RMPS - Int2/Higher - World Religions - Judaism - Education Scotland

THE GOALS
The Torah instructs Jews as to the further prohibitions that are required to
satisfy the laws of kashrut. One general law is that eating any blood from an
animal or bird is forbidden (Leviticus 7: 26–27 and 17: 10–14). To ensure
that this is achieved, once meat or poultry are purchased from the kosher
butcher they are then koshered. This involves soaking the meat or poultry
in water for a set time, laying it out on thin boards to drain, covering it with
salt and leaving it for a set time, and then rinsing thoroughly to remove the
salt. Although this procedure used to be carried out at home, today it is
usually done by the butcher before the meat is sold.
By observing these laws, Jewish people demonstrate their obedience to
God’s commandments. Even an egg may have blood in it, and once a
blood spot in an egg is identified, the egg is deemed not kosher and is
thrown away. This explains why Jews will break the egg over a cup rather
than into the mixing bowl when baking.
Keeping kashrut has serious implications for eating out and socialising.
For example, observant Jews of the Orthodox tradition will not eat any
food in a restaurant where non-kosher food is cooked and served. There
is also a restriction as to the availability and choice of kosher food in
hospitals. Jewish pupils who observe these laws fully will bring their own
food to school.
Reform and less observant Jews do not feel under the same obligation to
keep all the laws of kashrut. They may avoid pork out of deference to
tradition, but would not carry out their observance of the laws with such
strictness as observant Orthodox Jews.
Based on the commandment ‘You must not cook a young goat in its
mother’s milk’ (Exodus 23: 19, Deuteronomy 14: 21), Jews who keep
kosher homes do not eat meat and dairy foods together. Meat and
cheese would therefore not be cooked or served together. After a meat
meal no milk products are eaten for a period of three to six hours. Meat
foods may however be eaten shortly after milk foods. A kosher kitchen
would be organised in such a way as to separate the meat dishes,
cutlery, utensils and work surfaces from those of the dairy containing
milk or milk ingredients. Every kosher kitchen is equipped with two sets
of dishes: one for meat, and one for milk. Separate tablecloths and dish
towels are used for meat and dairy meals.
Foods that contain neither meat not dairy produce (i.e. vegetables, eggs
and fish) and have not been prepared in meat or dairy utensils are
known as parev (pr. par-ev). Parev foods may be eaten with both meat or
dairy foods. As kashrut forbids the eating of dairy foods immediately
after a meat dish, many desserts have to be parev.
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RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H)
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