The San Francisco call., 1905-04-23

. words it means that the food cooked in
such restaurant, as in the Jewish
home, is fit and proper which is gthe
literal translation of the word kosher.
What is not kosher, according to the
Jews, is ''tcmeh" or unclean: if cleans
II is 10 tomeh." There are but few
Jews nowadays who ike absolutely up
to the laws of kosher.
During the Passover season, the or
thodox Jews live up to old Biblical
admonitions very strictly, but the re-
formed Hebrews by no means believe
they should do the same. Certain
dishes are cooked and eaten only during
the Passover, the institution of which
is fully described in Exodus, and
which commentaries the passing
over" of the plague in Egypt without
injury TO the faithful of the Lord. This
is the feast of unleavened bread, the
bread known as matzos.
1T is a popular fallacy that pork
must not be offered to Jew at a meal.
Any one reading up the Scriptures will
find that terrapin is equally abhorrent
to an orthodox Jew. The original mean
ing, as already stated. of the word
Kosher was lit" proper" In rabblni-
cal literature 1t had the meaning of
fit, permitted " in contradistinction
to ''posui' and "terefah" (unf1t, forbid
den). Extensively used in the Ha1akah,
LuG nDlQ Citpl lIlO LIE par
lance of the Jews, and the verb ''kash-
eren" was formed to denote any pro-
cess by which vessels for food were
made ritually fit for use. Thus, the
process of cleansing vessels for the
Passover festival is known by that
term; also the process of immersing in
a ritual bath new metal vessels bought
pecially applied to the ritual prepara-
ton CT meat. In order to soften meat
before it is salted SO as to allow the
salt 10 extract the blood more freely,
the meat is soaked in water for about
half an hour. 1t is then covered with
salt for an hour and afterward washed
three times. The whole process is des-
ignated by the term 'kosheren.''
The word kosher has domesticated it
self TO Jewish dietary laws, in accord
ance with the Biblical and rabbinical
regulations concerning forbidden food.
The ancient Israelites lived chiefly on
vegetable food and fruit. on which the
Bible places no restriction. Among the
early Hebrews animal food was par
taken of by the common people only on
festival occasions. Some of the Tanaim
were of the opinion that during their
journey through the wilderness the Is
raeltes were permitted to eat the meat
of only such animals as had previous
ly been sacrificed, some portions Of
which had been burned on the altar.
and some given to the priests. The law
of sacrifices is very fully laid out in
the seventh chapter of Leviticus. The
Bible. in its legislative portions. makes
explicit provisions for the distinction
between clean and unclean animals.
These are all in the eleventh chapter of
Leviticus. -
And the Lord spake unto Moses and to
Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the
children q Israel, saying These are are the the
beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever
parteth the hoof. and is cloyen-footed. and
cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall
Nevertheless these shall ye not eat Of them
that chew the cud. or Of them that divide
the cud but divideth not the hoof; he is un-
clean unto you.
cud but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean
unto you
but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto
YOU.
And the swine. though he divide the hoof
and be cloven-footed yet he cheweth not the
cud: he is uneiean unto you.
OF their flesh shall ye not eat. and their
carcase shall ye not touch: they are un-
These shall ye eat Of all that are in the
waters: Whatsoever hath FMS and scales in
the waters in the seas and In the rivers. them
And ali that have not fns and scales in the
the waters. ana OF any living thing which
is in the waters, they shall be an abomina-
tion unto you. They shall be even an abom-
ination unto you; ye shall not eat OF their
flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in
abomination. Whatsoever hath no fms nor
scales in the waters. that shall be an abom-
And these are they which ye shall have in
abomination among the fowls; they shall not
and the ossiffase and the osprey. and the vul-
ture and the kite after his kind; every raven