You Are What You Eat

INTRODUCTION
Kosher dining – also known as kashrut – is based on a system of commandments in the Bible which set down what and how one can eat. You can only eat animals which have cloven hooves and chew their cud; only fish with fins and scales are acceptable; most birds are fine, as long as they do not eat carrion or are birds of prey; all fruits and vegetables are acceptable; you cannot boil a calf in its mother’s milk; you must slaughter animals in the prescribed way; you cannot tear a limb off a living animal; you cannot eat animals which have died on their own, or which you found dead. The Talmud elaborates on each of these commandments to a seemingly impractical extent. Why would anyone want to practice such a strenuous ritual? Are there physical benefits associated with kashrut, or is it for the mental discipline and awareness of the consequences of one’s actions, or is it simple spiritual purity?

BODY
Hygiene is the most obvious explanation for the kosher laws. Many people believe that Jews created the laws to act as an early Food and Drug Administration, and there is actually a great deal of evidence in favor of this theory. Not only do the dietary restrictions prevent all kinds of diseases, they help the practitioner eat a much more balanced, healthy diet.

For example, the law bans eating fish without fins and scales. Fish with fins and scales tend to be the cleanest, because they eat plants or other fish; on the other hand, fish such as catfish (which have fins but no scales) and eels are bottom-feeders, and absorb much more dirt and pollution than other fish. An article from the Washington Post declared that people should “eat no ore than one meal a week of local channel catfish, carp, and eel because of contamination by chlordane and PCBs . . . Catfish, carp, and eel are susceptible to the contaminants because they live on the river bottom and soak up pollution … Other fish, including bass, are not dangerous” (Why Kosher, 44). Similarly, mollusks, which are filter-feeders, are more susceptible to dirt and grime. Rabbi Mark Sameth, in his essay “The Broad Spectrum of Kashrut,” comments, “For years I’d ignored the public health warnings that raw clams expose one to the risk of hepatitis” (Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life, 45). Not only are fish with fins and scales cleaner, they are healthier. They have a lot of protein and essential amino acids without a lot of fat, while catfish, lobsters, and crabs are very high in fat. It is better to order the salmon and avoid the seafood platter.

So some animals are at a greater risk for carrying diseases than others. That doesn’t explain the pickier aspects of kashrut, such as the very specific guidelines for the slaughter of animals. Animals must not only be slaughtered in a specific prescribed – and clean – way, the blood is drained from the carcass, which reduces the risk of germs thriving in the meat. Then the internal organs are examined for the slightest defect, and many of the guidelines explaining what is acceptable and what is not have to do with the consumer’s health. For example, if a splinter is found in the liver, the meat is unacceptable, because toxins have probably been released into the rest of the meat. If some organs are misshapen, there are guidelines to tell whether or not it is from disease: for example, the kidneys are shriveled from disease, the meat is not kosher. However, if they are smaller than normal, but are not shriveled, it is probably a birth defect and the animal is usually kosher, unless other organs are abnormal.[1]

Not only does kashrut help one avoid potentially fatal diseases, it keeps the consumer on a healthy diet, full of essential nutrients. For example, there are more land animals considered unclean than birds or fish – this might be because birds and fish generally have less fat than land animals. One cannot mix meat and dairy, and one reason is that these are both high in fat and toxins. “We are forbidden to combine the meat/poultry and dairy group (both of which are high not only in protein, but also in cholesterol). But we may eat the pareve whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables (which contain the complex carbohydrates and natural nutrients recommended by nutritionists) with either meat or dairy food to provide a balanced diet in every meal” (Kenneth Storch, Why Kosher, 50). Fruits and vegetables are unlimited, and many feel that is because a vegetarian diet is the ideal. An article fro Encarta Encyclopedia states:

Maimonides, one of the essential Jewish philosophers, concurs that kashrut exists to keep humans healthy. “[W]hen he eats, drinks, and has sexual intercourse, his purpose shall not be to do these things only for pleasure, eating and drinking only what is sweet to the palate … Rather, his only purpose in eating and drinking shall be to keep his body and limbs healthy. Therefore, he shall not eat everything that the palate desires, like a dog or an ass, but he shall eat things that are useful to him, whether biter or sweet, and he shall not eat things that are bad for the body, even if they are sweet to the palate …” (“Law Concerning Character Traits: Ch.3,” 34). However, Maimonides admonishes those who would abstain from food and drink to the point of self-harm: “Thus the wise men said: ‘Is what the Torah has prohibited not enough for you, that you prohibit other things for yourself?’”(34). One should not become a glutton, but one should not starve oneself into psychosis. By banning certain foods and allowing others, kashrut keeps people mindful of their physical health and the importance of maintaining their strength.

