Dietary Laws of the Jewish Religion Essay - 861 Words

In the Jewish religion dietary laws are one of the most important parts of keeping the faith. These laws are thought to be sent from God to keep the Jewish people pure. Over the year it has became easier for Jews to eat kosher but many people have chosen to assimilate with passing time. A tradition that started around 3500 years ago that has kept its importance. Around 1275 B.C.E many of the Jewish prophets started to talk about kashrut otherwise known as keeping kosher. They talked about how God wanted them to eat only certain foods so that their souls would stay clean. The definition of kosher means fit or proper, which is what God desired for his people. In these times people were very skeptical about what they ate because of becoming†¦show more content†¦11:9; Deut. 14:9. This means that animals such as crabs, oysters, and lobsters are not kosher and animals like salmon, bass, and tuna are kosher. After fish the Torah speaks about birds. In the Torah there is a list of birds that are permitted to be eaten (Lev. 11:13-19; Deut. 14:11-18). Birds that are able to be consumed are birds like chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Many jewish people think that the reason the other bird are not kosher are because they are birds of prey. Lastly the Torah discusses insects, rodents and reptiles. It says â€Å"Of the winged swarming things, a few are specifically permitted† (Lev. 11:22). It doesn’t say exactly what the insects that are allowed so many Jewish people just choose not eat them at all. Over the years many Jews have given up their lives instead of eating things that are not kosher. In the Torah in Maccabees (1:62–63) it states, Many of the people of Israel adhered to the law of the Lord. They would not eat unclean things, and chose rather to die. This quote from the Torah just shows how strong the faith of early Jews was. 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