why don't jewish people eat pork and what does it mean to be kosher?

Question

I know this may be a dumb question but I really want to know. And if someone who is Jewish can tell me I would definatley understand better. I am looking to expand my knowledge of relgion a bit.

Answer 1

Jewish people still live under the laws of Abraham and moses.
kosher means that it is made with only products considered to be acceptable under Jewish laws.
I put this in just in case a Jewish person did not answer.

Answer 2

You got some good answers here regarding the main reasons why the Jewish don't eat pork. I just wanted to add that God gave us these instructions regarding eating because he created our bodies so He would be the ultimate authority on what should and what should not go into our bodies- Pigs are the only animals to sweat internally, which means all of the toxins in their skin and in what they roll around in, goes into rather than outside of their bodies. Between this and the worms, pork is a very unhealthy meat to eat and is actually, in the long run very poisonous to oyur body. This is true with all of the other 'meats' that God forbid in the Bible. Many people think that these Biblical laws are no longer valid- the eating or not eating of pork will not affect your salvation , but because one is saved, they will recognize the wisdom of God's instruction, which was not meant for salvation but for living a blessed, healthy and abundant life here.

Answer 3

"Kosher" food is food that is prepared under the supervision of a rabbi in accordance with the dietary laws ("kashrut") of the Hebrew Bible (found in particular in the book of Leviticus).

The simple answer to "why?" is that, in the Jewish scriptures, God says that certain foods are unclean and others are not (and that even clean foods must be prepared in a certain way). As for why certain foods are unclean, anthropologists have offered several theories ranging from health concerns to mythology. One convincing argument comes from Mary Douglas:

Every potential food animal is evaluated based upon whether or not it does what it should do. If it is an animal of the air, does it also walk on feet? Does it move in a “swarm”, which is a confusing and disordered way of movement? Does it meet all of the criteria for cattle?

Answer 4

Your best bet is to go to the library or find a Web Site, as heaven only knows what kind of answers you will get on here----I find so many people are so uneducated.

There are pigs and other animals and some fish and shellfish that are not to be eaten. If you stop and think, these are usually scavengers, who eat the ''crud at the bottom of the barrel'', so to speak.

Eating dairy and meat together is forbidden as the Bible says never cook a kid in it's mother's milk------it is cruel.

But, pull out a book and really delve into it all.

Answer 5

It's a rule from the Bible:

(Deuteronomy 14)

2. For you are a holy people to the Lord, your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a treasured people for Him, out of all the nations that are upon the earth.
3. You shall not eat any abomination. 4. These are the animals that you may eat: ox, lamb, and kid, 5. gazelle, deer, and antelope, ibex, chamois, bison, and giraffe.
6. And every animal that has a split hoof and has a hoof cloven into two hoof sections, [and] chews the cud among the animals that you may eat.
7. But you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those that have the split hooves: the cloven one, the camel, the hyrax, and the hare, for they chew the cud, but do not have split hooves; they are unclean for you.
8. And the pig, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You shall neither eat of their flesh nor touch their carcass. 9. These you may eat of all that are in the waters; all that have fins and scales, you may eat. 10. But whatever does not have fins and scales, you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.

Answer 6

The bible (old testament) forbids certain foods based on health and cleanliness. Pig, in those days without refrigeration, spoiled faster than other meats. That is why it was forbidden. There are a whole bunch of rules that developed and lead to Kosher rules of eating. Many Jewish people still follow these traditions, but there are also many who don't.

Answer 7

CJoshuaV and RW got it right. I'd just like to emphasize that kosher (clean) has nothing to do with bacteria. Bacteria can be dangerous on all foods, not just the ones deemed to be unclean in the Bible. The Torah teaches us to respect all life, including animal life. If we must eat meat, God allows us to eat it in moderation and only if the animal is killed in a humane manner and every drop of blood drained from it.

The Torah teaches us self-restraint and moderation.
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Answer 8

I'm not Jewish and I don't eat pork. But, it's supposed to be unclean. Kosher foods have certain rules and processing that other foods don't have.

Answer 9

One simple reason: G-d said so.
Some have offered the reason that unkosher animals aren't healthy, however, this idea has no basis in jewish thought and is completely laughable to any knowledgable jew.

Answer 10

Names is right. Kosher (in this context) just means that it fufills all the laws of food- not milk and meat together, properly slaughtered, no blood left, allowed species, etc.