Jews and shellfish!!

[dukas68]

Can anyone tell me why Jews are forbidden from eating shell fish???

[cassimer]

The simple answer is because in Leviticus11:10 it says (basically!) that if a creature of the water has no fins or scales you shall regard them as vermin.

As to why... as with all these things there are many arguments - usually coming down to health grounds. I suspect with seafood it was down to eating at the wrong time of year led to illness, asmany seafood items cling to rocks near shores and collect dirt and toxins easily.

[ursula62]

Also, at the time of Leviticus, there weren't many shellfish in the desert - and by the time they would have been transported from the sea to the desert tribes they would have been inedible!

[Newt]

In the Jewish faith they keep their homes kosher, which in essence means 'clean'.  So, if a sea animal filters out 'dirt' to get their food, it is considered unclean.  It all has to do with the health perceptions of the time.  They also don't eat anything with a cloven hoof that chews their cud, or from the rear end of an animal because there are more blood vessels there and it's from the 'business' end of the animal.  Pork also wasn't eaten because pigs wallowed in mud and had to be well cooked so as not to cause disease.  They also 'kosher' their meat by rubbing it with a course salt.  There are also prayers said over the meat and they slaughter their meat differently then Christians do.  When they slaughter their meat they do it in such a way that the blood drains out.  Again it has to do with keeping clean and healthy.If you purchase a kosher chicken you won't find bruises or blood clots. At least you shouldn't.  This should be helpful.

http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm

Newt

[brachiopod]

So what's wrong with eating rock badgers then?