּנוּ ַל ֲעסוֹק ְבּ ִד ְב ֵרי Blessed are You, Breath of all life, Who each day breathes into us a new life ת ָוֹרה. breath and teaches us to renew our lives by soaking ourselves in the living waters Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu of the Torah. (Translation by Rabbi Melech haolam, ashe kid’shanu Arthur Waskow) b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asoak b’divrei Torah

What animals may and may not be eaten? What are the determining factors for mammals? For fish? For Birds?

Leviticus 11:1-3 ב. ויקרא י״א:א׳-ג׳ .2 (א) ַויְ ַד ֵ֧בּר יי ֶאל־מ ֹ ֶ֥שׁה ְו ֶאֽל־ ֲאַה֖ר ֹן ֵלא ֥מ ֹר ,HaShem spoke to Moses and Aaron (1) saying to them: (2) Speak to the Israelite ֲא ֵל ֶהֽם׃ (ב) ַדּ ְבּ֛רוּ ֶאל־ ְבּ ֵנ֥י יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֖אל ֵלא ֑מ ֹר people thus: These are the creatures that ֤ז ֹאת ַהֽ ַחיָּ ֙ה ֲא ֶ֣שׁר תּ ֹא ְכ ֔לוּ ִמ ָכּל ַ־ה ְבּ ֵה ָ֖מה you may eat from among all the land ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ַעל ָ־ה ָאֽ ֶרץ׃ (ג) ֣כּ ֹל ׀ ַמ ְפֶ֣ר ֶסת ַפּ ְר ֗ ָסה animals: (3) any animal that has true ְושׁ ַֹ֤ס ַעת ֶ֙שׁ ַס ֙ע ְפּ ָר ֔ס ֹת ַמ ֲע ַ֥לת ֵגָּ֖רה ַבּ ְבּ ֵה ָ֑מה hoofs, with clefts through the hoofs, and א ֹ ָ֖תהּ תּ ֹא ֵכֽלוּ׃ .that chews the cud—such you may eat

Leviticus 11:9 ג. ויקרא י״א:ט׳ .3 (ט) ֶאת־זֶ ֙ה ֽתּ ֹא ְכ ֔לוּ ִמ ֖כּ ֹל ֲא ֶ֣שׁר ַבּ ָ֑מּיִם ֣כּ ֹל These you may eat of all that live in (9) ֲא ֶשׁר־ל ֩וֹ ְסנַ ֨ ִפּיר ְו ַק ְשׂ ֜ ֶק ֶשׂת ַבּ ֗ ַמּיִם ַבּיַּ ִ֛מּים water: anything in water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and וּ ַבנְּ ָח ִ֖לים א ֹ ָ֥תם תּ ֹא ֵכֽלוּ׃ .scales—these you may eat

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ד. ויקרא י״א:י״ג-י״ח Leviticus 11:13-18 .4 (יג) ְו ֶאת־ ֵ֙א ֶלּ ֙ה ְתּ ַשׁ ְקּ ֣צוּ ִמן ָ־ה ֔עוֹף ֥א The following you shall abominate (13) יֵאָ ְכ ֖לוּ ֶ֣שׁ ֶקץ ֵ֑הם ֶאת ַ־ה ֙נֶּ ֶשׁ ֙ר ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ֔ ֶפּ ֶרס among the birds—they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the ְו ֵ֖את ָה ָעזְנִ ָיּ ֽה׃ (יד) ְו ֶאת ֨ ַ־ה ָדּ ָ֔אה ְו ֶאת ָ־ה ַא ָיּ֖ה ;eagle, the vulture, and the black vulture ְל ִמי ָנֽהּ׃ (טו) ֵ֥את ָכּל־עֵֹ֖רב ְל ִמינֽוֹ׃ (טז) ;the kite, falcons of every variety (14) ְו ֵא ֙ת ַ֣בּת ַהֽיַּ ֲע ֔נָה ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ַתּ ְח ָ֖מס all varieties of raven; (16) the (15) ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull; ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ָ֑שּׁ ַחף ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ֵ֖נּץ ְל ִמי ֵנֽהוּ׃ (יז) hawks of every variety; (17) the little ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ֥כּוֹס ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ָשּׁ ָ֖ל ְו ֶאת ַ־היַּנְ ֽשׁוּף׃ ;owl, the cormorant, and the great owl (יח) ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ִתּנְ ֶ֥שׁ ֶמת ְו ֶאת ַ־ה ָקּ ָ֖את the white owl, the pelican, and the (18) ְו ֶאת ָ־ה ָר ָחֽם׃ ;bat

