What is included in the traditional understanding of “kosher”?
The basis for keeping kosher is found in our Torah (the first five books of the Jewish Bible). The laws in our Torah either permit or forbid us to consume certain animals. Some animals are specifically noted (Leviticus 11:1-23), while others are categorized more generally: “You shall set apart the pure beast from the impure, the impure bird from the pure. .” (Leviticus 20:25) The Torah teaches that “You shall not boil a baby goat in its mother’s milk.”(Exodus 23:19) Later authorities interpreted this to mean that dairy and meat should not be eaten together, prepared in the same cookware, nor served in the same dishes. In addition to the above, traditional laws of kashrut are also concerned with the method for slaughtering animals, the examination of slaughtered animals, definitions of proper cuts of meat and the preparation of meat. Established Kashrut certification corporations/companies do not base their certification upon the treatment of animals, our ecosystem, how workers are trea
