Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-05-27
hYoIEnIc LAWS OF THE JEWS
One OF the Most important Coming Into
Popular Favor


"Strange, is il not, how the whirligig
Of time brings about results that often
appear impossible and which are en-
tirely unexpected"
These were the words with which
Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger, of the TEN.
pie Emanu FL, answered when his at.
ton was called to the introduction Of q
bill in the Idaho Legislature providing
that the Jewish method of slaughter.
ing cattle be substituted for the one
prevailing.
Asked for an explanation OF his
words, which were uttered with evi.
dent satisfaction, he said:
"Much controversy has been had of
late years regarding the Jewish method
of killing cattle. 1t has been pre-
sumed TO be productive of cruelty, and
the supersensitive have sought to in
terfere with il by invoking the pro
hibitive power of legislation.
'ln England, in America, but more
| particularly in Switzer and, there has
been continual and bitter controversy
on the subject.
One professional opinion, however,
may serve 10 settle the question so far
as the merits OF the Judaic method are
concerned; ii is that of Professor Ger
lach, OF the royal veterinary school OF
| Hanover. He wrote in reply to re-
quest for professional opinion on the
subject that his observations have
strengthened in him the conviction that
the killing of cattle according TO jew
isf1 custom is not productive of cruelty,
/ b,st. on the contrary, is most humane
and deserving of being universally
adopted"
"Do not the Hebrew race in great
part attribute their general good health
and longevity to the observance Of this
and other Mosaic hygenic laws?"
They certainly do. And that they
are justified in doing SO must be gener.
/ ally admitted when the most important
! features of these rules for the procura-
/ ton of clean and healthful food are
/ known and properly considered. Allow
| me first to explain little more fully
/ the advantages of our method of killing
/ food animals before entering upon the
/ general subject.
The rabbis. to insure the healthful
/ character of the meat provided for
/ their congregations, require the vital or
gans of the animal TO be examined
while yet connected with the carcass,
and when the least defect or least evi-
dence of disease exists the beast is pro-
nounced unfit and is rejected. The
/ Jewish killer Of animals is an officer OF
the church, holding diploma of eff
ciency from an ecclesiastical tribunal
and is required to know a good deal
more than how to deftiy and quickly
kill his animal. He must have practi.
tical knowledge of animal anatomy
and physiology, and particularly in the
composition of the vital organs and Of
the diseases to which the animal is
subjected.
'ln this connection it seems proper
70 touch or the Mosaic law Of forbidden
food. Much speculation mas been in
iulgcd in on this subject. The attempt
to identify the Mosaic law with pre-
existing elements in the religions OF
Egypt, Persia and India is founded
upon the fact that the Mosaic legisla-
ton in no instance seeks 10 account for
It's prohibitive measures in any other
way than that the prescribed object Is
an abominatioa, Objectionable to the
degrading in its use and indulgence.
1T is "A fact that the use of animals
held sacred in Egypt was forbidden; it
S further fact that the Indian dietary
avs forbid the use of the same quad
.upeds enumerated in scripture: nota-
bEJ.jsese whose hoofs are not cloven
iidislsn1 do not chew the cud. Going
Md 4, ser her il is within the region
n hat la al, -. -
ab5 ,,,,s, from eating certain animals
mass - -o.-sssram that very remote period
VIII v.sem worship was prevalent in
pryNs:ive society, and every tribe held
sa{red the beast, bird or insect from
Which the family traditions recorded it
to have sprung"
'Are not the prescribed and per-
mitted animals specified for greater
certainty of observing the Mosaic regu-
iations?' asked the reporter.
Not only are they classified and
clearly defined, but in many cases they
are named.
IAN quadrupeds are permitted for
use as food which have the divided
hoof aud chew the cud. AS the pro-
hibitive list of such is much the shorter
I give that. The camel, cony and hare
are declared not fit for food because,
while they chew the cud, they do not
divide the hoof, the swine because
while it divides the hoof, does not chew
the cud.
1.-The Mosaic writer specifies no kind
Of fish, but prohibits from use all that
nave no scales or fins, likewise any
living thing in the water that is not
fish.
''The following birds are forbidden
without any reason for the discrimina-
ton: The eagle, ossifrage, osprey, vul-
ture, kite. every species OF raven. os-
trich. night hawk, cuckoo hawk, little
owl, great owl, cormorant, swan, peli-
IAN. gier-cagle. stork, lapwing and bat.
"Among the flying insects permitted
are the locust, bald locust, beetle and
grasshopper.
"Among what are designated as
creeping things the following are pro-
oounced unclean: The weasel, mouse.
tortoise, hedgehog, chameleon, lizard,
snail and mole.
San important injunction in the Mo-
safe dietary code is that any of the an
imals described and forbidden as un-
clean, when dead, render anthing un-
clean that comes in contact with them.
In such cases ablutions for publication
| are prescribed and specified"
.Are these restrictions generally OBJ
served today by those for whose benefit
they were made?"
regret to say that, though modern
science has fully attested the wisdom
of abstaining from such food as the
Mosaic rules forbid, particularly the
flesh of swine. the Hebrews have bro
ken away from strict adherence to
them. under the impression that the
dietary legislation of old does not apply
to their name and generation. But it
is only a small minority Of the scat
I tered Of Isra u who parm.t themselves
a total relaxation from these injunc-
\ tions.
These delinquents would probably
also regret their departure from the
customs of their progeritors did they
fully realize their Importance to their
well-bcing.
1T is, perhaps, not the least charm
of the Mosaic laws, SO called, that they
have sought to involve the beautiful
| ideal of the harmonious blending of tho
/ three ciemcnis OF human nature, so
aptly described by that eminent physi.
elan and naturalist, DIR. Parker. The
human body, he says, is affected by
every moral and mental action; the
mind is profoundly influenced by
I ,,hx.Ss<ol ..<,u 1st;r.s L. xxo~s.aS