A kosher question for Jewish People!?

We try our very best to keep Kosher in areas that might be more Christian, for Jews in other areas it might be harder or easier to keep kosher. Almost all Jews keep kosher, I'm going to star this now for other users to answer.

Orthodox Jews are very strict concerning the Torah and do uphold these laws the best they can.

I myself honestly keep Kosher everyday only buying meat from a Kosher butcher.

By certain degrees do you mean as of how strict different branches are?

I consider myself a strict conservative, maybe an Orthodox.

At first I thought Long Live Israel-The Rav was trying to be offensive but I think I understand. Keep mind I keep up with every single law, though the only reason I wouldn't consider myself full blown Orthodox is the fact that my Hebrew isn't very good which offsets me when I'm reading the Torah.

A reason yes, well I honestly believe that this was to keep us safe from diseases. Like when you ate pork there was a good portion of the time when you might eat some not fully cooked pork and the bacterial in the tissue would get into your system. Shell fish also contained much bacteria, and a lot of animals we consider not clean.

Sometimes when you would eat meat and dairy together you can get cross contamination which can sometimes cause death.

Our laws do not only show our devotion but also protect us from some of the non-healthy foods.

The 'little bit pregnant' analogy is technically true but misleading in a practical sense. Because full kashrut observance is so complex, a lot of non-Orthodox Jews observe it partially. For some, that's a stepping stone. For others, it's a compromise -- not all of us live within commuting distance of a kosher supplier or can afford to have kosher meat delivered or have the space to keep a large enough freezer.

My current compromise is to only purchase meat from the local butcher. It's not kosher, but it is locally raised. It's the best ethical decision available to me at this time.

I am Orthodox-Kosher all the time.

My friends would tell me that they keep kosher in their home, but when they go out, they'll eat non-kosher. This is stupefying to me.

In my mind, its either all or nothing- make no mistake about it.

My home we have 3 sets of utensils just like Leibel- You cannot mix meat and milk- wait 6 hours between eating them.

If you eat meat you must wait 6 hours before dairy-Milchek

My friends that are conservative and reform(will all due respect) are very inconsistent in their laws- If one hold the obligation of Kosher, hold it all the time. Just because you eat out DOESN'T mean G-d is not watching.

In all, Orthodox keep the strictest laws, as where the Conservative and Reform lack consistency in my mind

Remember, this is not meant to be just a diss on Conservatives and Reformies- We are all Jews

I will make a few points about Kosher:

1. The laws of Kashrut (keeping Kosher) are one of those things that we do not know the reason for it. In hebrew we call it a Chok-statute, we do not understand it's reason.

2. In regards to milk and meat, the laws are complex, a thorough understanding of the "code of Jewish law" (Shulchan Aruch), is required, which Rabbis study for a year, to master.

3. The Torah has given us signs, so that we know what is a Kosher animal (Leviticus Chap1.1). It must have split hooves and chews it's cud.

4. Kosher fish have the signs of fins and scales.

5. In regards to waiting between meat and milk, although many religious jews wait six hours, this matter is debated in Jewish law (Halacha).

6. In jewish law there is is the law of nullification, one in sixty. How does this work? If say, milk fell into meat, if the meat is 60 greater than the neat (i.e. the milk is nullified), the meat is permitted for consumption.

As i noted above, the laws are long and complex, and i would be doing an injustice to the topic, by writing a few lines about it.

If you have further questions, please feel free to email me.

It just depends on the Jew as to how much of the kosher laws are kept. For example though I am a Reform Jew my family and I keep almost all kosher laws...even when dining out. Not all Reform Jews will do that. I do it because I feel like it helps make me a obedient, observant Jew. Like the other user said G-d is still watching even when we aren't eating at home.

Good Question!

Karaite Jews regard only the written Law, Torah, as the Word of God, and disregard the additional restrictions imposed by people.

So, if one were a Karaite Jew, it would still be considered kosher to mix meat and dairy, as the biblical prohibition is against cooking a kid in its mother's milk, a formerly popular Canaanite fertility ritual.

Kind of makes me wonder if pigs being so reviled doesn't have something to do with Tammuz.

The reason behind some of the kosher laws is simple humanity to the animals. The rest is to separate God's people from the others (which is why the emphasis on not eating traditional sacrifices to other gods, like the kid cooked in its mother's milk), as far as I know.

I read something interesting the other day. I'm sorry I don't remember the source.

It was to the effect that animals with split feet represent staying truer on the narrow path, and animals that chew their cud represent truly ruminating on God's Word.

It didn't mention anything about scaly fish, though.

Bless up.

For me, I am Orthodox and that would be like being a little bit pregnant. It is pretty much all but I am aware that some people who are Reform Jews (who have a different view of Torah than I do) may simply not eat pork and others may eat pork. Some will not eat pork or shellfish but will mix milk and meat. It varies. I am Orthodox and we pretty much all eat the same. The only difference is how long to wait between meat and dairy. That does vary from community to community.

I am also aware that some Conservative Jews have 2 sinks etc.

We have two sinks and two fridges. We have 3 sets of dishes (meat, dairy and Pesach).

Your question is a good one.

If you want a copy of a good English Tanakh go with JPS Study Tanakh. That will help you a lot.

Cheers

answer: Orthodox hold to all kosher laws

Conservative - mostly strict kosher, depends on the synagogue

Reform - each person determines which commandments are viable in one's life - some keep kosher at home but not when out and about. Some keep partial kosher at home - no pork or shellfish but will have a cheeseburger. Others keep kosher but not with 3 separate dinning-ware and two sinks, etc.

BTW the "6 hours" is a tradition for one set of Orthodox Jews. Other Orthodox Jews keep 3 hours, time was Orthodox Jews from the Netherlands kept an hour - it's a matter of tradition/custom, not written law.

Keeping kosher is all or nothing. It's like being pregnant. You can't do it just a little bit.

having said that, I am sure many many Jewish families would state for the record that they do not have pork in their home, and many do not eat cheeseburgers. In the home.

On the street is a different story, oy why go there?