Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the animals that are upon the earth. Everything among the animals that has a split hoof, which is completely separated into double hooves, and that brings up its cud – that you may eat. But this is what you shall not eat from among those that bring up their cud or that have split hooves: the camel, for it brings up its cud, but its hoof is not split – it is unclean for you… -Leviticus 11:2-4
I started reading Hope Egan’s Holy Cow: Does God Care About What We Eat? (I’ll write a review when I’m finished), but the book isn’t the only reason the concept and practice of Kashrut has been on my mind lately. Many of us who consider ourselves Messianic or Hebrew Roots have started “keeping Kosher”, but that is largely based on abstaining from animals considered “unclean” as defined in Leviticus 11. My wife, who is Jewish, has been exploring her cultural and faith heritage for a number of years now (she wasn’t raised in a Jewish home as a child). Recently, she has asked to kasher our kitchen. While I adhere to God’s word on what he does and doesn’t desire I eat, I’ve generally considered the Rabbinical applications to kosher to be unnecessary…but are they?
This isn’t a detailed article about why “Messianic Gentiles” should “keep kosher”, or why Jesus didn’t declare all meats clean, or why Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9-16 (and his explanation of his vision in Acts 11:4-18) doesn’t mean he started eating ham sandwiches. It’s about a married couple, a Gentile husband and a Jewish wife, coming to terms about kosher and what that means. I’m a Gentile and am completely focused on the Bible as the Word of God, and the ultimate written guide for righteous living. My wife is Jewish, and she is finding a great deal of meaning in her Judaism from the Rabbinical practices and lifestyle, which includes a more detailed view of kosher than is offered in Leviticus 11.
My aunt Rose celebrated her 80th birthday recently. To honor her, my wife and I flew to Omaha, where my mother’s family comes from (and where I was born). In our travels (there’s a longer story attached to this, but I’ll spare you the narrative), we discovered The Bagel Bin. You’ve probably visited bagel shops from time to time, but maybe not a shop like this one. There’s a certificate in the shop’s window, just to the right of the front door, that declares the store VAAD Kosher. There are actually quite a number of different Kashrut Agencies, each assigning a different “level” of kosher.
I don’t pretend to understand how all this works (which is one of the reasons why I’ve included all these links); my wife is the real “expert” in the family, but basically, the different sects of Judaism (Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox) have different degrees of what is considered kosher. The products coming from the Bagel Bin’s kitchen would be considered kosher by Reform and Conservative Jews (according to my wife), but not by the Orthodox. Kosher in this context, isn’t just what the food is made out of, but how it’s prepared, and how the kitchen is certified.
Why am I concerned about this? Why am I even writing this article? At this point, it’s mostly a personal issue. The kitchen in my home will eventually be kashered, which will not only affect what I eat, but how it’s prepared, and even what foods I can bring into my house. Sure, we buy foods with one of the various kosher symbols on the label, and I avoid eating pork, shellfish, and other forms of treif, but sometime next Spring, all that will be taken to a much different level. Of course, that only affects me. Why should you read this article?
If you are Messianic (or Hebrew Roots or One Law), you may have considered the idea of kosher to be novel and even challenging at first, but now have settled into a routine, and consider it ordinary. When I teach, I try to impress upon my students the idea that we should never take our theology for granted. We should always question our assumptions and why we hold to them. I don’t mean questioning God or our faith in Yeshua, but our specific practice of worship and lifestyle. Why do you keep Leviticus 11 kosher? Is that all there is to it? Does this cause problems when you eat out (be careful with this one…there are all kinds of “hidden” treif in commercial food)? What if God told you there was more to kosher than you get from your interpretation of the Bible?
Considering a more Rabbinic viewpoint on kosher has forced me to question my assumptions about food. It’s also forced me to question my family’s assumptions about food. All of my extended family in Nebraska are Lutherans and they are very solid in their faith. They are also very solid in their assumptions about the “New Covenant” and how the whole food issue for Christians is a “non-issue” as far as Jesus is concerned. Since visiting family means eating with family, just asking if they were planning on serving pork chops or breaded shrimp led to some “concerns” among an aunt or two. To be fair, another aunt and my sister-in-law were very open to talking about kosher and what it means, but being set apart doesn’t mean always having your practices accepted by those you love. It means checking your heart about what you’re doing and why.
As a starting point to our eventual journey deeper into the territory of kosher, my wife has found a kosher meats source locally. This means we have started getting our meat products from an outlet where the animals have not only been raised organically, but have been specifically selected for the physical qualities that would satisfy a very strict level of kosher (and all this happens before the animal is subjected to a “kosher kill”). As we progress, other changes will be made, which may eventually make it impossible for me to even go out to lunch (unless I choose to break this commitment, or to bring my food, plate, and utensils from home).
Does any of this mean I’ll be closer to God, or somehow more “holy” because of what I’m putting in my stomach? I seriously doubt it. It’s the relationship a person has with God that is the point. Abraham was justified by faith and out of that faith came many changes, including decisions about diet. My keeping a more rabbinic type of kosher doesn’t make me more “holy”. I am not recommending it for my congregation or for the larger Messianic community. This is a personal choice. I do think this will mean a little greater connection to my wife’s Judaism, and to understanding a little bit of her perspective on that life.
I’m a Gentile believer in Yeshua as the Messiah to both Jews and non-Jews…the light of the world. I believe that God’s House (the Temple) is a “house of prayer for all peoples”, including me. I believe that I am on a lifelong trek down a road, that continually leads towards a closer relationship with God, speed bumps, potholes, and all. While the understanding of the Rabbis about kosher may not be directly Biblical, the Jewish people were the keepers of the Torah and the Shabbat thousands of years before the Gentile world had even considered worshiping the One True God. I am not prepared to dismiss out of hand, what the Rabbis have to offer as far as their experience and understanding of a holy lifestyle. While I don’t embrace everything they have to say, I am willing to take this step forward, as much as a way to understand a little bit more about Judaism, as a way to understand a little bit more about my wife’s personal journey.
This won’t be the last time I write on this topic, but it’s been on my mind lately, so I thought I’d start the conversation here. Feel free to comment back or to ask questions. I won’t be able to answer everything. I’m still learning.
One last point. I’m not at liberty to reveal the local source of kosher meat in the Treasure Valley. If you ask about it and I don’t tell you, it’s not personal. Thanks.