It may not even cross the mind of a Jewish Jew to ask the question of why Jews should not eat pork. This question, apparently, is very concerned about representatives of the Slavic nations. They sincerely worry about the fact that the Jews do not know the taste of bacon - the greatest delicacy and "Ukrainian Sneakers" in combination. And to reason them does not work. So why don't Jews eat pork?
Usually a number of reasons are given, and among them the most common are religious and medical. Sometimes it’s enough to say that this is a tradition, and some kind of prohibition is accepted as an axiom: it’s impossible - it means impossible. But I want to delve into the origins to find out where this law comes from.
What is written in the Torah
It is known that God gave the ancient Israelites the Law-agreement, which 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. They were called unclean.
It is better to quote directly from there, rather than retell in your own words. So, in Leviticus, the 11th chapter, the 3rd verse, it says: "You can eat every creature among animals that has a cloven hoof and a hoof on the hoof and who chews gum." Most importantly, these two requirements had to be fulfilled simultaneously. Therefore, an exception list is provided later in the same chapter. To him belong a camel, a daman, a hare (they chew gum, but do not have a cloven hoof) and a pig (she 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 the harm from eating pork consisted of is not explained in the Bible. But modern science can shed light on this. For example, the ancient Jews, perhaps, did not understand why in the same Law it was forbidden to touch the dead, and if this happened, then the person had to thoroughly wash and wash his clothes. Only at the end of the 19th century did such a branch of medicine as antiseptics emerge, and scientists investigated that most diseases are transmitted through microbes on unwashed hands.
Therefore, the answer to the question of why Jews do not eat pork so far also has scientific confirmation.
Medical aspect
Perhaps the classification of a pig as an unclean animal offends its self-esteem (this, of course, is a joke), but this statement has a scientific grain. Especially if you evaluate the cute pig’s lifestyle and its ability to find food in any dirt (well, this is not a squeamish animal, what can you do), then everything becomes clear.
An omnivorous pig, it can even eat its own excrement! This is very dangerous for human health, since the meat of this animal may contain trichines. These are small round parasites that contribute to the development of such a serious illness as trichinosis.
In this case, even heat treatment does not help. The only thing that will protect against 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 won’t throw 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 precepts are 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 adhere to many instructions from the Torah, for example, circumcise boys, etc. Naturally, they also hold the ban on animals they honor him, as if written on the subcortex of every Jew.
Ram vs pig
But the Torah Torah, and any tradition needs to be supported by the corresponding legend. And they created it for the pig too.
So, it was in Jerusalem during the siege of her by General Titus. The Roman troops could not take the city, even despite the famine, the Jews fought back. And all because every day a young lamb was sacrificed. Soon all of these ended. Then the Jews agreed with the Romans that every day they would lower them on a rope from the walls of the city a whole basket of gold, and in return they had to give them a lamb. So the siege lasted several years. But once the traitor told Titus everything, and instead of a lamb he literally and figuratively planted a pig. And all, the city instantly fell.
So that’s why Jews still don’t eat pork, because it’s the meat of that animal, because of which their people were taken into exile. Here is such a fairy tale.
Why Muslims can't eat pork: history
They have their own background. The main reason is the canons of Islam. This strict prohibition is mentioned four times in the Qur'an, and for Muslims, the figure 4 means immutable truth. For example, in surah No. 6, pork is called "nasty" and "wicked."
Of course, in comparison with Judaism, where it was forbidden to eat many animals, birds and fish, as well as any meat with blood, in Islam we are talking only about pork. Although blood for Muslims is also unacceptable.
If for the ancient Israelis the rejection of pork meant physical purity, then Islam emphasizes spiritual pollution if this animal is eaten. Why? The Qur'an says that Allah turns idolaters into monkeys and pigs. That is, Muslims believe that pigs in the past were people, and there are others like them, and even damned ones, at least inhumane.
And again, dishonesty is a common reason why Muslims and Jews don’t eat pork. Modern fans of Islam explain this. Her meat for them is a source of disease, a collection of all sorts of germs and parasites.
Interesting Facts
- In Judaism, there is the 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 club). A similar term in Islam is halal.
- In fairness, it should be noted that a pig is more clean than a dog. For example, she herself can display fleas.
- As a joke, they say that because of the ban on eating pork and drinking alcohol, Ancient Russia chose Orthodoxy rather than Islam.
