(ט) ואמנם מצות שחיטת בהמה היא הכרחית מפני שהמזון הטבעי לבני אדם הוא מן הזרעים הצומחים בארץ ומבשר בעלי חיים והטוב שבבשר הוא מה שהותר לנו לאכלו - וזה מה שלא יסופק בו רופא. וכאשר הביא הכרח טוב המזון להריגת בעלי חיים כונה התורה לקלה שבמיתות ואסרה שיענה אותם בשחיטה רעה ולא יחתוך מהם אבר - כמו שבארנו:
(9) The commandment concerning the killing of animals is necessary, because the natural food of man consists of vegetables and of the flesh of animals: the best meat is that of animals permitted to be used as food. No doctor has any doubts about this. Since, therefore, the desire of procuring good food necessitates the slaying of animals, the Law enjoins that the death of the animal should be the easiest. It is not allowed to torment the animal by cutting the throat in a clumsy manner, by poleaxing, or by cutting off a limb whilst the animal is alive.
(ב) גְּדִי, לָאו דַּוְקָא, דְּהוּא הַדִּין שׁוֹר, שֶׂה וָעֵז. וְלֹא שְׁנָא בַּחֲלֵב אֵם, וְלֹא שְׁנָא בַּחֲלֵב אַחֶרֶת, אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בַּהֹוֶה.
(2) [The word] "kid", is not specific, it is the same rule with ox, sheep and goat. There is no difference if it is the milk of the mother, or of another [domesticated] animal. Rather, the verse refers to the common case.
(א) אָכַל בָּשָׂר, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁל חַיָּה וָעוֹף, לֹא יֹאכַל גְּבִינָה אַחֲרָיו עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁהֶה שֵׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם שָׁהָה כַּשִּׁעוּר, אִם יֵשׁ בָּשָׂר בֵּין הַשִּׁנַּיִם, צָרִיךְ לַהֲסִירוֹ
(1) One who eats meat, even of a wild animal or fowl, does not eat cheese afterwards until he waits six hours. Even if he waits that period, if he has meat between his teeth he has to remove it. One who chews food for a child has to wait.
(א) קְדֵרָה שֶׁבִּשֵּׁל בָּהּ בָּשָׂר, לֹא יְבַשֵּׁל בָּהּ חָלָב.
If a vessel is used to cook meat, then you shall not cook milk in it.
Cheese is made from curdles milk. Since the curdling agent is rennet, which is extracted from the walls of a calf's stomach, cheese was forbidden as a mixture of dairy and meat. According to some authorities, however, the use of rennet does not affect the kashrut of the cheese because rennet no longer has the status of food, and instead is comparable to a mere secretion...Some halakhic authorities demand a hekhsher for certain cheeses, implying that those without a hekhsher are not kosher; other authorities maintain that all cheeses are permissible and no hekhsher is necessary.
-Klein, Issac. "A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice." The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. New York. 1992. p. 306.
What is Eco-Kashrut?
Eco-kashrut is a movement to extend the Kashrut system, or Jewish dietary laws, to address modern environmental, social, and ethical issues, and promote sustainability. Eco-Kashrut reflects a trend of Kosher-keeping Jews to eat only food that has been ethically and sustainably produced, and in some cases, also locally sourced.
What is the Heksher Tzedek?
In 2008, a commission was formed by prominent leaders of Conservative Judaism to develop and apply a set of standards that would certify that kosher food manufacturers in the US operate according to Jewish ethics and social values.
The Magen Tzedek Commission has developed a food certification program that combines the rabbinic tradition of Torah with Jewish values of social justice, assuring consumers and retailers that kosher food products have been produced in keeping with exemplary Jewish ethics in the area of labor concerns, animal welfare, environmental impact, consumer issues and corporate integrity.
The cornerstone of the program is the Magen Tzedek Standard, a proprietary set of standards that meet or exceed industry best practices for treatment of workers, animals, and the Earth; and delineates the criteria a food manufacturer must meet to achieve certification. Upon successful certification, the Magen Tzedek Commission will award its Shield of Justice seal which can be displayed on food packaging.
The Magen Tzedek seal is available only for products that currently carry a traditional Hekhsher seal from an authorized kosher certification agency. It is not intended as a replacement, but rather a complementary enhancement to a brand’s reputation.