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The religious, philosophical and moral basis of the Jewish dietary laws

Excerpts from: The Jewish Dietary Laws, Ch. 1 - The Spiritual Basis of the Laws

Kashrut is one of the pillars of Jewish religious life; and yet, its philosophical and moral foundations are rarely given much thought.
Mere habit and mechanical performance are not enough for the perpetuation of the Jewish way of life. There must be conviction, based on knowledge.

"The Torah always penetrates into the remote recesses of man's thoughts, inclinations and urges... know, therefore, that most of the laws of the Torah are counsels of deep meaning given to us by the Great Counselor in order to purify our thoughts and to rectify our deeds..."

There are three possible methods of approach in dealing with the underlying ideas of Jewish laws: the ethical, the mystical and the symbolical.

Some reasons for the prohibition of particular groups of animals.

In order to find a reason why various animals are allowed and others forbidden, it is necessary to recall that originally man was not allowed to consume meat at all; he was supposed to be a vegetarian.

...the prohibition against eating a limb torn from a live animal or bird refers to man in general, not only to Jews. To eat, however, a limb torn from a live animal-in addition to the cruelty-would have involved the transfer of the vivifying part of an animal, its instincts and passions into the system of man's body.

...the Torah warns us repeatedly not to consume blood which is said to contain the "soul of the animal", i.e., animal instincts or passions, points quite clearly to one of the aims of the dietary laws, viz., the avoidance of transferring animal instincts into man by the consumption of certain food. This is the general principle: the nearer an animal is to the vegetable world in its habits and composition, the less likely it is to arouse the animal nature in man, and its meat becomes the more suitable for human consumption.

Samson Raphael Hirsch explains: The human body is destined to be the instrument of the soul and to implement its aim of holiness and moral freedom. ...the more passive and submissive the body is, the more will it yield to the dictates of the soul as man's higher nature. Every food, therefore, which makes the body to active in a carnal direction, makes man the more indifferent or less sensitive to the loftier impulses or moral life and is to be avoided. From this point of view, vegetable food is the most preferable, as plants are the most passive substance. Indeed, we find that all vegetables are permitted.

Next in the order of desirability as human food would come those animals which are herbivorous and, therefore, nearer the vegetable world, whereas carnivorous animals, such as beast and birds of prey, would be forbidden because with the consumption of their flesh, their cruel habits might enter the human being.  Animals which chew the cud and are entirely cloven-footed, are, as a rule, herbivorous.  They are also tame and passive, and show few signs of natural buoyancy.  Thus we see that permitted mammals, such as domestic species of kine, sheep, goats, the tame ones among the game, roe and deer, etc., show a more or less passive and plant-like character.  All these animals display little vitality, little passion, and moderate animal instincts.  Carnivorous animals, however, have short intestines, and little time is given to the more passive and plant-like function of intaking and digesting the food.  The food is quickly transformed into blood, which is the carrier of the animal instinct.  Those animals, however, which chew the cud, have long intestines and a complicated apparatus of digestion.  They spend a great deal of time in the passive process of digesting their food, which in turn is also a reason for their easy submission to man.  The cloven feet of the permitted animals are also more suited for mere standing than as fighting instruments against beasts of prey; which is another reason for their easy submission to man, whilst the forbidden animals have much fore vigorous and defiant habits.  ...permitted animals have neither front nor canine teen in the upper jaw.