ה. .5 Shemini: The Kosher Animal Song

Leviticus 11:44-45 ו. ויקרא י״א:מ״ד-מ״ה .6 (מד) ִ֣כּי ֲא ִ֣ני יי ֱא ֽ ֵהי ֶכ ֒ם ְו ִה ְת ַק ִדּ ְשׁ ֶתּ ֙ם For I am HaShem your God: you (44) ִו ְהיִי ֶ֣תם ְקד ֹ ֔ ִשׁים ִ֥כּי ָק ֖דוֹשׁ ָ֑אנִי ְו ֤א must make yourselves holy and remain sanctified, for I am holy. You shall not ְת ַט ְמּא ֙וּ ֶאת־נַ ְפ ֣שׁ ֹ ֵתי ֔ ֶכם ְבּ ָכל ַ־ה ֶ֖שּׁ ֶרץ make yourselves unclean through any ָהר ֹ ֵ֥משׂ ַעל ָ־ה ָאֽ ֶרץ׃ (מה) ִ֣כּי ׀ ֲא ִ֣ני יי swarming thing that moves upon the ַהֽ ַמּ ֲע ֶ֤לה ֶא ְת ֶכ ֙ם ֵמ ֶ֣א ֶרץ ִמ ְצ ַ֔ריִם ִל ְה ֥י ֹת ָל ֶ֖כם earth. (45) For I HaShem am the One ֵלא ִ֑קים ִו ְהיִי ֶ֣תם ְקד ֹ ֔ ִשׁים ִ֥כּי ָק ֖דוֹשׁ ָאֽנִי׃ who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God: you shall be holy, for I am holy.

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Reverence for Life

Genesis 1:29 ז. בראשית א׳:כ״ט .7 (כט) ַו ֣יּ ֹא ֶמר ֱא ֗ ִקים ִהנֵּ ֩ה נָ ֨ ַת ִתּי ָל ֜ ֶכם God said, “See, I give you every (29) ֶאת־ ָכּל ֵ֣־ע ֶשׂב ׀ זֵֹ֣ר ַע ֗זֶ ַרע ֲא ֶשׁ ֙ר ַעל־ ְפּ ֵ֣ני seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed- ָכל ָ־ה ָ֔א ֶרץ ְו ֶאת־ ָכּל ָ־ה ֵ֛עץ ֲא ֶשׁר־ ֥בּוֹ bearing fruit; they shall be yours for ְפ ִרי ֵ֖־עץ זֵֹ֣ר ַע ָ֑ז ַרע ָל ֶ֥כם ִי ֽ ְה ֶי֖ה ְלאָ ְכ ָלֽה׃ .food

Genesis 9:4 ח. בראשית ט׳:ד׳ .8 (ד) ַא־ ָבּ ֕ ָשׂר ְבּנַ ְפ ֥שׁוֹ ָד ֖מוֹ ֥א ת ֹא ֵכֽלוּ׃ You must not, however, eat flesh (4) with its life-blood in it. (Since the blood is the life, we are forbidden to eat the blood.)

Mammas and Babies

Exodus 23:19 ט. שמות כ״ג:י״ט .9 (יט) ... ֽא־ ְת ַב ֵ֥שּׁל ְגּ ִ֖די ַבּ ֲח ֵ֥לב ִא ֽמּוֹ׃ (ס) You shall not boil a kid in its... (19) mother’s milk.

י. Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21 .10 Three separate biblical sources cite the same prohibition of “cooking a kid in its mother’s milk.” Since no word in the Torah is superfluous why is this mentioned three times? What can we learn from each mention?

Kiddushin 57b יא. קידושין נ״ז ב .11 (שמות כג, יט) לא תבשל גדי בחלב :The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught אמו ג"פ אחד איסור אכילה ואחד The Torah states three times: “You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s איסור הנאה ואחד איסור בישול ;milk” (Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26 Deuteronomy 14:21). One verse serves to teach the prohibition against eating meat cooked in milk, and one verse serves to teach the prohibition against deriving benefit from meat cooked in milk, and one verse serves to teach the prohibition against cooking meat in

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milk. (This is also stated in Chullin 115b.)

Torah Alludes to the Oral Law Given to Moses Which Requir es Ritual Slaughter, Shechitah

Deuteronomy 12:21 יב. דברים י״ב:כ״א .12 (כא) ִכּֽי־יִ ְר ֨ ַחק ִמ ְמּ ֜ ַה ָמּ ֗קוֹם ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר יִ ְב ֜ ַחר If the place where HaShem has (21) יי ֱא ֶקי ֮ ָל ֣שׂוּם ְשׁ ֣מוֹ ָשׁ ֒ם ְוזָ ַב ְח ֞ ָתּ ִמ ְבּ ָק ְר ֣ chosen to establish His name is too far from you, you may slaughter any of the וּ ִמ ֽצּ ֹאנְ ֗ ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר נָ ַ֤תן יי ְל ֔ ַכּ ֲא ֶ֖שׁר ִצ ִוּי ִ֑ת ,cattle or sheep that HaShem gives you ְו ָאֽ ַכ ְל ָ֙תּ ִבּ ְשׁ ָע ֶ֔רי ְבּ ֖כ ֹל ַא ַ֥וּת נַ ְפ ֶ ֽשׁ׃ as I have instructed you; and you may eat to your heart’s content in your settlements.

יג. Ritual Slaughter - Shechitah .13 Deuteronomy 12:21 Schechitah – the act of slaughtering an animal in a Kosher way Nevilah (Lit. carcass) – Animal that died through causes other than shechitah, or that weren't slaughtered according to laws of shechitah – not kosher Treifah – (or treif). In modern times denotes any food forbidden by Jewish tradition and is used in the Torah to describe meat of animals killed by beasts of prey, "You shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field" (Exodus 22:31). This prohibition relates to the law which forbids the eating of blood, the principal carrier of life.

Questions For Consideration: Does keeping kosher have a connection to how you live and to the choices you make? If yes, what about keeping kosher is important to you? If no, are there legitimate reasons to consider keeping kosher in some way?

יד. ,The Eco-Kosher Movement extends kashrut to address modern environmental .14 social, and ethical issues and promote sustainability. Eco-Kashrut reflects a trend of Kosher-keeping Jews to eat food that has been ethically and sustainably produced, and in some cases, also locally sourced. Eco-Kashrut, Rabbi Zalman Shachter-Shalomi I invented the word eco-kosher, to say that something is ecologically kosher. I'll give you an example of eco-kosher. The regular kosher way is about the dishes that mustn't be contaminated, etc. If I pick up a cup to have coffee, styrofoam would be the best thing to have. It hasn't been used before and after I drink from it, I'll throw it away and nobody else will use it. From the usual kosher place that's the direction to go...but in comparison to what will happen to the planet by my drinking in a styrofoam, I'd much rather make the other choice...eco-kosher.