Hygiene can be used to explain a great deal of kashrut, but it does not explain everything. “If physical health were the purpose of kashrut, the Torah should have added the characteristics of poisonous herbs, indications of dangerously spoiled meat and the dangers of drinking unboiled water. After all, God – the Physician – certainly could have listed these characteristics for the over one and one-half million people in the desert for forty years!” ( “Classical Theories of Kashrut,” 32). Hygiene and health also do not sufficiently explain why many modern Jews continue to practice kashrut; “Jews who do not observe Kashruth claim it is primarily a health regulation, and because the government now inspects meats, supervises animal slaughter, and utilizes fertilizers, there is no longer any need to observe Kashruth …” (Why Kosher, 48). Since one can eat healthy and non-kosher, why would anyone in their right mind practice such an obscure religious tradition? Kosher laws keep the practitioner very mindful of what he or she is eating, and how such food came to be food. Such ultra-awareness of so small matter as food extends into one’s surroundings, to the point that a kosher Jew questions the “kosher-ness” of his or her actions on the community as a whole. “…Kashruth makes two demands on the modern Jew: understanding of the mind and commitment of the will. Both are indispensable” (Samuel Dresner, Why Kosher, 76).

Maimonides links physical and mental health together: “For it is impossible for him to understand and reflect upon wisdom when he is sick or when one of his limbs is in pain” (35). Clear thinking is difficult when one is hungry, or sick from malnutrition or over-eating; therefore, one must keep one’s brain healthy by eating properly. This, however, is not the only mental benefit of kashrut; strict practice keeps the practitioner ever-mindful of his impact on the world. Irving Welfeld states, “Abarbanel takes an ecological tack. The law is a demonstration that man is not intent on destroying the genus of animal. Therefore, he retains one to procreate the species” (Why Kosher, 15). Part of kosher practice prevents mindless waste, not only of food, but of oneself. To do that, the law keeps the practitioner aware of the treatment of the body, as well as of animals’ bodies. In his personal article, “The Broad Spectrum of Kashrut,” Rabbi Mark Sameth describes the new practice of eco-kashrut:
If it is forbidden, even in a time of war, to chop down a fruit-bearing tree,

can it be kosher to purchase gas-guzzling, ozone-depleting SUVs? If it is forbidden to remove eggs until one has chased the mother bird away from

sole purpose of creating the “delicacy” known as foie gras? If it is forbidden

to plow a weak animal yoked to a stronger animal, can it be kosher to use cosmetics whose creation “necessitated” the torture of animals in testing the safety of the preparations for humans? (Ritual and Practice of a Jewish Life, 57).

Whether or not one decides to practice eco-kashrut, the strenuousness of the laws forces the practitioner to ponder the relevance of his actions.

SOUL
What, however, is the point and purpose of keeping oneself mindful of one’s actions? Kashrut is a system of practice based on religious writings, so while the practice may have started for health or discipline, these practices are ultimately tied into making oneself a better spiritual being.

Many of the laws concern compassion for life; the mixing of meat and milk is especially taboo. “Another ‘reason’ for this prohibition may be that the goat … generously and steadfastly provides man with the single most perfect food he possesses: milk. It is the only food which, by reason of its proper composition of fat, carbohydrates, and protein, can by itself sustain the human body. How ungrateful and callous we would be to take the child of an animal to whom we are so indebted and cook it in the very milk which nourishes us and is given so freely by its mother” (Dennis Prager, Why Kosher, 130). Humans must show their gratitude toward animals by never mixing the symbol of their sustenance with the symbol of their death. Similarly, we must chase the mother bird away from her nest before we take the eggs; she will not witness her eggs being taken, and she must live to have another clutch. Also, we cannot slaughter the child of the cow on the same day as its mother, because that is too much grief for the herd to bear. We have a moral obligation to avoid causing pain, emotional or physical, to anyone or anything. “People [in the Old Testament] began to think that the reason they were forbidden to eat meat was because man and the animal were on the same level. This led to the conclusion that man is no more responsible for his actions than are the animals. Such a belief naturally led to moral degeneracy and ultimately to the Flood. After the Flood, the prohibition against meat was lifted so that man could realize their superiority over the animal kingdom and their corresponding greater degree of moral superiority” (Elie Munk, Why Kosher, 145-146). Since the Garden of Eden, man has been master of the earth, but we need reminders and rules to keep us responsible, respectful, and moral.

