Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus, כשרות or כַּשְׁרוּת) is the set of Jewish dietary laws.
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Kosherizing Water using Distillation
Suppose I have water that was cooked with non-kosher food. I then take the water and distill it.
Would this water be considered permissible to drink?
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1answer
390 views
Food in bathroom
Is one allowed to take food into the bathroom? I heard that the prohibiton is only on the type of bathroom used years ago.
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1answer
436 views
Drinking cold kosher beverages in a non-Jewish relative's house
Let's say you're staying at a non-Jewish relative's house. He bought you kosher food because he knows you keep kosher. He buys you a drink such as milk. You see him pour the drink for himself into his ...
7
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3answers
767 views
Mehadrin vs. Non Mehadrin
What's the difference between mehadrin and non-mehadrin certifications.
(e.g. at http://www.kosherinjerusalem.com/where_to_eat/kosher-hotels)
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4answers
430 views
What is the basis for eating in someone's house without a kashrut certificate?
No one asks for a kashrut certificate to eat in someone's house; they just make a rough judgement based on the host's reputation (the way they dress or behave, the circles they move in, etc.). That ...
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1answer
126 views
How big, and what exactly, is “Kedei Kelipah”?
{Kedei Kelipah is a term used in Kashruth for the amount of something that needs to be removed in order to allow one to treat the remnant as Kosher. (This only applies under certain conditions, which ...
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1answer
245 views
What is the meaning of psak?
I have asked many people this question, and not yet got a comprehensive answer: What is psak?
Like, let's say I have a certain piece of food of uncertain status. If I ask my 6 year old kid if it's ...
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3answers
348 views
Kosher symbols on non-food items
I just bought a box of 100 sandwich bags and on the box there is an (U) symbol. This is neither unique nor uncommon. Why do marks of hechsher appear on non-food products? Is there anyone in the world ...
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2answers
866 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 — ...
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3answers
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Why isn't eating milk with chicken kosher?
I remember learning that the reason you don't eat milk with beef is because you shouldn't cook a calf in its mother's milk. However, when you are dealing with two different species, this same logic ...
5
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2answers
242 views
Is human blood treif?
OK, I know it isn't kosher, but what is the shiur? And do we hold "chetzi shiur assur min haTorah"?
For an application, what if you get a cut while hiking in the woods; is it assur to clean the wound ...
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1answer
442 views
Eating your own (kosher) food in a non-kosher restaurant?
This was brought to mind by this question:
What are the rules about joining your co-workers (or the like) for a meal in a non-kosher restaurant, but bringing your own food? Is it prohibited as mar'is ...
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6answers
688 views
If a pig was genetically modified to chew its cud, would it be kosher?
If they were to genetically modify a pig to chew its cud, would it be kosher?
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2answers
272 views
Invitation to nonkosher restaurant
The question "Keeping Kosher at a secular company" asks about food issues on the job in general. This question is focused more narrowly on "unbalanced" situations: situations where there's an ...
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3answers
480 views
Keeping Kosher at a secular company
How you do deal with keeping Kosher while working at a secular company? Its easy enough to bring my own lunch everyday, what I'm not sure how to handle are events like company lunches and other social ...
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6answers
748 views
Why is Soy milk considered Parve and not Milchig/Halavi?
Considering that milk is forbidden with chicken (as stated in this answer), because chicken could be confused with meat, why isn't soy milk considered milchig as well?
In Israel, chicken is ...
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5answers
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What Issues Exist with the Tablet K Hecksher?
The Tablet-K hechsher is quite common on products in US supermarkets - especially cheeses. There seems to be a strong sentiment that it is not an acceptable hechsher, but I've heard no halachik ...
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3answers
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Must I check the kashrut certificate every time I visit a bakery or restaurant?
Say I visit a bakery, restaurant, jail, hospital, or nursing home. And say I already know that the food there is kosher. Must I still check the kashrut certificate every time I visit?
(Gershon ...
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4answers
599 views
Is being vegan “kosher”?
Is being a vegan completely following halacha? Even if not eating anything traif (non-kosher), perhaps it's not truly kosher because you are not following the commandments to domesticate animals and ...
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0answers
190 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 ...
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3answers
425 views
Is there a kashrus issue with paper towels?
Is there any concern about using paper towels with hot food? I know there are some who advise against using the first few and last few sheets during Pesach, due to the presence of starch-based glue ...
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5answers
385 views
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3answers
351 views
kashrus of mouthwash, toothpaste, lip balm
What are the halachic and factual issues involved in, and various rabbis' holdings on, whether flavored mouthwash, flavored toothpaste, and flavored lip balm need to be kosher, or need a hechsher ...
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3answers
461 views
Does an ivory spoon make hot tea non-kosher?
Both the handles of cutlery and spoons entire have been made of elephant ivory, which is from a tusk (a tooth) of an elephant. Elephant is of course not a kosher animal. Presumably, then, these spoons ...
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2answers
447 views
Why doesn't the OU put DE on food packages anymore?
The OU used to put DE next to the OU symbol when a product was Dairy Equipment. Such a product can not be eaten with meat but can be eaten right afterwards (you don't need to wait the amount of time ...
