In view of the importance of the dietary laws to Judaism, some might wonder if there is a danger of Jews making a religion of vegetarianism, becoming, in effect, more vegetarian than Jewish. Jewish vegetarians are not placing so-called vegetarian values over Torah principles. In addition, a vegetarian is in no danger of eating blood, which is prohibited, or the flesh of a nonkosher animal. For the sake of self-discipline. Perhap because of the bother and annoyance of the whole procedure, he will be restrained from such a strong anduncontrollable desire for meat.
Some people today reject kashrut because of the higher costs involved for kosher foods.
In a personal letter to the author, Rabbi Robert Gordis, late Professor of Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary and editor of Judaism magazine, indicated that vegetarianism, a logical consequence of Jewish teaching, would be a way of maintaining the kosher laws. There are several examples in Jewish history when a change to vegetarianism enabled Jews to maintain the dietary laws. The historian Josephus related how some Jewish priests on trial in Rome ate only figs and nuts in order to avoid eating flesh that had been used for idol worship. Some Maccabees, during the struggle against the Syrian-Greeks mentioned before, escaped to the mountains where they lived on plant foods, since no kosher meat was available. The Torah looks favorably on vegetarian foods.