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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

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