The term kosher is derived from the Hebrew root k-sh-r, meaning “suitable” or “fit for use.”[42] In Judaism, its first reference is to the dietary laws, describing food that is acceptable (kosher) for a religious Jew to eat, as in the question, “Is this kosher?” meaning, “Can I as an observant Jew eat this food? Does it meet the rabbinic requirements?” Based on this usage, the word has become popularized and is used even in non-Jewish circles with reference to all kinds of nondietary subjects with the meaning “okay, acceptable, lawful, above board.” An example of this would be if someone offered you an incredible business deal, one that sounded too good to be true, causing you to wonder if it was really on the up-and-up, leading you to ask, “Is this kosher?” In that context, you certainly would not mean, “Has this been approved by the rabbis?”
Returning, however, to the primary meaning of kosher, Christians tend to be ignorant of the extent of the Jewish dietary laws, generally knowing that religious Jews don’t eat pork products, shrimp or lobster. Kosher laws go far beyond that, speaking of a whole way of life. As noted by Christian Old Testament scholar John Hartley, pointing back to the biblical dietary laws, laws that have been greatly expanded by the rabbis:
In following these dietary laws, the Israelites obeyed God’s instructions several times each day, developing deep in their consciousness an attitude of obedience to God. That all the people observed these laws at every meal was a mighty force of solidarity, uniting the people as God’s special treasure (Exodus 19:5). It separated the Israelites from their polytheistic neighbors and became a distinguishing mark of their national identity. The importance of these dietary laws increased when the Jews became dispersed among the nations. They have become a significant force in preserving Jewish identity. They erect a high barrier against assimilation and amalgamation of the Jewish people, which would lead to the loss of their racial identity. Today, keeping kosher is a distinguishing mark of a very devout Jew and communicates the understanding that that person belongs to the chosen people of God.[43]
The primary biblical passages outlining the dietary laws are Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3–21 (other relevant passages will be discussed below). Note carefully that the passage in Deuteronomy follows on the heels of Deuteronomy 14:1–2: “You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.” So, the dietary laws were an essential part of God’s calling on His people Israel to be His very own children, holy and set apart.
Just think of how many activities take place around a meal—family time, Christian fellowship, meeting with friends, building a relationship, talking about business plans—and then think of what would happen if you could not sit down and eat with someone because of dietary restrictions. That would produce real separation, which was one of the purposes of the dietary laws. Others have argued that the dietary laws were also given for health purposes (due to hygienic issues with the eating of pork, shellfish and the like), while others have suggested that there were other factors behind the divine selection of which foods could be eaten.
Over the course of time, the rabbinic interpretation of a number of other verses—most importantly, Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21, which forbade boiling a baby goat in its mother’s milk, and Deuteronomy 12:21, which allegedly spoke of a divinely given form of ritual slaughter—led to a much more intricate development of the dietary laws, which included the prohibition of eating milk products with meat products (see further, #13) and the requirement of rabbinic supervision of the process of animal slaughter (called shechitah; a ritual slaughterer is called a shochet).[44] In addition to this, since the later rabbis were not entirely sure of the exact identity of every single animal listed in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, they broadened the list of forbidden animals, just to play it safe.
There are many comical—and sometimes painful—stories relating to Christian ignorance of or insensitivity to the kosher laws and customs. For example, based on the belief that the New Testament abolished the dietary laws, some Christians have “tested” the orthodoxy and spiritual freedom of new Jewish believers by asking—or even requiring—them to eat a pork sandwich! More tragically, some medieval baptismal formulas required Jews to confess that they would learn to acquire a taste for pork, even if they had previously avoided it all their lives. Can you imagine the arrogance and ignorance behind such a formula?[45]
On a lighter note, in 2006, some evangelical Christians in Italy with a real love for Israel decided to reach out to Messianic Jews in their country, inviting them to a day of fellowship and interaction. At every meal—quite unintentionally, to be sure—pork products were prominently (and unavoidably) featured. They wanted to make the meals special, and they had no idea that, either through life habit or spiritual choice (out of solidarity with their Jewish roots), many of these Jewish believers would prefer not to eat pork. Thankfully, it caused no lasting offense, but it did show that these dear Christians had a lot to learn!