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4answers
597 views
Non-Jews and kosher wine
As a non-Jew, undergoing the conversion process, I am very careful regarding the Torah, rabbinic, and cultural laws. However, some times it seems to me that some laws are not compatible for converts.
...
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2answers
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Is there a problem with Triangle K? If so, what?
I want to know what the OU's or any other Orthodox kashrut agency's problem is with Triangle K. I have read about the Ralbag family which founded and runs the Triangle K and they are clearly Orthodox. ...
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Zimun and Bentsching (Bircat Hamazon / Grace After Meals) with Jews who ate non-kosher food
I came across an interesting situation recently. I was eating with Jewish, non-observant friends. I brought over a hamburger from a local kosher take-out place. They had homemade, non-kosher food, ...
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2answers
264 views
Does kosher mean healthy?
What is the relation between kosher and healthiness? G-d wants us to eat properly but also to be healthy. For example, it is better to try not to eat too much meat (even if it's kosher), and more ...
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4answers
604 views
Who determines the kosher status of “new” foods?
Who determines the kosher status for "new" processed foods (e.g. Jell-O)? A few orthodox rabbis' approval? General consensus by the Jewish religious community? Certain kosher standards organizations? ...
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3answers
459 views
Why do some people have a custom to boil only odd numbers of eggs?
I heard that some still have a custom to boil only odd numbers of eggs at a time. I heard that the reason is if there is a blood-spot in an egg, the egg will be Battel Berov. This only explains why ...
8
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4answers
190 views
If a product with a Hechsher doesn't say dairy does that mean it's pareve?
I'm not sure when this practice started, but I noticed that many/most/all Kosher Certifications indicate whether a product is dairy or not. Does a lack of such a marking indicate that the product is ...
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1answer
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Animals vs. plants: kashrus
Why did God make all plants, but only some animals, kosher? Sources, please.
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2answers
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Does a pot that cooked food with a bug in it need to be kashered afterward?
If one were cooking a pot of pasta or a soup and later found a bug or many bugs in the pasta or soup, would the pot need to be re-kashered after it was thoroughly cleaned?
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2answers
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Is it permitted to eat dirt?
If you find small (but visible) pieces of dirt on your food or drink is it permissible to eat it? Are there sources that discuss this?
By dirt I mean "an unknown foreign object that makes the food ...
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2answers
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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 ...
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0answers
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Would synthesized meat be Kosher?
Scientists are preparing synthesized meat for human consumption. See here for a excerpt, and two articles here and here.
My question is: Would this meat be considered Kosher? Might it depend on the ...
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1answer
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Is it permissible to use a Hotel's Drinking Glasses?
Is one allowed to use the glass cups provided by a hotel (usually in the bathroom) for drinking? Or is there a Kashrus problem?
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3answers
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Which hechsheirim are reliable?
How can I find out which hechsheirim are reliable and which ones aren't?
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2answers
555 views
Are sea sponges kosher?
The sea sponge is scientifically classified as an animal, therefore maybe it would be considered unkosher, as seafood. On the other hand, it seems much more similar to a vegetable of some kind, so ...
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3answers
360 views
Should one induce vomiting upon realizing s/he just ate non-kosher?
I've heard several stories of people who ate something, realized it was non-kosher, and therefore induced vomiting. Is this halachically required? Recommended? Does it accomplish anything? (If not, ...
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1answer
143 views
Milk and Meat of Non-Kosher Animals
Is cooking milk with non-kosher animals the same problem as cooking meat with kosher animals?
In other words: can a Jew cook milk with a non-kosher animal (and not eat it)? Can a Jew obtain benefit ...
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5answers
567 views
How to respond to “but he does”
I mentioned to my coworker that I can't eat Domino's pizza, not even without meat, as it's not kosher. He pointed out in response that a fellow coworker of ours, whom I'll call Josh, and who is ...
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6answers
402 views
Dairy that you have to wait 6 hours after eating it
Which dairy is considered sharp and requires you to wait 6 hours afterwards, prior to eating meat?
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4answers
449 views
Are Animal Crackers depicting non-kosher animals non-kosher?
Are animal crackers that depict animals such as swine, lions, and camels treif?
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6answers
484 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)
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3answers
359 views
Is Pork, Camel, and the like Fleishig?
If one somehow consumed meat of a non-kosher species such as camel or pork (e.g. life-threatening illness, or by accident), does s/he become Fleishig?
Why or why not?
12
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2answers
609 views
Why assume coffee is kosher
Why can it be assumed that coffee from coffee shops is kosher? Why couldn't the equipment become unkosher through exposure to non kosher ingredients or when being cleaned?
For example the Canadian ...
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2answers
303 views
Orthodontics and period between eating fleischig and milchig
Since orthodontics often impose many artificial little crevices and wires and generally make one more susceptible to having bits of food stuck in the mouth for extended periods of time, is it ...
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4answers
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Waiting Less Time on Shavuos
My family has a minhag to wait less time (3 hours as opposed to 6) between Meat and Milk on Shavuos. I was wondering if this has a written source?
[or if not, has anyone else heard of it?]
