Jewish People, Why Do You Have Seperate Pots, Knives & Cutting Boards for Dairy Products?

Question

What exactly is the rule, where is it stated, and why is following it of benefit to the human body? I am referring to the practice of having seperate pots, knives & cutting boards for vegetarian; dairy-and meat-based products. Also, why is pork considered the most dangerous meat to eat?

Answer 1

The Torah (Jewish Bible) states in 4 different locations "Do not cook the kid in the milk of it's mother".

That means that Jews never cook dairy and meat products together, and even if not cooked in one dish, dairy & meat products are never served together in the same meal.

When you cook meat in a pot, the "flavor" or "taste" of the meat remains in the metal of the pot for at least 24 hours. After that time, in order to cook dairy products in the pot, it must be immersed in boiling water to remove any vestiges of meat "flavor" in metal of the pot.

Most people would find it quite inconvenient to not use their pots, pans, silverware, dishes for 24 hours after a meat or milk meal, and then have to boil everything.

Therefore, they just keep 2 sets of everything.

You don't really need a 3rd set for cooking vergetarian, you can use a clean milk or meat pot that hasn't been used for 24 hours. It gets a little bit tricky in some cases, so sometimes it's good to keep one pot around that is "neutral" (i.e. never used to cook meat or dairy items).

Why are we so careful about following this law? We want to show God how much we love him, because he created the universe, us and everything that is in it, so we do his will so that we can have a relationship with him.

Answer 2

We don't keep meat and dairy separate for health reasons. We do it because G*D gave us the directive to do so. Many scholars have speculated upon the reasons why but nobody has found a good human reason. It just is the law that G*D gave to us.

Now, not every Jewish person keeps seperate pots and other kitchen items, even those who basically keep kosher. What you refer to is a very literal interpretation of the laws requiring seperation of meat and dairy. *Very* religious Jews keep separate sets of kitchen items for dairy and meat on the theory that even on dishes, meat and dairy can mix together. Some Jews take this so seriously that they have separate refridgerators/freezers, sinks, dishwashers, and even stoves!

As for pork, among the many theories that have been produced, there is one story that makes a certain amount of sense. Jews only eat the meat of certain types of animals. Such animals have cloven hoofs, a multi-part stomach, and are mammals. Pigs can be considered "the most dangerous" because they masquarade as animals fit to eat (they are mammals and have cloven hoofs) but actually are not (do not have multi part stomachs).

Answer 3

The two reasons why Jews for thousands of years have kept kosher is because Jews believe: 1) There is a God who created the world, sustains and supervises it. 2) God entered into a covenant with the Jewish people, and gave the Torah, obligating Jews to uphold and fulfill its commandments. The kosher laws are a part of that covenant.

The Torah calls the Jews a "holy people" and prescribes a holy diet (see Deut. 14:2-4). You are what you eat. Kosher is God's diet for spirituality. Jewish mysticism teaches that non-kosher food blocks the spiritual potential of the soul.

Kosher animals properly slaughtered and prepared have more "sparks of holiness" (according to the Kabbalah) which are incorporated in our being.

In regards to Pork - Here is a quote from the Old Testament to that effect: "And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase." Deuteronomy 14:8

Answer 4

its something to do with not eating a 'calf in its mothers milk' - this is one of the basis of the rules called 'kosher'. So Jewish people would never eat chicken in a creamy sauce for instance. It also happens to make extremely good hygeine sense - all professional kitchens use seperate equipment to prevent cross contamination. You should never allow raw meat to come in contact with fruit/veg/cooked meat etc.

Pork isn't considered dangerous - it is considered dirty.

Answer 5

try this page - it's pretty complicated and difficult to sum up in a few lines...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashrut