Questions tagged [fish]

Questions pertaining to fish.

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35 votes
2 answers
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Would a mermaid be kosher?

Tonight at religious school we were discussing Kosher laws and how to build/keep a kosher kitchen. While we were discussing different meats, one of the jokers in school asked if you could eat a ...
Ely Eastman's user avatar
22 votes
6 answers
836 views

Why do fish die?

In Parshas Bereishis (Genesis 3:6), there's an interesting comment by Rashi. The Torah says: וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ ...
robev's user avatar
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21 votes
4 answers
1k views

Why are there no fish korbanot?

Land animals, birds, wheat and fruit offerings all feature on the list of offerings that Bnei Israel bring for Hashem. Is there anyone that discusses why there are no fish korbanot?
bondonk's user avatar
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20 votes
3 answers
3k views

If chicken eggs are parve, is caviar considered "fish"?

Chicken is classified as "meat" and cannot be eaten with dairy. Chicken eggs are considered parve and can be eaten with meat or dairy. Fish and meat cannot be eaten together either. Does the same ...
Premundane's user avatar
  • 4,501
18 votes
5 answers
6k views

Fish eaten with milk?

Is there any halachik problem with eating fish and milk together? (A classic example is a bagel with lox and cream cheese)
N123's user avatar
  • 2,873
17 votes
4 answers
2k views

Is AquAdvantage salmon kosher?

After two decades of deliberation, the USA's Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever genetically engineered food animal, a fast-growing Atlantic Salmon called AquAdvantage salmon. ...
Adám's user avatar
  • 6,781
16 votes
9 answers
2k views

fish before meat - why?

To the best of my knowledge eating fish after meat has the same Halacha as eating meat after fish. You are supposed to eat a cracker and take a drink to separate between them. Why is it most common ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
16 votes
6 answers
21k views

Is swordfish Kosher?

What's the deal with swordfish? Is it Kosher? Which sources say yes, and which sources say no? EDIT: I know that R' Dr. Moshe D. Tendler is well known for having consulted with scientists (in 1951) ...
Seth J's user avatar
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16 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why do Fish not need Shechita?

In order to eat "regular" Kosher animals, there is a requirement for the animal to undergo Shechita (ritual slaughter). If an animal were to be killed / die without Shechita it is forbidden ...
yydl's user avatar
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15 votes
4 answers
8k views

What Bracha do you make on Sushi?

What Bracha do you make on Sushi? Is the rice the main part and therefore a mezonos, or is it just a toful (less-important ingredient) in which case I guess a shehakol?
BFree's user avatar
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13 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why is chicken "meat" (with regards to basar bechalav) and an egg not?

Why is chicken considered meat but fish is not? Also, why is an egg considered pareve? And if we can eat chicken eggs, why can't we eat caviar (fish eggs)?
Michael's user avatar
  • 131
11 votes
3 answers
4k views

Is catch and release fishing permitted?

Is catch and release fishing permitted? I've heard different opinions on this matter. Whats the official halacha?
oriole4008's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
667 views

How did the fish live through the flood?

If the waters were boiling as the flood continued, how did the fish survive throughout the Mabul?
simchastorah's user avatar
  • 9,061
11 votes
1 answer
3k views

Is there a problem with eating Gummy Bears and Meat together?

Most kosher gummy bears (and other gummy candy) that I have seen contain fish gelatin. Since there is a warning in the Shulchan Aruch against eating fish and meat together, does the same apply to ...
WhyEnBe's user avatar
  • 521
11 votes
1 answer
723 views

Would a space fish be kosher?

In the episode "TKO" of the science-fiction show Babylon 5, Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova, a Jew, has dinner with her rabbi and they have a discussion about the food that they are eating. ...
Thunderforge's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
956 views

Eating fish and meat together

The reason given for not eating fish and meat together is due to Sakana. In current times it does not seem to be a Sakana, (Nishtanu HaTeva). Would you be allowed to eat them together? If not - why ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
478 views

Why was Noach allowed to eat fish?

The Ramban (Bereshit 1:29) says the reason Noach was allowed to eat animals is because he maintained them in the Ark. If he would not have brought them into the Ark they would all have perished, so ...
simchastorah's user avatar
  • 9,061
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

Fresh fish need hechsher

Does fresh fish from a supermarket or fish market require a hechsher? I would be tempted to believe that a fish known to be of a kosher variety would not need certification since there is no shechita ...
Daniel's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
430 views

Bread between fish and meat requires hamotzi?

Shulchan Aruch, OC 212:1 (with my own loose translation): All that is main, and with it is a subordinate (tafel) thing — one says a benediction on the main thing and exempts the subordinate both from ...
msh210's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
8k views

At a non-kosher restaurant, is sliced raw fish kosher?

At a non-kosher restaurant, is thinly-sliced raw fish kosher? Let's assume one sees the preparer clean the knife and cut from the whole fish. Also, let's assume this raw fish is sashimi — ...
yoel's user avatar
  • 7,221
9 votes
3 answers
392 views

Is there a concept of "bitul beshishim" with regards to fish?

Years ago, some brands of Worcestershire sauce as well as a few salad dressings were marked "OU fish". This meant that one was not allowed to use this sauce on a piece of meat or have it on the same ...
DanF's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
535 views

*Asher Bamayim* (אשר במים) in kashrus halacha

To find the kashrus status of an organism, we first need to correctly classify it as plant, animal, bird, or asher bamayim*, as each group has its own distinct requirements. E.g., animals need to chew ...
Adám's user avatar
  • 6,781
8 votes
4 answers
708 views

So where are these mermaids?

According to the answers to Would a mermaid be kosher?, the Gemara and poskim apparently believed that mermaids exist, and would not be kosher. So, if these mermaids and sirens exist, where would ...
Scimonster's user avatar
  • 23.1k
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

How were fish formed? Did Adam name them?

Animals (including birds) are formed from the dust of the ground in Bereshit 2:19, and Adam gave them names according to verse 20. But what about the fish (animals of the sea)? Are they also formed ...
J.Levi's user avatar
  • 1,079
7 votes
5 answers
2k views

Is it kosher to eat live fish

In some countries people like to eat animals that are still alive (e.g. dancing squid / octopus). Clearly these animals are not kosher, but it is also possible to eat kosher-types fish that are either ...
user5148's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
4k views

What can I feed my fish over Pesach?

What can people feed their fish over Pesach? Is it possible to feed them regular flakes, even if they contain chametz, since it is inedible anyway?
user5303's user avatar
  • 1,474
7 votes
3 answers
1k views

Tzar Balay Chaim for Fish

Is there Tzar Balay Chaim for Fish?
SimchasTorah's user avatar
  • 33.2k
7 votes
2 answers
759 views

Herring and a Cracker

If I eat a piece of herring on a cracker, what bracha do I make? Do we say that I'm eating it for the herring therefore it's Shehakol or because I have a cracker do I make a Mezonos? As always, ...
Bochur613's user avatar
  • 4,647
6 votes
2 answers
965 views

Where is the story of the medieval rabbi who ruled a fish was non-kosher because of his dream?

If I recall correctly there's some fish whose kosher status is questionable; a medieval rabbi (Rishon) ruled it was okay, then had a dream that night where all his students were sitting around and ...
Shalom's user avatar
  • 133k
6 votes
2 answers
5k views

Drinking Water after Eating Fish

Is anyone familiar with the practice of not drinking water after eating fish? I know that something has to be used to clean your mouth before eating meat, but somehow I got the idea in my head that ...
Rabbi Michael Tzadok's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
366 views

Could Yonah's "whale" have been a whale?

Just prior to the start of Yom Kippur this year, a young child corrected me when I mentioned Yonah's whale and said that, "it wasn't a whale; it was a Dag Gadol." I had to admit, this was good ...
Seth J's user avatar
  • 41.6k
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Choking on a Fish Bone

I remember learning once that the גמרא says to perform a certain procedure / say certain words when someone is choking on a fish bone. I also remember hearing that this is the one cure mentioned in ...
yydl's user avatar
  • 38.6k
6 votes
1 answer
553 views

Eating a fish underwater

Maseches Chullin 27b that fish do not need shechita but they do need asifa (gathering). Does that mean that it is assur to eat a fish underwater (it's dead -to exclude bal tishaktzu problem) without ...
sam's user avatar
  • 41.6k
6 votes
1 answer
192 views

Kaparos with fish

In How to do kapparos with fish it discusses doing Kaparos with fish. Is anyone aware of any group or individuals that do Kaparos with fish?
Gershon Gold's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
164 views

Were semi-marine animals on Noah's Ark?

Otters, alligators, salamanders, frogs, penguins, seals, polar bears, sea lions, platypuses, beavers, sea snakes, sea turtles, etc. These animals to varying degrees need to be able to be both on land ...
A L's user avatar
  • 2,547
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Gigantic Tiger Fish - Is it Kosher?

Is this fish Kosher? It apparently has both fins and scales. Is there any problem with its having teeth, or its not having been discovered until now (and therefore being outside of our Mesorah)?
Seth J's user avatar
  • 41.6k
5 votes
1 answer
345 views

Is sushi Muktzeh?

According to Bab. Shab. 128a, unsalted fish is Muktzeh (because it's inedible, presumably). So is sushi Muktzeh? Does it make a difference whether the sushi is totally prepared (rolled or plated or ...
Seth J's user avatar
  • 41.6k
5 votes
2 answers
362 views

Why aren't kosher marshmallows labelled OU Fish?

Worcestershire sauce is labelled "OU Fish", presumably so that people who don't know there are anchovies in the recipe will know not to put it on meat. Given that "OU Fish" is a thing that exists, ...
sikorsky's user avatar
  • 143
5 votes
2 answers
153 views

Quail or fish in B'midbar 11:31?

In B'Midbar 11:31 it is stated: וְרוּחַ נָסַע מֵאֵת יי וַיָּגָז שַׂלְוִים מִן־הַיָּם וַיִּטֹּשׁ עַל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה כְּדֶרֶךְ יֹום כֹּה וּכְדֶרֶךְ יֹום כֹּה סְבִיבֹות הַֽמַּחֲנֶה וּכְאַמָּתַיִם עַל־...
Kovesh's user avatar
  • 141
5 votes
2 answers
427 views

tuna wrap in non-kosher restaurant

Is there any way to eat a tuna wrap from a non-kosher restaurant, if I have full access to see their ingredients and packaging?
Desert Star's user avatar
  • 3,393
5 votes
1 answer
742 views

Why is fish and milk permitted but not poultry and milk?

E.g. Chicken and milk is forbidden, but fish and milk is permitted. (Some Hassidim and Sefardim do not mix fish and milk as I understand it). If going off the common answer of not to confuse chicken ...
lftfl's user avatar
  • 275
5 votes
2 answers
185 views

Shark ate someone

Bava Kama 5:7 says אֶחָד שׁוֹר וְאֶחָד כָּל בְּהֵמָה לִנְפִילַת הַבּוֹר, וּלְהַפְרָשַׁת הַר סִינַי, וּלְתַשְׁלוּמֵי כֶפֶל, וְלַהֲשָׁבַת אֲבֵדָה, לִפְרִיקָה, לַחֲסִימָה, לְכִלְאַיִם, וּלְשַׁבָּת. ...
Heshy's user avatar
  • 9,126
5 votes
3 answers
550 views

Bracha on avocado / sashimi "boat"

A take-out place near where I work makes an "avocado boat". A whole avocado is peeled, pitted and cut in half. One half is placed on the bottom of a tray and filled with brown rice and assorted ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70.4k
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Must one use a separate grill for meat and fish?

As there is a prohibition of mixing meat with fish because of sakana ("danger"), I assume that if one has a small grill, one cannot grill meat and then grill fish (or vice versa) without cleaning the ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70.4k
4 votes
3 answers
340 views

Raw fish on Shabbos

Is raw fish considered muktza?
SimchasTorah's user avatar
  • 33.2k
4 votes
2 answers
278 views

Why is herring used for tikun?

Many people have the practice, on the yahrzeit of (especially) a parent, of bringing food to the synagogue so that others might recite b'rachos (benedictions) over eating the food after shacharis, ...
msh210's user avatar
  • 73.7k
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

Certified vs. Uncertified Costco Salmon

Salmon is generally considered by kashruth authorities to be distinctively identifiable as kosher from the appearance of the flesh. Nonetheless, I've noticed that the local Costco sells (side by side) ...
Loewian's user avatar
  • 17.7k
4 votes
1 answer
623 views

are you allowed to feed fish on shabbos?

I've heard one may feed an animal on shabbos but may not feed a fish,being that tthey could live a day without food, is that accurate?
trying's user avatar
  • 240
4 votes
1 answer
87 views

Removing dead fish from fish tank on shabbas

If one has a fish tank with many fish, and one of the fish happens to die on shabbas, can one remove the dead fish if the chances are significantly high that other fish in the tank will die because of ...
sam's user avatar
  • 41.6k
4 votes
2 answers
295 views

Fishes in the Ark?

How can we know there weren't fishes in the Ark? When we learn Noah, we take for granted that the sea animals weren't in the Tevah. But when we read literally the Torah, it says "7 pairs of clean ...
Gabriel12's user avatar
  • 4,616