There are other, more symbolically spiritual, reasons for kashrut. Not only is the ritual slaughter of animals humane, it reflects the ritual slaughter of sacrifices in the Temple. To this day, prayers must be said over the animal before it is slaughtered, and if they are not said properly, the animal cannot be eaten. Certain parts of the carcass, along with the blood and fat, may have been forbidden because these were traditionally offered to God. The concept of “shared meal” sacrifice can be carried over to explain many aspects of kashrut: “…the shared meal involves God and man in an intimate relationship, a level of meeting possible only in the holy precincts of the central shrine. Here the burning of certain portions of the sacrificial animal as an offering to God and the eating of other portions by the celebrants created a bond of familial love between God and man. In this way the Israelite was supposed to enter into a close relationship with his God” (From Text to Tradition, 27-28). After the destruction of the Second Temple, Judaism began to focus on individual practice; ritual moved from the Temple into the home, and the Jewish table became the new altar at which the Jewish family feasted with God. “Judaism teaches us how even the gratification of animal needs can be an act of sanctification. The enjoyment of food may be a way to purification” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, Why Kosher, 172).

There is, in fact, one kashrut law specifically for Israelites, and it is specifically symbolic. In the story of Jacob, an angel wrestles Jacob all night and dislocates his thigh at the hip. The angel then changes Jacob’s name to Israel and blesses him, then departs. “Therefore, the Israelites do not eat the sinew that is on the socket of the thigh until this day, for he had touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh at the sinew” (Gen. 32:33). The sinew is plucked from the thigh specifically in remembrance of Jacob’s struggle and blessing. There are no physical health benefits or mental disciplines derived fro this observance; it is a spiritual, religious tradition. Many Jews to this day argue that all kashrut laws should be viewed in this same light: “For this reason the Almighty used the phrase, ‘Do not revolt your souls with all the vermin…’ rather than terming them poisonous or harmful. They were rather unclean and abominating, indicating the spiritual rather than the physical source of their prohibition” (Abarbanel, Why Kosher, 56). Whatever other benefits can be derived from kashrut, the primary reason for it is the elevation of the soul.

Ask any Gentile – we do not understand why pork is so abhorrent to Jews. Granted, there are other, more strenuous and even more confusing aspects of kashrut, but avoidance of pig meat has been the most conspicuous rule in the Western World for centuries. Lunchmeat is such a little thing to refuse, why would anyone bother?
The more research I did, the more I began to understand, personally, denying pig meat. I no longer accept it as a religious quirk. The pig embodies all three reasons for kashrut – physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The most common excuse, for Gentiles, is that pork carries many diseases, including the potentially fatal trichinosis. It is a filthy animal, and the only omnivore in its class.[2] Pigs are, therefore, relatively inexpensive to keep, because they delight in muck and feces, and will eat anything put in front of them, even if they are not hungry. If they eat anything, imagine what you are consuming by proxy! However, many modern consumers explain this away with current government meat inspection. While food poisoning can still happen, it is much less likely, and is often the result of some problem in the cooking process. It certainly has nothing to do with the meat inspection!
However, there are several health benefits to giving up pork. Pork, bacon, sausage, and other pig products tend to be very high in fat. There are now several acceptable and tasty pig substitutes on the market, including beef hot dogs and turkey bacon. These substitutes not only cut down on the amount of fat one is consuming, but on the sodium. On the other hand, one could argue that, if it is so good to give up pig meat, why not give up all fatty foods, or all meat, for health reasons? Beef, which is also very high in fat, is perfectly acceptable to the kosher Jew.

