why is it so important to keep kosher?
397979
The world of kosher encompasses the history of a people and enriches countless Jewish homes around the globe. The mitzvah of kosher transforms food into a vehicle for holiness, making the kitchen the spiritual hub of the home.\n\nThe laws of kosher detail the permitted and forbidden animals, fish, and fowl, and describe the separation of dairy and meat. A significant part of Jewish observance is associated with food, from the dietary laws to the saying of blessings before and after eating, from the celebration of holidays to the agricultural laws governing food from Israel. Kosher is an all-encompassing way of life, whether at home, on the job, or eating out. Through kosher observance, every activity associated with food becomes an opportunity for spiritual refinement.\n\nNot too long ago, nearly all Jews adhered to the dietary laws without ever asking, “Why keep kosher?” It was the Jewish thing to do. Only those who deliberately rebelled against the ways of their parents and grandparents would have eaten traif, non-kosher food. Today the situation has largely reversed, in that Jews who have no thought of rebellion and even identify proudly as Jews eat every kind of non-kosher food. It requires thought and effort to keep kosher.\n\nOur thinking has changed to the extent that we no longer know why Judaism places such emphasis on eating and drinking, basic necessities shared not only by all mankind but by animals as well. We ask, “Does G-d really care what I eat?” Without a satisfactory explanation for kosher and without the simple faith based on Torah values that characterized former generations, many Jews conclude that keeping kosher is simply obsolete – that it is based upon ancient health precautions which no longer apply to modern life.\n\nWe therefore offer some of the insights into the mitzvah of kosher provided by Jewish tradition. These insights satisfy our need for understanding and motivate us to keep the mitzvoth of the Torah in the face of opposing values from contemporary culture. Nevertheless, it should be understood that the commandments are Divine in origin and can never be fully comprehended by human intellect. We keep the mitzvoth because they are G-d’s gift to the Jewish people.\n\n“Religion,” as everyone knows, deals with prayer, meditation, charity, ethics and sometimes various forms of self-denial. Judaism, however, encompasses every aspect of life. Our most ordinary daily activities become imbued with holiness when we follow the Torah dictum to “know Him in all your ways.” (Proverbs 3:6)\n\nKosher represents the meeting of body and soul. The Torah tells us not to reject the physical but rather to sanctify it. We sanctify the act of eating with kosher food and blessings before and after eating. Kosher food is the diet of spiritual nutrition for the Jewish neshamah, (soul). It is designed to bring refinement and purification to the Jewish people.\n\nWhat does this mean? Modern nutritional science recognizes what Judaism has always taught that to a large extent we are what we eat. We know that the food we eat is absorbed into our flesh and blood. Forbidden foods are referred to in the Torah as abominations to the G-dly soul, elements that detract from our spiritual sensitivity. Birds of prey and carnivorous animals, having the power to influence the eater with aggressive attributes, are among the foods that are forbidden. For a Jew, all non-kosher food diminishes one’s spiritual sensitivity, reducing the ability to absorb concepts of Torah and mitzvoth. Both mind and heart are affected.\n\nIt is easy to see why kosher is often considered the most far-reaching of all the mitzvoth. History demonstrates that when kosher observance is strong, Jewish identity remains strong.\n\nTo explain the power of kosher food, we must turn to Chassidic teachings based upon the mysticism of the Ari-Zal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria). The Ari-Zal gave a literal interpretation of the verse, “Man does not live by
563303
The amount of time the product will stay fresh after it has been opened. It should be discarded after that amount of months.
190386
It is important because of the enviroment. The animals, the air quality all need to be very clean. If an area doesnt stay clean, the enviroment will become nasty
180438
it is important.  But what about it?
115152
There were different viewpoints in the early Christian church on this issue.  Some felt that in order to be a Christian, you had to first become Jewish and keep all the Jewish laws with perhaps the exception of the sacrifices.  Others felt that you did not have to follow all the Jewish laws, but that certain ones ought to be kept, such as the Jewish calendar (Holidays), the moral laws, and dietary laws.  Others, and Paul is in this group, felt that one did not have to keep any of the Jewish laws except for the laws of morality.  \n\nPaul has the largest influence in the New Testament, and therefore most Christians do not feel any obligation to keep the dietary laws.  But understand that Paul did not view the Torah (Law) as totally bad.  He felt that it was good for teaching us what sin is.  And he also felt that it was not bad in itself, but Paul did object to the way the "Judaizers" (those of the first 2 groups I mentioned) VIEWED the law.  Paul taught that the law is well and good, but it does not lead to salvation.  You are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  And that is your salvation, not works of the law.\n\nSo here is my advice:  If you agree with Paul, then I think you may keep the dietary laws or other laws of the Torah, JUST AS LONG as you do not begin to think that it is by the performance of that law that you have salvation.  Salvation is by the grace of God through your faith in Jesus.\nThat's Paul.\n\nNow, my opinion:  Our body is a temple (Paul also agrees with this concept) and therefore we are to take care of it and keep it pure.  So if you believe that by keeping the dietary laws, you will be healthier, then I say by all means, you should do that.  But honestly we do not know for sure why those Laws were ever given.  The Bible does not say to follow those dietary laws so that you will be healthier, but so that you will be "holy."  If the Bible was trying to give you a diet for good health, it should have prohibited eggs and poison mushrooms.  But it does not.  And furthermore, eating meat is not considered the healthiest diet.  The original plan of God in the Bible seems to be vegetarianism.  Remember that before Noah, God gave the people "every herb of the trees, etc" as food.  It was a vegetarian system.  But after Noah, then God allowed meat-eating, but it can almost be seen as a concession.  The Jewish interpretation is that God saw how wicked man was and that he just wasn't good enought that God could expect them to be strict vegetarians.  So he said, Ok, you can eat meat, just so long as you do not eat the blood, etc.\n\nThe only reason that the Bible gives for the dietary laws is so that "you will be holy, as I the Lord your God am holy."  In Hebrew, the word holy carries the connotation of set apart.  It has been speculated that God was trying to set the Jewish people apart from the surrounding nations.  Many of them sacrificed pigs for example.  And God forbade the Israelites from this, so that they would not be like the surrounding nations, and perhaps because the pig was seen as dirty (understandably!).  \n\nIn some times and places, people have to rely on meat-eating to survive.  But I think that the ideal is vegetarianism.  According to the Bible, God gave humans dominion over the animals......but does dominion mean we have to be cruel rulers?  I think that if we are capable we should be vegetarians.  But if you are in a time and place where that is not possible, then God of course would understand.  But that is just my opinion.\n\nMy brother has a neat little book called, "What Would Jesus Eat?"  You might really enjoy that!  It talks about the diet of that time period.  And it was a whole lot healthier than what we eat!  They ate little meat, and a lot of whole grains and legumes.  They did eat a lot of fish of course, being in the Galilee.
