The other day, someone commented on this blog about the difficulty of eating a kosher diet without having a Jewish kosher food store nearby. I want to discuss this issue a bit and dispel this notion.
First off, there are two types of “kosher.” They are rabbinic kosher, and biblical kosher. One who doesn’t know better would probably think these two are the same, but they’re not. The biblical standards for clean and unclean meats (or eating kosher) are very minimal and are found primarily in Leviticus chapter eleven of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). There we learn what animal meat is clean (and permissible to eat), and what meat is unclean (and not permissible to eat). Elsewhere in the Torah, we learn that YHVH’s also forbids his people from eating blood (Gen 9:4; 17:12, 14; Deut 12:23), organ fat (Lev 3:17; 7:23), and animals that die of themselves (e.g., because of disease or old age) or that have been killed by other animals ( Exod 22:31; Lev 7:24; 17:15; 22:8; Deut 14:21). Basically, these are the biblical dietary standards regarding clean and unclean meats.
What types of animals does the Bible permit us to eat? Simply stated, only land animals that have cloven hooves and chews their cud, only fish that have fins and scales, only fowl-type birds, and only insects that are in the grasshopper or locust family are permitted for human consumption
Some might wonder about the Jewish rabbinic tradition of not eating meat and dairy. This is based on the Torah-law that forbids the eating a kid (or young goat) that has been boiled in its mother’s milk (Exod 23:19; 34:26; Deut 14:21). This law has been understood to refer to any young kosher animal in addition to goats. The problem with this passage is that it has several possible interpretations. They are as follows:
- It’s unlawful to eat a kid that hasn’t been weaned.
- It’s unlawful to boil meat in milk from its mother.
- It’s unlawful to eat any milk and meat products together.
The rabbinic Jews have primarily taken the third explanation for their interpretation of this law. However, this is a faulty interpretation in light of the fact that Abraham fed the three heavenly messenger (one of whom was YHVH — or the preincarnate Yeshua the Messiah) meat and dairy together (Gen 18:6-8). It’s highly improbable that Abraham who was Torah-observant (Gen 28:5) violated the Torah in this instance or that YHVH went against his own law in eating meat and dairy together. So we reject the rabbinic interpretation of this Torah-law that allegedly prohibits the consumption of meat and dairy together as nothing more than an unbiblical man-made doctrine. People like to debate this issue, but it’s clear in my mind.
Since we’re on the subject of traditions of men, without going into details, the rabbinic Jewish standards for kosher diet go well beyond anything the Bible says and include all kinds of laws and regulations that are extra-biblical. One is welcome to follow these rules if they want, but from a biblical perspective, it’s not required. That’s why we make the distinction between “biblical kosher” and “rabbinic kosher.” My family follows the former and not the latter. There’s no indication that Yeshua and his disciples subscribed to the rabbinic kosher laws either. Yeshua may even be alluding to some of these man-made traditions when he countered the Jews’ traditions of washing ceremonially before eating (Mark 7:1–5).
So, if one chooses to follow biblical standards of kosher instead of rabbinic standards of kosher, this opens up greater possibilities with regard to where to shop for your food.
My family has been doing biblical kosher for 60 years (four generations), and we shop at regular food outlets.
When shopping for food, there are several things to watch for. This is not a comprehensive list. Through it all, one becomes a well-educated label reader.
When buying raw biblically meat from from the butcher, make sure it’s not touching the pork in the next tray.
When buying red meat, get as much of the blood out as possible before eating. Most of the blood from unthawed frozen red meat will automatically come out in the thawing process. Throw this bloody (“meat juice”) away. When flame broiling red meat, most of the blood will get cooked out, though searing the meat first can keep some of it in there.
For steak and roast-type meat, before cooking, first sprinkle kosher salt (the salt that comes in a box and is comprised of large granules) on the meat and let sit for a while. Then rinse the meat with water and repeat several times until no more blood is drawn out of the meat by the salt. This will dry out your meat, but if you then marinate your meat before or during cooking, moisture will be restored to your meat to make it tender and delicious.
Hamburger can be more difficult to deal with. If frozen, let it thaw out and throw out the bloody meat juice. If raw, pat-press or squeeze the meat with paper towels to soak up the blood. This may not be the most perfect method for removing the blood, but we do the best we can do.
You can buy rabbinic Jewish kosher meet in a Jewish meat market, but some of the meat that we’ve seen there is even bloodier than the meat at the local grocery store. Plus, it’s often full of chemical additives. Yuck! So you have to be careful there too.
When buying sausages, make sure the casings are beef or lamb. Often kosher meat is put into pork casings. Go figure!
When buying dairy products, look for the rabbinic Jewish kosher seal (called a hechsher) on the label. The following website contains some the most common kosher symbols used globally today:
http://www.kashrut.com/agencies/
There’s a lot more that could be said on this subject, but hopefully this little bit of info will help you when buying food.
When you start eating biblically kosher, your diet begins improve a lot. Not only do you stop eating unclean meats, but, as you’re learning to read labels more carefully, you’ll become horrified to discover all the chemical additives you’ve been putting into your body. The food you thought was pure and wholesome is anything but that. As a result, many people start going back to eating food that’s less processed and in it’s more natural and less refined state, which is a good thing. Next thing you know, you start feeling better as your health improves.
You also start eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains, which is a good thing.There are seldom if any kosher issues with regards to these foods, so eat away!
Learning to eat a biblically correct diet physically often coincides with eating a more biblically correct diet spiritually. What do I mean by this? Simply this. The mainstream church system feeds its members a steady spiritual diet of processed foods full of unbiblical (spiritually unkosher) doctrines and traditions of men that are contrary to the Written Word of Elohim in the Bible. YHVH’s Word has been processed through churches and denominations, layers of theological debate going back for hundreds of years, and the inclusion of many additives like man-made doctrines and even pagan traditions. As we get back to the bedrock of our Hebraic faith and become more biblically based in our beliefs and lifestyle, this leads us to become more selective in what we eat spiritually. In this process, we learn about the biblical dietary laws, which, contrary to what the mainstream church has told us, haven’t been done way with. So in the process of our spiritual growth, we clean up both our spiritual and physical diets and, as a result, end up feeling better all the way around.
It’s all about holiness — not a holier-than-thou-attitude, which some adopt, which is contrary to the heart and spirit of our Father in heaven.
Holiness is the chief attribute of YHVH Elohim, and the Scriptures reveal that he wants us to be holy as he is holy.
Holiness is the opposite of being polluted or profane, which is the chief attribute of sinful men.
YHVH calls us to be holy, so he can have a holy relationship with men through Yeshua the Messiah in accordance with his instructions in righteousness (the Torah-Word of Elohim). Eating a biblically kosher diet is a key aspect to living a holy or set-apart or unpolluted lifestyle — unpolluted by the world, the flesh and the devil.
Eating correctly is primarily a holiness issue, although there are physical benefits as well. That’s why YHVH relates the biblical dietary laws to being holy as he is holy (Lev 11:44–45).
Thank you, I have been doing most of that for about fifteen years. You taught me about the blood thing and milk, this I was confused also the rabbic. This article cleared it all up for me
Thank you
Gald we could be a blessing to you.
Thank you for this post. You cleared up some common misconceptions as well as addressing the best way to get the blood out of the meat. I do have a question though…….what exactly is organ fat? Is that the same as eating organs? Say liver from a grass fed cow…..is that not kosher? Or using marrow bones when making bone broth?
Thank you! I am really enjoying your teachings.
Organ fat is large quantities of fat that are around some of the main body organs. It’s not the fat the is marbled in with the meat.
On the family farm I grew up on, when we butchered our sheep, we’d talk the organ fat and make soap out of it.
I think Jewish sages say that liver is kosher, but, personally, I wouldn’t eat it, since it helps to filter the blood, so who know what kind of junk is found therein. Just a personal decision on my part.
I’m not sure what the Jewish sages teach about eating marrow. The KJV refers to the edibility of marrow several times, but when you check the Hebrew it’s referring to fat.
I don’t how you can cook a roast, for example, and take the marrow out of the bone, unless you debone it first. My gut feeling is that there’s nothing wrong with eating marrow.
Thank you for your response. We do eat the liver of grass fed animals, and pastured chickens because it is extremely high in vitamin A and D, as well as acetylcholine, the precursor to choline. Like you, I avoided liver for many years for that very reason (the liver is a filter), but in my studies on nutrition, I’ve since learned the nutritional value of it, so I include it in our family’s diet. I’m glad that it is considered Kosher! As for the marrow, I make bone broth from marrow bones of grass fed animals, to extract all the nutrients from the marrow.
Elohim has had me on a journey for the last four years teaching me about our food supply, in general. Like you, I am appalled at what Believers allow to be put into their bodies, the amount of processed garbage that is full of frankenfood, chemicals, GMO’s, etc. I believe learning how to eat in a way that pleases Him, as well as nourishing and strengthening our bodies, is part of the purification process that we are being called to. We are to come out of ALL aspects of Babylon!!!!! How can we say we’ve come out of Babaylon, then continue to feed our families processed junk that incorporates into their cells and becomes a part of us?!!?
