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Pareve SupervisionThere are different opinions or Rabbinical views on the status of the Pareve (without supervision). However, this is a simple sample of the use of the word Kosher. Biblically KosherBiblically, the Torah forbids eating land animals that do not chew their cud and do not have completely cloven hooves. This creates the major category of Cows, goats, sheep, deer, bison, gazelles, antelopes, giraffe, and a few other animals. This also, immediately eliminates the following two animals. The pig is eliminated because, it does not chew its cud, even though it has split hooves. And, the camel is eliminated because it does not have split hooves, eventhough it does chew? These two are beheimah temeiah — ("unclean") non-kosher Similarly, there is a list of 24 kosher fowl. While the Chicken is listed, because the turkey is on the list, we can quickly start a heated conversation around the American Thanksgiving Holidays. Nor, can we safely watch the Partridge Family, or go to see Swan Lake? And, any item on the list, can be rendered non-kosher if it is slathered improperly (shechita). The is the way of the Neveilah. Rabbinic injunctions?We do not want to have a nice meal, and then commit Basar b'chalav. This mean that you mixed the meat and milk of a kosher domestic animal. However, someone decided to extend this to non-domestic animals (deer?) and fowl. Meaning fowl, from the list of 24. Ancient TimesAs one traverse the worlds and realities of it, we must also look at the times, in which these traditions, were created. In the case of pigs, there were really a scavenging animal, much like a pheasant, guinea hen, partridge, and pigeons. And, inturn they had a high probability of coming into contact with and/or contracting parasites. And, because the pigs did not always toughly chew their food, those parasites had a high probability of continuing to live within them. This continuation could continue into our bodies as well, unless the food was properly prepared and cooked. But, there were no restaurant or food inspectors coming around every week or month. So the traditions of society and the comforting laws of religion took their place. We must also remember, that thousands upon thousands of years ago, we thought air was air, and that water was water. Who could have began to imagine that they both were made of Oxygen and Hydrogen, and other stuff? Who new, that there really were little animals called parasites, that were making people extremely sick? It has only been a few hundred years know, that we know the Common Cold is caused by a microscopic virus?
I wonder, if I will be so eloquent, when my Loving friend and I, talk about this subject again?
24 October 2002
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