Kashrut

Kashrut is from the Hebrew root k-sh-r, with the basic sense of being fit, proper, or correct[1]. The adjective kosher (Hebrew: כָּשֵׁר) means fit or proper. Kashrut, the abstract noun, names the body of Jewish dietary law as a whole. The biblical foundations are in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14[2], with rabbinic literature developing detailed application across centuries.

kashrut is broader than individual food choices because it helps structure household, ritual, and communal identity.

Kashrut governs what foods may be eaten, how meat is slaughtered and prepared, and how meat and dairy are kept separate. Permitted land animals are those that both have split hooves and chew the cud (cow, sheep, goat, deer); pigs are forbidden because they do not chew the cud despite having split hooves[2]. Permitted fish are those with fins and scales; shellfish are forbidden. Most insects are forbidden; specific locusts are permitted. Birds are permitted by tradition (not by a clear scriptural list).

Meat slaughter must follow shechita: a swift cut by a trained shochet with a special knife (chalaf), with specific blessings and rules[3]. Blood must be drained, traditionally by salting and rinsing. Meat and dairy may not be cooked together, eaten together, or eaten within a defined waiting period (the exact length varies by tradition).

Observance varies. Orthodox Jews typically keep kashrut in detail, with separate dishes for meat and dairy and reliance on certified kosher products[3]. Conservative Jews keep kashrut with some movement and individual variation. Reform Judaism in its classical form moved away from kashrut, though many contemporary Reform Jews observe some aspects. Reconstructionist Judaism similarly leaves the question to individual conscience.

Beyond home practice, kashrut also shapes Jewish public life: kosher restaurants, kosher catering, kosher certification of commercial products. The hechsher (kosher certification mark) on packaged food indicates rabbinical supervision[4].

The meaning of the kosher laws has been a major topic in religious studies. Mary Douglas’s Purity and Danger argued that the categories of clean and unclean reflect a structured worldview about order and category[5]. Jacob Milgrom’s commentaries on Leviticus offered influential interpretations grounded in close textual study[6]. Modern academic study has generally moved away from health-based explanations (which were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries) toward theological and sociological readings.

• Purity and Dangerby Mary Douglas
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• Essential Judaismby George Robinson
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