Chicago Chesed Fund

https://www.chicagochesedfund.org/

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Kedoshim. Imitation Issur

Over Pesach, we spent time discussing the wondrous kosher le'pesach pastries that mimic chametz- bagels and white bread that are difficult to distinguish from the real thing, but that are made from various root starches and quinoa.  Similarly, advances in food science are making it possible to create a kosher version of all kinds of shekatzim and remasim, basar b'chalav, and other maachalos asuros.  Is this a problem? We wrote an essay about this, but, in order to highlight how grotesque this can be, we wrote it in an ironic style, so it was posted at the other website.

Nonetheless, the question is important, and the issues raised there are relevant to Parshas Kedoshim, particularly in light of the Ramban at the beginning of the parsha about נבל ברשות התורה, and the Toras Kohanim at the end about לא יאמר אדם נפשי קצה בבשר החזיר, as brought by Rashi (20:26.)  The specific issues that need to be examined are
מראית עין, 
מאוס, 
מיגדר מילתא, 
לא שינו, 
מגרה יצר הרע בנפשיה 
and
והאספסוף אשר בקרבו התאוו תאוה.  

Direct mekoros include the Shibuta Gemara in Chulin 109 where Rav Nachma gave his wife K'chal because she wanted to taste basar b'chalav, and the Gemara in Krisus 21b about eating fish blood.

As a pe'shara, we're not posting it on this site, but here's a link:

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