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טו. R. Goldie Milgram .15 Why, according to the Torah, do we keep kosher? In Leviticus, after the enumeration of permitted and prohibited animals, the text concludes: "For I am the Eternal your God; sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy." W e keep kosher to be holy, as God is holy. This concept of holiness is associated more frequently and strongly with the dietary laws than with any of the other 613 biblical commandments. ... What does it mean to be holy, to be godlike? Partly, it means living ethically, for God is associated throughout the Torah with justice, compassion, and mercy. But holiness is more than ethical living; it involves an underlying religious attitude from which ethics and other humanistic systems are built. ... Several important lines of Jewish ethical thought and biblical precept converge in a consideration of establishing a rationale and standards for eco-kosher foods, drugs and practices. 1. Bal Tashchit, do not destroy or waste. ... For many foods the largest production element today is packing. Reduction in energy use and destruction of trees must become serious considerations in the Kosher- certification system. 2. Tzaar Baalei Chayyim, the prohibition against cruelty to animals. ... Some eighteen different laws of the Torah call upon us to live in awareness of the fact that God's creatures require our care and deserve our attention. 3. Shmirat Haguf is the mitzvah to treat your body as sacred space. ... this leads to asking about the role of insecticides and hormones in the growing of vegetables and raising of animals. 4. Oshek and halanat sachar, those are mitzvot regarding the treatment of Laborers, oppression and paying on time. Considerations of labor standards are an essential ethical complement to matters of keeping kosher. [Read the entire piece at: http://reclaimingjudaism.org/teachings/eco-kosher- jewish-spirituality-action]

טז. ,Jerusalem Post Interview with R. Haskel Lookstein and R. Yitz Greenberg .16 May 3, 2008 Original Q: In 1971, you were the only Orthodox rabbis to declare that non- union lettuce and grapes should be regarded as non-kosher and you urged Jews to boycott them. What is the basis in Judaism for that position? R. Greenberg: We were both students of the Rav, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik. From him we learned the idea that Halacha is not just a list of ritual dos and don'ts, but a comprehensive worldview that applies to everything that happens around us. The Torah prohibits the exploitation of workers- so why shouldn't that apply to migrant farm workers picking lettuce or grapes? They were being mistreated, so it was natural for us to apply the principle of non-exploitation to their situation, too. It seemed obvious.

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יז. Jonathan Safran Foer, "Against Meat," The New York Times, 9 October .17 2009 - "Listen to Me" The below is a story told by the author's grandmother, ending with a brief conversation between the author and his grandmother “We weren’t rich, but we always had enough. Thursday we baked bread, and challah and rolls, and they lasted the whole week. Friday we had pancakes. Shabbat we always had a chicken, and soup with noodles. You would go to the butcher and ask for a little more fat. The fattiest piece was the best piece. It wasn’t like now. We didn’t have refrigerators, but we had milk and cheese. We didn’t have every kind of vegetable, but we had enough. The things that you have here and take for granted. . . . But we were happy. We didn’t know any better. And we took what we had for granted, too. “Then it all changed. During the war it was hell on earth, and I had nothing. I left my family, you know. I was always running, day and night, because the Germans were always right behind me. If you stopped, you died. There was never enough food. I became sicker and sicker from not eating, and I’m not just talking about being skin and bones. I had sores all over my body. It became difficult to move. I wasn’t too good to eat from a garbage can. I ate the parts others wouldn’t eat. If you helped yourself, you could survive. I took whatever I could find. I ate things I wouldn’t tell you about. “Even at the worst times, there were good people, too. Someone taught me to tie the ends of my pants so I could fill the legs with any potatoes I was able to steal. I walked miles and miles like that, because you never knew when you would be lucky again. Someone gave me a little rice, once, and I traveled two days to a market and traded it for some soap, and then traveled to another market and traded the soap for some beans. You had to have luck and intuition. “The worst it got was near the end. A lot of people died right at the end, and I didn’t know if I could make it another day. A farmer, a Russian, God bless him, he saw my condition, and he went into his house and came out with a piece of meat for me.” “He saved your life.” “I didn’t eat it.” “You didn’t eat it?” “It was pork. I wouldn’t eat pork.” “Why?” “What do you mean why?” “What, because it wasn’t kosher?” “Of course.” “But not even to save your life?” “If nothing matters, there’s nothing to save.”

Rabbi Hannah Laner [email protected] https://www.pnaiorpdx.org/ P’nai Or 6948 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, Oregon 97219

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