469239
Many reasons why US govt considers important.\n\n1.  Base in Middle East - Israel is the ally that keeps the power of the arabs in check and offers unquestionable support to US for that privilege. Oil is a serious issue, and Middle East is the largest supplier of oil. As long as the Arab states keep fighting each other, the OPEC is weak. Offering permanent solutions to Middle East problem is very harmful for world economy. So we keep stirring the pot once in a while.....to keep our SUVs going!\n\n2.  Finance and Academics : Jews control 40% of the FInancial and Educational Sector in the US. The economy would collapse without their support. FLight of capital and intelligence (brain drain) is a very serious and detrimental phenomenon in the modern world.\n\n3. Jews have nowhere else to go but the handful of Palestinians can be absorbed by the arab world. Should Israel caese to exist, the failure of US govt to support will create a civil war within US!\n\n4. There are more, many more reasons...but these are the primary IMO.
99151
This is the right category to ask seeing as there are certain dietary restrictions that both Jews and Muslims MUST adhere to.  Anything from a pig is forbidden including anything made from pig leather.  They can't even keep one of those little Vietnamese Pot Bellied pigs as a pet.
542959
simply because they are dedicated.\ndedicated to their country, to their religion, to their own people.\ni am a muslim and i admire jews for many things.
167442
It helps to prevent contamination of your cultures.  That's also why you flame the tools that you use to innoculate cultures.
849747
one of the main reasons kosher slaughter is necessary is because it is humane. the slaughterer has to immediately cut the artery so that the animal dies instantly, and the knife has to be very sharp and not dulled in order to minimize pain and complications as well. there have been lots of controversies about kosher slaughtering, buts its mainly due to the companies not following the laws properly and doing it badly, therefore causing the animal unnecessary pain. this is not a problem with the laws of kashrut, but with the incompetence of the people who have been marketing "kosher" foods.
407390
Jesus kept Kosher so he wouldn't have a shake with a hamburger.\n\nTorah clearly states no milk and meat together.
966158
yeah, its preserved fruit. Some are lost in heating up and over time. But making your own jam and eating over the winter is much better than buying stuff in the supermarkets.
486919
I'm not cretain I like this question because I don't understand why you need to know this. It has veiled Semitic implications if were to be looking for a reason to single them out. I was once married to a Jew and even thought we're no longer married, we're still friends.
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A resounding yes (to the previous post).  Passover is also relevant as it is symbolic of the way in which the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed for us, means we are forgiven of sin, and "passed over" by God's wrath and the death which all of our sins naturally earn for us.
368611
because there are many wealthy jews in America. They are politically motivated and know how to use the money paying off greedy politicians in Washington DC. I kinda sound antisimetic I guess but its just the truth, I have nothing against Jewish people. I just think that we (Americans) need to mind our own business. it's not like everything is hunky dory over here you know. And my god, how many times does history need to repeat itself? No matter what we do, it comes back to bite us in the ass in the end.
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Because they love you!\n\nAnd I am Jewish!
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Kosher has little to do with being "blessed by a Rabbi". Fresh fruit and vegetables, for example are automatically kosher (unless they are wormy or bug infested). \n\nObviously only certain meats have the possiblity of being kosher.  Unkosher meats would include rats, cats, humans, etc. The rules of which animals are kosher are outlined in the Bible.  (There are obviously those who reject the Bible and thus don't care about kosher.) Also the way in which the animal is killed may render it unkosher.  For example, even a kosher animal is unkosher if you strangled it to death, if it is road kill, etc.\n\nTo be certified kosher the kosher animal has to be slaughtered properly and under strict rabbinic observation, the carcus inspected for adhesions on the internal organs, etc.\n\nI suppose you could reasonably hassle your Christian friends by asking the old "WWJD?" question.