Why do orthodox Jews keep the food laws so strictly?

Answer 1

Nice question ... a lot like "Are you still beating your wife ?" in a way. The thesis of the question is debatable. Obviously, hundreds of thousands of people world wide who observe the kosher laws don't think it's so strict. In my mind right now, there are about 15 different ways I could go in response to this question, all fighting for the head of the line. But this really isn't the place for any of them. I'll just give you a few quick comments on the subject, and hope that either those will do it for you, or that someone else will jump in here and flesh out my response, or both. 1). If you own a bible or have access to a copy, have a look at Deuteronomy, chapter 14. Start at the beginning of the chapter, take it slow, pace yourself, drink lots of water, and see if you can make it all the way to verse 21. This isn't the only place in The Bible that deals with the kosher laws, but it's a good one. 2). While you're in the neighborhood, turn back to chapter 12 and have a look at verses 23-25. This is a remarkable passage ... one that I just noticed last week, as I studied it in preparation to render it in the synagogue. Here is a passage where the bible says "Don't eat blood !" four times in three verses. How much more emphatic can the bible be ? And how does anyone who puts any small stock in the bible read this and conclude that actually, it's OK. If you read this and decide that going without blood in your diet is too strict for you, then we don't have a whole lot more to discuss. 3). The section in chapter 14 wraps up by saying "... because you are a holy people ... ". Elsewhere in the bible, during another 'lecture' on the kosher laws, the same reason appears for all of this: " ... in order to be holy ...". What do we do when we read that ? Normally, we skim over it and don't dwell on it, and go on to see what else is coming up. Then, eventually, if the subject ever comes up, we say that we don't actually know the reason for the kosher laws, it must have been for health reasons what with trichynosis and all that, and so we don't have to worry about it in our modern time now that we have refrigerators. We read the reason right there on the page; but it was talking about "holy", and who knows what that's all about anyway, so we skimmed it, and forgot about it, and concluded that we don't know the reason. No, I can't tell you what it means to be holy. But I don't have a pass to discard everything in the bible that I don't understand yet. I don't know you, but I will guess ... because the odds are pretty good ... that there are a lot of little things that you still do, just because that's what your parents taught you to do when you were tiny. You may well have kicked and screamed at the beginning, and yelled that it's too strict and there's no good reason for it. But in the end, you really didn't have that much trouble working it into your way of life. One more quick comment and then I'm done: I have had the privilege of standing around inconspicuously and watching life in small villages in northern China, in nomadic family tents in Outer Mongolia, in voodoo settlements in the mountains of Haiti and the interior of Jamaica, and in the slums of Calcutta and the wilderness of modern Sinai. If you think that the kosher 'diet' is 'strict', then you must fervently hope and pray that you never come anywhere near poverty, famine, or Diabetes.

Answer 2

Two common myths are that certain foods are unclean, and that kosher laws are ancient health laws. Neither of these is true.

The truth is, there are many reasons why Jews keep kosher. The traditional reason is that it is commanded in the Torah in order to make us holy.

__________

Because they are a part of the guidelines that HaShem (The Creator) gave us Jews in order to live a righteous life.

Answer 3

Jewish people have to follow there food laws because

• it says in the bible and they are religious people !
• it is one of the law within the foundation of the Jewish religion
• Jews follow the Torah witch has the five books of Moses from the old statement of the bible.

Answer 4

God told them to (Deuteronomy ch.14).