This is my interpretation of one of the Jewish dietary laws.
The General Rules of Jewish dietary laws:
Source: http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm
Although the details of kashrut are extensive, the laws all derive from a few fairly simple, straightforward rules:
- Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.
- Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
- All blood must be drained from meat and poultry or broiled out of it before it is eaten.
- Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.
- Fruits and vegetables are permitted, but must be inspected for bugs (which cannot be eaten)
- Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat).
- Utensils (including pots and pans and other cooking surfaces) that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food. This applies only where the contact occurred while the food was hot.
- Grape products made by non-Jews may not be eaten.
- There are a few other rules that are not universal.
The one that interested me was number 6.
The passages which mandated this requirement are found twice in Exodus and once in Deuteronomy.
Exodus 23:19 “You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.”
Exodus 34:26 “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
Deuteronomy 14:21 21 “You shall not eat anything which dies of itself. You may give it to the alien who is in your [o]town, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk”
These instructions have led to the establishment of the kosher home for orthodox Jews in which there are two kitchens. One is the dairy kitchen and the second is the meat kitchen. There are separate utensils used in each as well as dishes. While I am not an expert on how the rest of an orthodox home is run, I find it admirable that in this day of rule breaking in all areas of society, this commitment is still honored by this community.
However, I have my own thoughts and interpretation to add to thes=e passages. As I said in my initial post, I look for the spiritual in scripture as opposed to only looking at it in the physical or literal. Therefore, this is my own interpretation. You are NOT TO KILL ANYONE WITH SOMETHING THAT IS DESIGNED BY G_D TO BRING HIM, HER OR IT LIFE.
Which will tell you where I am in the abortion debate. In the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence it states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
So I think it is time for the United States to become Kosher. At least as far as killing our future generations is concerned.