Again, thank you for all of your teachings. I’ve been watching a lot of your YouTube videos, and reading past posts (I just found your site) and sharing them with my husband and kids. You are right in line with all that YHVH has been showing me, and it’s very encouraging. Blessings to you and your family.
Shalom
I see that it has been well over a year since anyone posted on this topic, but perhaps someone will see my comment.. I just finished reading about the way animals are killed and how one killed with much stress will affect the quality of the meat by producing large quantities of stress hormones that get into the blood and meat of the animal. It makes sense to me that ingesting those meats could increase my own stress chemicals, which is certainly not healthy. It’s my understanding that chickens and turkey are killed rather quickly. I’m just looking for ideas on eating healthier as well as biblically..
You are absolutely correct in that the way an animal is slaughtered will determine the amount of cortisol and epinephrine and norepinephrine coursing through their bodies…..and yes, we ingest their stress which is not healthy for us. You want to choose grass fed, pasture raised beef and lamb, because they are raised humanely and they are slaughtered humanely. YHVH cares so much for His creation. He never intended animals to be raised on Confined Animal Feed Lot Operations (CAFO’s), where the animals are fed GMO soy and corn that they cannot digest, and they become infected requiring antibiotics. In addition, the way these animals are treated when they are taken to slaughter is inhumane causing the stress cascade you were speaking about. When I buy beef for our family, I find a farmer who raises his own cows, and I buy a portion of that cow. I choose a farmer who allows his animals to graze on pasture, to roam, and who are treated humanely from birth to death. That honors YHVH in my book, by honoring what He has created.
Thank for sharing this excellent info.
I’ve been eating biblically kosher for almost three years now but about two years ago I realised there is one more verse in the Torah that gives us a clue as to what not to eat – and I’ve never heard anyone mention it before.
In Leviticus 19:19 YHWH says:
Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
I am obviously talking about the instruction regarding seed. But what I noticed in example 1 is that crossbreeding animals can render them barren (e.g. the mule) and in example 3 that mixing linen and wool will not be conducive to life as these fabrics have the same frequency and would cancel each other out, resulting in a frequency of 0 that promotes illness.
So these instructions show that YHWH intends for us to multiply and live in a healthy environment. It seems to be all about health and life, so the command not to mingle to kinds of seed must go in the same direction.
Interestingly enough when I came across this verse I had just heard about the book “Wheat Belly” that is all about modern wheat that has been tampered with since WWII: it’s been crossbred and genetically modified to such an extent that it should not even be considered a food anymore. Apparently it’s one of the major reasons for most illnesses in the Western World as it’s just everywhere.
Our Creator knew that crossbreeding edible plants would result in foods that make us ill. One example with grains is that when they are crossed, they do not just pass on half their chromosomes as humans do, but the full number. The original grains had 14 chromosomes. Crossing two different kinds resulted in 28 chromosomes in the next “generation”. If two crossbred grains were crossed again, the next generation would have 56 etc. So crossbreeding in grains results in serious tampering with their genetic codes – even without modern science labs! – and moving further away from the product originally designed as food for His children.
I’m still wondering whether I’m the first one who made the connection between modern grains and Lev 19:19, regarding a Biblical diet? Or if anyone else has made a connection between the “illnesses of the Egyptians” and excessive grain consumption?
The illnesses of the Egyptians were actually real and similar to those of our modern civilisation, as examinations on 3000 year old mummies showed. These health issues, amongst which were narrow hips and difficulties in child birth, were quite possibly triggered by their heavy consumption of grains and a disdain for meat (and dairy).
Have you ever wondered why Egypt was chosen to help everyone get through the 7 years of famine? Why Egypt is referred to as the bread house? Why the Israelites had to live in Goshen with all the Egyptian shepherds, far away from the main city? Or have you ever come across the passage where the midwifes said that the Israelite women give birth much faster than the Egyptians (Ex 1:19)? Maybe all this had to to with the fact that the Egyptian’s diet consisted mainly of grains whereas the diet of the Israelites was that of nomads, thus high in meat and dairy products?
I don’t believe that keeping the Torah will only keep us healthy for spiritual reasons, I believe that the Torah is also a guideline for healthy nutrition and prevention of illnesses on a very practical level – all because our Creator is interested in having healthy, fit, and happy children that prosper in every aspect of their lives.
Due to all this insight I now try to avoid most grains but especially wheat, as it was modified the most. Since I’ve also changed my eating habits concerning grains, I’ve actually lost weight, sleep better and feel more stress-resistant…
Excellent points. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Shalom all. I know this is an old post, but for the sake of anyone reading today I’d like to add my beliefs.
The verses you mention use the word “kilayim”, which literally means “mixed cells”. It refers to an unnatural mixture of plants, humans, or animals. Something which cannot occur in nature. Thus, if some pollen from an orange tree blows over and fertilizes a lemon tree, it does not render the fruit unkosher. Kilayim is what we call gmo today. In ancient times it would have been understood as chimeras, or any unnatural creature or plant made my human intervention. The best way to avoid kilayim is to eat organic, or at least look for non-gmo on the label.
As a horticulturalists my entire life, and for the past 40 years, specifically, a professional arborist (tree care expert), I would like to put a finer point on what you have said. There is a big difference between cross pollination which occurs naturally, and even humans selectively cross-pollinating various plants of the same species to produce new and better varieties. There is nothing wrong with that, in most cases, for the barriers between species are not being crossed. This is not genetic engineering as the modern term implies. As best I understand, it is that genetic engineering that is harmful and contrary to Scripture that involves mixing DNA of one species with that of another species, or plants with animals or v/v, or humans with animals. The chimeras to which you are referring originally involved mixing angelic seed with that of humans resulting in the nephilim of Genesis 6:4. I also agree with your bottom line premise: eat food that is as natural occurring as possible as Elohim created it. As you have correctly stated, that means eating organic and non-GMO. While we are on the subject, this principle needs to apply to the spiritual food that we eat as well. Throw out the traditions of men by which the Word of Elohim is made of non-effect and get back to the Bible with the Torah as the bedrock of Truth and Yeshua—the Jewish Messiah—as the Living Torah. Leave behind the caricaturized version of the Bible and Messiah that mainstream Christianity peddles!
What a relief! Our family is new to the dietary laws of Elohim, but desire to please Him with all our hearts. The “no meat/no dairy” combination really threw me off. I kept saying to my peers, look at the scripture, pray about, and discern the intent. Hallelu-YAH, I got it! Man-made traditions can really mess one up. I will keep reading the scriptures and follow IT! Thank you Natan!
If i buy fish do i have to before cooking remove spinal bone which has ussaly around it blood? Or Will it be kosher If i just take out its gūts? And If i buy chiken do i have to do some extra blood removing? because there are blood around chikens bones ussally. And in General Can cooking remove blood?
We do the best we can to get rid of the blood and don’t worry about the rest of it.
When an animal is properly bled at the time of butchering, the vast majority of blood is drained from the animal. If there is still some blood left in red meat, for example, it can be removed by sprinkling the raw meat with kosher salt which has the ability to draw out more of the blood. Do this several times while rinsing in water each time until no more blood comes out. Cooking doesn’t bring out the blood usually. Grilling over a fire apparently can help to remove some of the blood, but searing the meat under high temp will lock the blood in place if there is still some left in the meat. So slow grilling is best. Poultry is not generally considered to be a problem once it’s bled initially. It’s the red meat that’s the problem, since there’s so much blood throughout the meat. Regarding the backbone, I have never heard of the Jews worrying about that.
We do the best we can to get the majority of the blood out and don’t worry about the rest. The main thing is that YHVH doesn’t want his people to drink the blood like the heathens did and still do in some places. Yuk! Lev 17 teaches us that not only are we not to drink it, but to respect it by properly disposing of it. This is, in large part, due to the significance of blood with regard to the role it plays in the biblical concept of atonement and redemption as it points too Messiah’s shedding his blood on the cross for our sins. This is the concept that we are to keep in mind when properly dealing with the blood.
What are your thoughts on Gid Hanasheh?
This aspect of rabbinic kashrut is simply Jewish tradition and not a biblical command included anywhere in Torah’s dietary laws. If someone wants to follow extra-biblical Jewish traditions, this is their choice, as long as they don’t demand that I do the same, which is a form of legalism. Though I follow the biblical dietary laws, Idon’t practice this tradition, but I will be respectful those who do.
I just came across this article today. We have been trying to eat kosher for a few years now as far as our choice of foods and such. I am wondering about the additives in foods. So many of them have animal products or extracts, etc and by the name on the label one would never know it could possibly be a non-kosher product. There are a few things I am aware of and we live no where near a kosher outlet. Could you just give me your thoughts on this. Should be we be concerned with every ingredient or am I over thinking this? Thank-you for your article – it was very refreshing!!
Additives are still food that is being ingested into the body. Thankfully we have the internet so we can look up all of the names of those hard to pronounce additives and find out what they really are in plain language. The easiest thing to do is to eat food that so few if any additives if you can find a store that sells more natural type foods. That’s what we do. Blessings!