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ShareSince the earliest stages of our history, Jews have understood the patterns of kashrut (the dietary laws) to be at the very center of our heritage. Jews have sacrificed their lives rather than desecrate themselves with ‘treif‘ (non-kosher) food. From the biblical and into the rabbinical period, new guidelines and restrictions developed as Jews encountered different cuisines and tastes, yet the core of kashrut has remained unchanged over the millennia.
-Rabbi Bradley Artson
The the things Jews eat has changed over time. We are going to look at texts about the halacha on what a Jew should eat and not eat. See if you can tell how halacha has changed and how the Jewish view on halacha has changed.
(כא) ... כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ (פ)
(21) ...For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
What book, in Hebrew, is the first text from?
What about the second text?
Summarize these texts in your own words.
Why does the Torah tell us we should or should not eat certain things?
רבי עקיבא אומר: חיה ועוף אינם מן התורה, שנאמר לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו, שלש פעמים, פרט לחיה ולעוף ולבהמה טמאה. רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר: ...נאמר (דברים יד) לא תאכלו כל נבלה, תלמוד לומר בחלב אמו, יצא עוף, שאין לו חלב אם.
Rabbi Akiva says, "Wild animals and birds are not [forbidden in mixtures with milk] from the Torah, as it says, 'You may not cook a kid in its mother's milk,' three times. It exempts the wild animal, the bird, and the prohibited domesticated animal." Rabbi Yose HaGelili says, ... the Torah says, "In its mother's milk." This excludes a bird, which does not have mother's milk.
(ד) וכן בשר חיה ועוף בין בחלב חיה בין בחלב בהמה אינו אסור באכילה מן התורה לפיכך מותר לבשלו ומותר בהנייה ואסור באכילה מדברי סופרים כדי שלא יפשעו העם ויבואו לידי איסור בשר בחלב של תורה ויאכלו בשר בהמה טהורה בחלב בהמה טהורה שהרי אין משמע הכתוב אלא גדי בחלב אמו ממש לפיכך אסרו כל בשר בחלב.
It is forbidden to partake of it according to Rabbinic Law so that people at large will not be negligent and come to violate the Scriptural prohibition against milk and meat and partake of the meat of a kosher animal [cooked] in the milk of a kosher animal. For the literal meaning of the verse implies only the meat of a kid in the milk of its actual mother. Therefore, they forbade all meat in milk.
The first text in this group is from the Mishnah. When was that written?
The second text is from the Mishneh Torah. Who wrote this? When? Where?
Summarize each text in your own words.
How would the two texts answer the question "according to halacha, can we eat chicken and milk together?"
What is the difference between the first text and the second text.
Resolution for the Union of Reform Judaism, 2009
https://urj.org/what-we-believe/resolutions/eating-jewishly
As we make these decisions for our families, our congregations, and ourselves, we note that there are, specifically, urgent and compelling reasons to reduce the amount of red meat that we eat. According to a report by the United Nations, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas than all transportation sources combined, and the preparation of beef meals requires about 15 times the amount of fossil fuel energy than meat-free meals. We also have obligations to our own health and well-being. Created in God’s image, we are obligated to maintain our physical vigor so that we may bring honor to the Divine Presence. This means reducing the red meat and the processed meat that will kill 1.5 million men and women in the next decade, most from cancer and heart disease.
Ours is an ethically-based tradition, and Reform leaders have long seen no connection between the intricate rules of kashrut and ethical behavior. Sadly, for too much of the kashrut industry, this disconnect still exists; in recent years, kashrut authorities have failed in their duty to treat workers, immigrants, and animals with compassion and justice. For that reason, we applaud the Conservative movement for creating a new system of kosher certification that takes ethical factors into account.
As Reform Jews, we need our own definition of what is proper and fit to eat, because our ethical commitments remain firm, and we understand that Jewish eating has a profoundly ethical dimension. We now see that when we eat with mindfulness, even the humblest meal can become a sacred act. As Reform Jews, we must find ways to eat that are right for farm workers, right for the planet, right for our bodies and right for our souls.
Summarize this in your own words.
Who wrote it?
When was it written?
How do you think these rabbis would answer the question "can we eat chicken and milk together?"