JTF.ORG Forum
Torah and Jewish Idea => Torah and Jewish Idea => Topic started by: Sarah on February 07, 2008, 04:23:04 PM
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It is better to take the simple path to things rather then complicating measures if the goal is still the same? God encourages Simplicity, right?
In the Torah, where does it list all the foods, certain types of fish, parts of the animal that are not Kosher? Who decided the laws regarding a Kosher Diet?
I don't understand why...especially with fish....there are so many aspects such as the scales attached or not that are involved in the diet?
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<snip>
I don't understand why...especially with fish....there are so many aspects such as the scales attached or not that are involved in the diet?
A mystical answer is that there is a spiritual realm, whose inner workings we do not know. And when Jews do G-d`s commandments, it has positive effects there, and furthermore, G-d - the controller of the jewish peoples` destiny, blesses the jewish people for it.
A logical explanation about the fish is simple. G-d knew what fish are right for us to eat, and what were not. So as a sign, he said those fish we can eat have fins and scales.
It`s not like in that other religion, where a man decides he does not want to eat a certain animal because it is "dirty" or perhaps because it has sharp teeth and he does not like the look of it.
There is actually a particular species of grasshopper that jews can eat. (though since we live in countries that do not eat that, we do not bother)
Kosher food may coincidentally be healthy, but that is coincidence.
Rules about fish and insects happen to be in the written torah, the Tanach. But alot of laws are not, it gets very complicated..
And really, besides the fact that jews do not seek converts. We believe that non jews are not supposed to be taught torah, because it is "our inheritance". And to teach a non jew would like making him/her a thief. It is a sin. Non jews are supposed to learn the parts relevant to them.. The parts relevant to the noachide laws, that is, the beginning of genesis.
Of course, righteous jews and gentiles working together to save the world from the tyrannical ideologies and idiots of our times. That is kosher!
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<snip>
I don't understand why...especially with fish....there are so many aspects such as the scales attached or not that are involved in the diet?
There is actually a particular species of grasshopper that jews can eat. (though since we live in countries that do not eat that, we do not bother)
I believe some sephardim still have a mesorah on what type of grasshopper is ok to eat
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yes.. I heard yemenite jews do.
jews from western / eastern european countries are civilised and would not eat grasshoppers ;-) Therefore they would not be experienced in identifying kosher ones