One could also argue in favor of the discipline inherent in avoiding pig products. Again, however, the vegetarian argument steps in the way; if one avoids pig, one could gain even more discipline and awareness from avoiding all animal products. Avoiding pig alone can come off as self-righteous isolationism, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Are there any real benefits derived from avoiding pig meat? Yes. Spiritual enlightenment always comes at a price, and many find that that price is as simple as keeping kosher. There are numerous arguments in favor of not eating pig. Not only are pigs physically dirty creatures, they are tricky; “ ‘In general the underlying principle of cleanness in animals is that they shall conform wholly to their class. Those species are unclean which are imperfect members of their class, or whose class confounds the general scheme of the world.’ Thus, the pig does not conform to the perfect model of the domesticated meat animal in a pastoral culture because it is not a ruminant, though it has cloven hoofs” (Robert Alter, Why Kosher, 99). A pig is not a difficult animal to keep in a village; it eats and lives in anything. However, it is an imposter, a trickster. “It brazenly flaunts its foreleg, boasting of its split hoof, while its lack of cud chewing, which would give it away as a non-kosher animal, remains obscured” (“The Kosher Pig”). The pig is an intentional obstacle on the path of spiritual enlightenment; it is so common and so seemingly harmless, why would you want to avoid it? As Chaya Shuchat continues in the article, “[The pig] encompasses all forms of flattery and deception, the suave and smooth-talking villains who worm their way into our confidence and take root in our hearts, before we become wise to their true intentions. Our greatest challenge is not fighting the blatant evil of the world, but its more subtle and deceptive forms, which come packaged in the guise of goodness and truth” (“The Kosher Pig”). By denying pig meat, we symbolically eschew gluttony, greed, sloth, back-stabbing, and hypocrisy; all the horrible qualities we have associated with the word “pig.” And if we give up all of these spiritual impurities with pig meat, how pure we would be through the other kosher laws!

Kosher eating seems so complicated that it is hardly worth practicing these days. However, the benefits of kashrut are three-fold: kosher eating forces the practitioner to eat a healthier, balanced diet; the mental discipline gleaned from avoiding certain foods and endlessly reading labels extends into a consideration for one’s more important decisions in everyday life; and the spiritual purity and compassion bring the practitioner closer to God. While most Jews argue that the spiritual benefits outweigh the other two, at least in this day and age, no one benefit is more important than the other. They are all tied in together. You must honor God by respecting your health, which God has given to you; you must honor God by taking care in even your smallest actions; and when you have gained a greater compassion for and understanding of life, you will be closer to God.

“Artiodactyl” and “Human Health and Nutrition.” Encarta Encyclopedia 99. CD-ROM. Microsoft, 1993-1998.

The Harper Collins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, with Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. General Editor Wayne A. Meeks. Harper Collins: New York, 1989.

Bailey, Stephen. “Classical Theories of Kashrut.” Kashrut, Tefillin, Tzitzit: Studies in the Purpose and Meaning of Symbolic Mitzvot Inspired by the Commentaries of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Jason Aaronson: New Jersey, 2000.

Klein, Isaac. “The Dietary Laws (III) Laws of Terefot: Bone Structure and Digestive System.” A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. Ktav Publishing House: New York, 1979.

Maimonides. “Laws Concerning Character Traits.” The Writings of Maimonides. Ed. Raymond L. Weiss with Charles E. Butterworth. New York University: New York, 1975.

Neusner, Jacob. The Enchantments of Judaism: Rites of Transformation From Birth Through Death. Basic Books, Inc: New York, 1987.

Sameth, Rabbi Mark. “The Broad Spectrum of Kashrut.” The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life. Ed. Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky and Rabbi Daniel Judson. Jewish Lights Publishing: Vermont, 2002.

Schiffman, Lawrence H. From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism. Ktav Publishing House: New Jersey, 1991.

Welfeld, Irving. Why Kosher? An Anthology of Answers. Jason Aaronson: New Jersey, 1996.

[1] From “The Dietary Laws (II) Laws of Terefot: Bone Structure and the Digestive System,” A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice by Isaac Klein, pgs 323-333.

[2] “Artiodactyl.” Encarta Encyclopedia 99.