Kosher Calories

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non - jew trying to understand

mentallygone
mentallygone Posts: 4
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So about three years ago I was crying out in the dark in the unknown and someone spoke to me. Not in a physical "heard it with my ears way " but in my heart. I was told not to eat pork. It was strange I didn't understand why. But I said okay and I
haven't purposely done so since. It was very strange at first. My family was very unsupporting and didn't understand. They often tried sneaking it in my food. I come from a Christian family so it was looked down on. Well I've been doing some digging in the past year. I cant explain it but I feel like 1) its a ton of rules! And 2) where do I start? . So I got rid of unclean meats (pork, things that eat dead things like crawfish or shrimp or catfish) basically all I will eat of meats is chicken, Lamb, and the occasionally beef. Okay so now diary. I get confused. It says not to cook it in its mothers milk. So is an egg a meat? Can I have eggs with cheese? And then can I have chicken with cheese because cheese doesn't come from chicken? And is fish a meat? Can I have cheesey fish? I tried searching online and came up with different responses and just got confused. Can someone please just explain a bit?

Replies

  • FunnyGirl613
    FunnyGirl613 Posts: 151 Member
    The laws are very complicated but a very brief summary:
    - Food falls into 3 categories: meat, dairy, or "parve" which is like a neutral
    - meat that chew their cud and have split hooves are okay: lamb, beef, deer
    - all kosher fowl (can not be birds of prey) like turkey, chicken, and duck, are technically parve but it was decided centuries ago that for all intents and purposes it should be considered a meat product because it looks like meat when cooked and one could come to make a mistake
    - dairy products are anything that contains any type of milk - cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.
    - we do not mix meat and dairy together - so not cheeseburgers, no chicken in a cream sauce, etc.
    - All fruits and vegetables are parve
    - eggs are parve
    - fish is considered parve and some people eat fish with dairy and some people do not eat fish with dairy.
    - shellfish is not kosher
    - for fish to be kosher it must have fins AND scales, ie salmon okay, catfish is not okay
    - most orthodox jews will not eat meat and fish together in the same dish. (it talks about it in the talmud that it can be dangerous)

    for more details check out chabad.org/kosher
  • mentallygone
    mentallygone Posts: 4
    Thank you.
    On a previous website, I was told you have to eat meats and diary on different plates. Like you have a set of dishes only for meat and one only for diary. Is this true?

    What happens if you make a mistake? What happens if you say accidentally eat a crab ball because you thought there was nno meat? What happens then?
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Yeah, you basically have to have separate cookware, utensils, and dishes for meat and dairy. If you really want to keep kosher, you basically have to replace all the ceramic and wood dishes and utensils. :/ Glass is always kosher, so you don't need separate glassware for meat and dairy, and metal can be made kosher.

    There are also tons of rules about how the animal is slaughtered and prepared, plus there is a wait time between eating meat and diary, so following strictly is a lot harder than just being careful about what dishes you order at the local diner.

    What happens if you make a mistake? Assuming you didn't cook the crab ball or serve it on your own dishes, then you just repent. If you accidentally put a crab ball on your kosher plates, then it depends what the plate is made out of.
  • mentallygone
    mentallygone Posts: 4
    It sounds hard and complicated. What about plastic? Is it considered kosher?

    How complicated is it for a non Jew to becom jewish by means of religion?

    Is that not really looked on favorably?
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Plastic is generally treated like glass, but not always. Basically, since it's a new material, we're still trying to figure that out. :)

    It is very complicated to convert to Judaism, especially since we don't actually consider believing in Judaism to be a sufficient reason to become Jewish (look up Noahides). Basically, converting requires a) overcoming us trying to convince you the entire time that you're making a bad decision, b) intense religious study, c) complete adherence to Jewish law, and finally d) ritual immersion. The process can take a few years.
  • FunnyGirl613
    FunnyGirl613 Posts: 151 Member
    check out noahide.org
  • shosh413
    shosh413 Posts: 135 Member
    If you're serious about learning about Judaism i wouldn't turn to the internet for information. Contact your local Orthodox Rabbi and talk to him.
  • babbs770
    babbs770 Posts: 27 Member
    I agree with all of the above posters, go speak to a competent orthadox rabbi. I know many converts that are happy with their choice in life, and many who did not go through with it when they found out what the life of a convert entails. I wish you luck on your journey.
  • sarah6336
    sarah6336 Posts: 108 Member
    Another good site is www.aish.com. They have a variety of information on keeping kosher. I'm Jewish, but I have heard of people who aren't keeping kosher for health reasons.

    So, about eggs. You have a lot of q's about how to keep kosher. I could give you a quick answer, but I am not sure that is what you are really interested in. Do you just want to keep kosher, or are you interested in Judaism? Just keeping kosher, check the web. If you are interested in the religion/culture then try to find a Rabbi (Jewish clergy) in your area to talk with about this.

    Hope this helps.

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