Since ancient times, Jews have been forbidden to eat pork. This is due to a commandment from the Torah, the holy book of the Jewish religion. The Torah explicitly forbids eating pork on several occasions. In Leviticus 11:7-8, God commands: “Of all the animals that crawl on the earth, these are the ones you may eat: the wolf, the lamb, the deer, the gullet, the goat, the deer, the chamois.” , the buffalo, the antelope and the bison. “But of the animals that crawl on the ground, you shall not eat the following: the camel, the hare, and the rabbit, because they crawl on the ground, but their hooves are not joined together, and they are unclean for you.”
Jews don’t eat pork
The people of Israel, unlike other nations, were very careful with their diets and avoided the consumption of certain foods. One of the reasons for this is that they wanted to be isolated from other cultures and establish their own identity.
The Torah orders the people of Israel to avoid contact with unclean animals, and the pig is one of them. This is because the pig is an animal that does not clean itself, and its meat can be full of diseases.
Deuteronomy 14:8 says: “And swine, which in all their kinds, are considered unclean and abominable, those who eat them will be unclean.”
Ezekiel 4:14 also says: “And if any of the uncircumcised eats of any unclean animal head, he himself will be unclean. Whoever touches his unclean body, he will be unclean ».
Therefore, Jews do not eat pork because it is an unclean animal. They are not only prohibited from eating it, but also prohibited from touching or being near it.
Why you shouldn’t eat pork
The first book of Leviticus details the animals that the Israelites could and could not eat. Among the prohibited animals was the pig. We are not given an explanation in the Bible as to why pork was forbidden, but we can see some possible reasons.
First of all, the pig is a dirty animal. It feeds on garbage and droppings, and its body is covered in mites and parasites. Eating pork could transmit diseases to humans.
Second, the pig was not a common animal in the land of Canaan, where the Israelites lived. The animals most frequently mentioned in the Bible are lambs, horses, and oxen. The pig was an exotic and expensive animal, and eating it might have been an act of ostentation.
Third, the pig was a symbol of idolatry to other nations. The Egyptians worshiped a god named Apis, who was represented as a bull. The Canaanites worshiped a god called Baal, who was represented as a bull or a ram. The Phoenicians worshiped a goddess named Astarte, who was represented as a woman with the breasts of a cow. Eating pork could have been an act of idolatry.
Fourth, the pig was an animal that was sacrificed to idols. In ancient times, people often sacrificed animals to idols. Animals that were sacrificed to idols were considered unclean, and eating their meat could have contaminated the Israelites.
Lastly, perhaps pork was simply a food that was unhealthy for humans. Some animals are unhealthy for humans, such as crocodiles, snakes, and sharks. We do not eat these animals because they are dangerous or poisonous. The pig could have been considered a dangerous or poisonous food.
In conclusion, there are several possible reasons why the Israelites could not eat pork. We are not given a concrete explanation in the Bible, but we can speculate about the possible reasons.
Why is the pig an unclean animal?
The uncleanness of pigs is mentioned in the Bible on several occasions. First, in the book of Leviticus, God gives instructions to Moses and Aaron about which animals can be eaten. In chapter 11, verse 7, we read: «So of all the animals that walk with legs, you can eat the following: those with split nails, which are common to cats and dogs. But of those that walk on all fours, you shall not eat the following: the camel, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails; the rabbit, which walks on all fours, but has no split nails; and the pig, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails».
Second, in the book of Deuteronomy, God gives Moses instructions on which animals are to be sacrificed. In chapter 14, verse 8, it reads: “And the animals that you may sacrifice are the following: oxen, lambs and goats.”
Third, in the book of Ezekiel, God gives Ezekiel instructions about which animals could be eaten. In chapter 4, verse 14, we read: «So, if you do not abstain from all the animals that walk on legs, you will not eat any of them: the camel, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails; the rabbit, which walks on all fours, but has no split nails; and the pig, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails».
Fourth, in the book of Leviticus, God gives instructions to Moses and Aaron on how to purify people and animals. In chapter 11, verse 47, we read: “But all animals that walk on all fours and do not have split nails, you shall not eat.”
Fifth, God instructs Moses on which animals are to be sacrificed in the book of Leviticus. In chapter 22, verse 8, we read: “You shall not sacrifice any animal that walks on all fours and does not have split nails, because that is unclean.”
Sixth, in the book of Leviticus, God gives instructions to Moses about which animals could be eaten. In chapter 11, verse 10, we read: «But of all the animals that walk on all fours, you can eat the following: the camel, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails; the rabbit, which walks on all fours, but has no split nails; and the pig, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails».
Seventh, in the book of Leviticus, God instructs Moses on which animals are to be sacrificed. In chapter 17, verse 3, we read: “Any animal that walks on all fours and does not have split nails, you must not sacrifice, because it is unclean.”
Finally, in the book of Leviticus, God gives instructions to Moses about which animals could be eaten. In chapter 11, verse 8, we read: «So of all the animals that walk with legs, you can eat the following: those with split nails, which are common to cats and dogs. But of those that walk on all fours, you shall not eat the following: the camel, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails; the rabbit, which walks on all fours, but has no split nails; and the pig, which walks on all fours, but does not have split nails».
In summary, the Bible mentions the uncleanness of pigs on several occasions. Pigs are unclean because they do not have split nails, and God did not allow them to be eaten. Pigs are also unclean because they cannot be slaughtered. Lastly, pigs are unclean because they cannot be eaten.
What meats can Jews eat?
In the Bible, God tells the people of Israel that they can only eat certain animal meats. These meats must be from animals that have hooves split in two and that are ruminants. Animals that do not meet these characteristics are not considered kosher and, therefore, are not suitable for consumption.
Some of the animals that are not kosher are pigs, goats, cows, sheep, and lambs. All these animals have split hooves, but they are not ruminants. Other non-kosher animals include birds of prey, snakes, salamanders, frogs, and shrimp.
The Bible also says that Jews are not to eat any kind of meat that has been sacrificed to idols. This is because idols are considered false gods and therefore the act of eating meat sacrificed to them is considered an act of worship.
In general, Jews are only allowed to eat meat from kosher animals. However, sometimes certain exceptions are allowed. For example, if a Jew is in danger of death or if he is sick, he will be allowed to eat non-kosher meat.
Pork is a forbidden food for the Jews due to the instructions that God gave to Moses in the Book of Leviticus. God told Moses that the Jews were not to eat any type of pork, since it was an unclean animal. In the Book of Leviticus, God also told the Jews that they were to avoid all contact with unclean animals, including touching their flesh or blood.