Judaism

===Dietary laws: ''kashrut''===
{{Main|Kashrut}}
The Jewish dietary laws are known as ''[[kashrut]]''. Food prepared in accordance with them is termed [[kosher foods|kosher]], and food that is not kosher is also known as ''treifah'' or ''treif''. People who observe these laws are colloquially said to be "keeping kosher".<ref name="JEdietary">{{JewishEncyclopedia|author-link1=Solomon Schechter |last1=Schechter |first1=Solomon |display-authors=etal |title=Dietary Laws|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5191-dietary-laws}}</ref>{{sfn|Berlin|2011|pp=212–14|loc="Dietary Laws"}}

Many of the laws apply to animal-based foods. For example, in order to be considered kosher, mammals must have split [[hooves]] and [[ruminants|chew their cud]]. The [[pig]] is arguably the most well-known example of a non-kosher animal.<ref name="The Kosher Pig?" /> Although it has split hooves, it does not chew its cud. For [[seafood]] to be kosher, the animal must have [[fins]] and [[Scale (zoology)|scales]]. Certain types of seafood, such as [[shellfish]], [[crustaceans]], and [[eel]]s, are therefore considered non-kosher. Concerning birds, a list of non-kosher species is given in the [[Torah]]. The exact [[translations]] of many of the species have not survived, and some non-kosher birds' identities are no longer certain. However, [[traditions]] exist about the ''kashrut'' status of a few birds. For example, both [[chickens]] and [[turkeys]] are permitted in most communities. Other types of animals, such as [[amphibians]], [[reptiles]], and most [[insects]], are prohibited altogether.<ref name="JEdietary" />

In addition to the requirement that the species be considered kosher, meat and poultry (but not fish) must come from a healthy animal slaughtered in a process known as ''[[shechitah]]''. Without the proper [[Animal slaughter|slaughtering]] practices even an otherwise kosher animal will be rendered ''treif''. The slaughtering process is intended to be quick and relatively painless to the animal. Forbidden parts of animals include the [[blood]], some [[fat]]s, and the area in and around the [[sciatic nerve]].<ref name="JEdietary" />

''Halakha'' also forbids the consumption of meat and dairy products together. The waiting period between eating meat and eating dairy varies by the order in which they are consumed and by community and can extend for up to six hours. Based on the Biblical injunction against cooking a kid in its mother's milk, this rule is mostly derived from the Oral Torah, the Talmud and Rabbinic law. Chicken and other kosher birds are considered the same as meat under the laws of ''kashrut'', but the prohibition is rabbinic, not biblical.<ref name="shulchan" />

The use of [[Dishware|dishes]], serving utensils, and [[oven]]s may make food ''treif'' that would otherwise be kosher. Utensils that have been used to prepare non-kosher food, or dishes that have held meat and are now used for dairy products, render the food ''treif'' under certain conditions.<ref name="JEdietary" />

Furthermore, all Orthodox and some Conservative authorities forbid the consumption of processed [[grape]] products made by non-Jews, due to ancient [[pagan]] practices of using wine in rituals. Some Conservative authorities permit wine and grape juice made without rabbinic supervision.<ref name="rabbinicalassembly" />

The Torah does not give specific reasons for most of the laws of ''kashrut''. However, a number of explanations have been offered, including maintaining ritual purity, teaching impulse control, encouraging obedience to God, improving health, reducing [[cruelty to animals]] and preserving the distinctness of the Jewish community.<ref name="JEdietary" /> The various categories of dietary laws may have developed for different reasons, and some may exist for multiple reasons. For example, people are forbidden from consuming the blood of birds and mammals because, according to the Torah, this is where animal souls are contained. In contrast, the Torah forbids Israelites from eating non-kosher species because "they are unclean".<ref name="leviticus11" /> The [[Kabbalah]] describes sparks of holiness that are released by the act of eating kosher foods but are too tightly bound in non-kosher foods to be released by eating.<ref name="JEdietary" />

Survival concerns supersede all the laws of ''kashrut'', as they do for most ''halakhot''.<ref name="jewishmag" /><ref name="biu" />