Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site linus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!jgb From: jgb@linus.UUCP (Jonathan G. Bressel) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: kashrut and vegetarianism Message-ID: <748@linus.UUCP> Date: Thu, 23-Feb-84 18:40:51 EST Article-I.D.: linus.748 Posted: Thu Feb 23 18:40:51 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 25-Feb-84 02:02:52 EST Organization: MITRE Corp., Bedford MA Lines: 20 I am Jewish, and have been vegetarian for four years. As such I refrain not only from eating meat, but also from using any products containing animal derivatives. Before giving up meat, I kept kosher, and in fact I view ethical vegetarianism as an extension of the principles of kashrut. I have some questions about vegetarianism as it relates to kashrut: 1. Why is it not okay to eat unkosher meat, and at the same time okay to wear the skin of an animal not killed in a kosher manner? I realize that the bible refers only to EATING, and not to WEARING, but since so much of Jewish law is interpretation of the bible, I am surprised these injunctions were not interpreted in a more general sense. 2. Is it really REQUIRED that a Torah be made from the skin of an animal? For that matter, need Tefillin be made of leather? Need the parchment in mezuzot be made from an animal? -- Jonathan G. Bressel ARPA: linus!jgb@mitre-bedford UUCP: ...{decvax,utzoo,philabs,security,allegra,genrad}!linus!jgb