Kashrut & Treyfah (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

What are the kashrut laws?

• Jewish laws regarding food are known as kashrut

• The kashrut laws cover all of the rules relating to food, including:

  • The types of animals a Jewish person can eat

  • How the animals are prepared

  • The foods that are forbidden, including:

    • Blood, certain forbidden fats and sinew

    • Flies and insects

  • How the food must be prepared

• These rules are contained within the mitzvot, mainly within the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus

  • For example, the book of Leviticus says that only animals that have cloven hooves and that chew the cud are permitted

  • Pigs have cloven hooves but do not chew the cud

    • This means that the meat of pigs is forbidden

• Following the rules regarding food shows obedience and self-control

• Food that is allowed is called kosher (meaning fitting or correct), and food that is not allowed is called treif

  • Examples of treif food include shellfish, pork and pork products and food that has not been slaughtered in the correct way

    • This method of slaughtering is known as shechita

What are the kashrut laws related to food?

• There are strict rules that govern kosher laws, which are based on Scripture

  • Land animals must have cloven (split) hooves and must chew the cud, meaning that they must eat grass

  • Seafood must have fins and scales, so eating shellfish is not allowed

  • It is forbidden to eat birds of prey, as they are not considered clean birds

    • The term “clean birds” refers to birds that do not eat other animals; however, poultry (chicken, etc.) may be eaten

  • Meat and dairy cannot be eaten together

    • Jews who follow these dietary rules cannot, for example, eat cheeseburgers because they mix meat and cheese (which is made from milk)

    • Often, this rule is extended further so that people must wait up to six hours after eating meat before they can eat dairy

    • The Torah says:

What are the kashrut laws relating to clothing?

• While kashrut is mainly known for food laws, it also includes rules on clothing, especially regarding materials

• Wearing garments made from a mix of wool and linen is forbidden

• This is known as shatnez

• This belief comes from passages in the Torah that forbid certain mixtures of materials

• The prohibition of shatnez is seen as a chok, which is a law with no clear, rational explanation

  • It is followed because it is commanded by G-d

• Some Jews get clothing (especially suits and coats) checked for shatnez by trained testers

• If a garment contains both wool and linen, it must be altered or avoided

What are the different Jewish views on kashrut laws?

• There can be differences between the way that kashrut is observed between Orthodox and Reform Jews

Orthodox Judaism and kashrut

• Orthodox Jews keep all the rules of kashrut as commanded in the Torah and interpreted in the Talmud

  • They believe that the laws are divinely given and unchanging

  • Some people have separate utensils and perhaps fridges for the preparation and storage of meat and dairy products

• Orthodox Jews only eat meat that has been slaughtered and prepared properly (shechita)

• They are unlikely to eat in non-kosher restaurants, even vegetarian ones, unless certified

• Although Reform Jews may choose to observe all of the kashrut, they believe it is down to personal choice

  • Some Reform Jews observe a selection of the laws

  • They are more likely to focus on the ethical principles behind the laws (for example, health, kindness to animals)

  • Others observe kashrut at home but not elsewhere

    • Some may mix meat and dairy or eat in non-kosher restaurants