Why Jews don't eat pork: history, traditions and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

Perhaps it would never occur to a blood Jew to ask why Jews shouldn't eat pork. This question, apparently, is of great concern to representatives of the Slavic nations. They sincerely worry about the fact that the Jews do not know the taste of lard - the greatest delicacy and "Ukrainian Snickers" in combination. And there is no way to make them understand. So why don't Jews eat pork?

A number of reasons are usually cited, the most common of which are religious and medical. Sometimes it is enough to say that this is a tradition, and some kind of prohibition is accepted as an axiom: if you can’t, then you can’t. But I want to dig into the origins to find out where this law's legs grow from.

What is written in the Torah

It is known that God gave the ancient Israelites a Covenant Law that not only gave specific instructions regarding worship, but also regulated almost every area of life. Including there were bans on the consumption of certain animals. Themcalled unclean.

It is better to quote directly from there, and not retell in your own words. So Leviticus the 11th chapter, the 3rd verse, said, "You can eat any creature among the animals that has a cloven hoof and a slit in the hoof and chews the cud." Most importantly, these two requirements had to be met simultaneously. Therefore, below in the same chapter is a list of exceptions. It includes a camel, a hyrax, a hare (they chew the cud, but do not have a cloven hoof) and a pig (it has the opposite: a cloven hoof, but not a herbivore). Further, it is strictly forbidden not only to eat, but also to touch these animals.

Is the ban reasonable?

What was the harm of eating pork is not explained in the Bible. But modern science can shed light on this. For example, the ancient Jews may not have understood why in the same Law it was forbidden to touch the dead, and if this happened, then the person had to wash himself thoroughly and wash his clothes. It wasn't until the late 19th century that the antiseptic branch of medicine arose, and scientists discovered that most diseases were transmitted through germs on unwashed hands.

Therefore, the answer to the question of why Jews still do not eat pork is also scientifically confirmed.

Medical

Perhaps classifying a pig as an unclean animal hurts its self-esteem (this is a joke, of course), but such a statement has a scientific grain in it. Especially if you appreciate the lifestyle of a cute piggyand her ability to find food in any dirt (well, this is not a squeamish animal, what can you do), then everything becomes clear.

The pig is omnivorous, it can even eat its own excrement! This is very dangerous for human he alth, since the meat of this animal may contain trichina. These are small round parasites that contribute to the development of such a serious disease as trichinosis.

In this case, even heat treatment does not help. The only thing that will save you from this disease is the preliminary freezing of fresh meat. In the days of ancient Israel, especially in the hot desert climate, this was not possible. This could be one of the reasons why God forbade eating pork.

Even the expression is: "dirty as a pig". Well, you can't take words out of a song.

True, the entire Mosaic Law has long been abolished by Christ (as evidenced by the entire "New Testament"), and all prohibitions and prescriptions have remained in the past for Christians. But the catch is this: most Jews are still waiting for the Messiah, since they did not accept Jesus, and therefore to this day they adhere to many instructions from the Torah, for example, they circumcise boys, etc. Naturally, they are sacred about the ban on animals revered, it is as if written on the subcortex of every Jew.

Sheep vs pig

But the Torah is the Torah, and any tradition needs to be supported by an appropriate legend. And they made it for the pig too.

So, it was aboutJerusalem during the siege by General Titus. The Roman troops could not take the city in any way, even despite the famine, the Jews fought back. And all because every day a young lamb was sacrificed. Soon they all ended. Then the Jews agreed with the Romans that every day they would lower a whole basket of gold on a rope from the walls of the city, and in return they had to give them a lamb. So the siege dragged on for several years. But one day a traitor told Titus about everything, and he instead of a lamb put a pig in the literal and figurative sense. And that's it, the city fell instantly.

So that's why the Jews do not eat pork until now, because it is the meat of the animal, because of which their people were taken into exile. Here is such a fairy tale.

Why Muslims shouldn't eat pork: the story

They have their own background. The main reason is the canons of Islam. The Quran mentions this strictest prohibition four times, and for Muslims, the number 4 means an indisputable truth. For example, in Sura No. 6, pork is called "bad" and "unholy".

Of course, compared to Judaism, where it was forbidden to eat many animals, birds and fish, as well as any meat with blood, in Islam it is only about pork. Although blood is also unacceptable for Muslims.

If for the ancient Israelites the refusal of pork meant physical cleanliness, then in Islam the emphasis is placed on spiritual pollution in case of eating this animal. Why? The Qur'an says that Allah turns idolaters into monkeys and pigs. That is, Muslimsthey believe that pigs in the past were people, but there are their own kind, and even the damned, at least inhumanely.

Again, uncleanliness is a common reason why Muslims and Jews don't eat pork. Modern worshipers of Islam explain it this way. Her meat for them is a source of disease, a collection of all kinds of microbes and parasites.

Interesting facts

• In Judaism there is a term "kashrut", meaning the permissibility or suitability of something according to the Torah. Basically, this word refers to food (it is divided into kosher and clubs). A similar term in Islam is "halal".
• To be fair, a pig is cleaner than a dog. For example, she herself can remove fleas.
• Jokingly they say that because of the ban on eating pork and drinking alcohol, Ancient Russia chose Orthodoxy, not Islam.

There are exceptions to every rule

Why do Jews/Muslims eat pork despite the ban? Firstly, not everyone tries to strictly adhere to all the canons. Many of them don't understand why Muslims and Jews shouldn't eat pork.

Secondly, not all Jews in a row avoid pork, but only those of them who profess Judaism (a religious system based on the "Old Testament"). And those who have become Christians most likely know the taste of lard. And thirdly, in the Koran it is still allowed to violate this prohibition if there is a threat to life. For example: besides pork, there is absolutely nothing to eat, even if you die of hunger, then a Muslim can eat this meat to save his life. Unlike such a prohibition, in Judaism the law on unclean animals did not contain any compromises.

That's all the reasons why Jews don't eat pork, but Muslims stand in solidarity with them.