Thinking About Jewish Commitment Services

By Debra Hayes


There is a lot to understand and to appreciate when it comes to being a Jew with its many laws and by laws. Jewish commitment services are there to provide one with a little understanding as to what it is to be Jewish and in looking at the different areas of practice followed by many. For instance, the laws of Kashrut or dietary laws are immense and require a long term study before appreciating them in their entirety.

Basically, the defining law is that a kid may not be consumed in its mother's milk meaning that one is not allowed to consume milk and meat simultaneously. There are other laws that stem from this basic law and because of it, many wait up to six hours after meat has been consumed before milk products can be drunk or eaten. Having a hechsher or stamp of approval from a governing Jewish body called a Beth Din is a prerequisite for many.

If watched by fellow Jews then this process is called Chalav Yisroel which many keep over and above other kosher hechshers or stamps of approval. The laws of Kashrut are vast but in essence is derived from the decree that a kid may not be consumed in its mother's milk. This is the basic laws from which all the other laws of kashrut are derived.

The basic law states that one cannot consume a kid in its mother's milk. From this the sages derived other laws in order to safeguard the primary law of not eating milk straight after meat. Furthermore, there are different degrees of kashrut or laws that are practiced when preparing food for consumption.

For instance some will only partake of dairy products if they are called what is known as Chalav Yisroel. This means practically speaking that the whole process of preparing milk products whether it be milk or yoghurts for that matter, are watched by designated Jews from start to finish. This is to ensure that the product is as kosher as can be and may be consumed by those who stick by this law.

Kashrut and kosher laws are many and are governed by the laws which are adhered to by the Beth Din in making certain that products labeled as Kosher are so. This means that there are services within the Jewish Court of Law that physically go to every production house not matter where it is and monitor and ensure that products are being processed that are fit for consumption according to law. There are those that are assigned these tasks and they must have a qualification to do so.

Judaism is steeped in traditions and in customs from how to celebrate life to how to mourn it too. For instance, when someone close dies there is a set prescription that one must follow in carrying out the mourning process. There are periods of mourning such as Shloshim which is the thirty day period.

In this period, men are not allowed to shave. Apart from this no enjoyment may be had such as listening to music. Even going to a movie is forbidden as one carries out practices that have endured the millennia.




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