What is the Kosher aspect of Meat and Milk?

There are many articles on the internet which discuss what Kosher means. In these articles it is almost inevitable that the discussion turns in one way or another to the issue of Meat and Milk.

What is Kosher Food

The prohibition of meat and milk is not very difficult to explain. The Jewish Bible called the Torah, forbids the eating of meat and milk together. This is a full-fledged Biblical prohibition, as opposed to a Rabbinically enacted prohibition to serve as the proverbial "Fence around the Torah." After someone ate meat, he is forbidden Rabbinically under the Jewish legal codes for six hours from eating dairy products (six hours in most communities) as a legal mechanism to separate between the eating of meat and milk.

Besides that, Kosher practice includes to forbid even the cooking of meat and milk together, and additionally to derive benefit from the meat and milk once they’re cooked together, for example by selling it, or another application, by feeding it to your pet. This is also Biblical ordinance.

According to the laws of Kosher, besides being forbidden to cook meat and milk as one, it is equally forbidden to cook meaty foods in a pot that was used for milk, or the opposite case, milky products in a pot that was used for meat. The reason is because the Torah considers the taste of the previously cooked food which is absorbed in the pot as if it were the milk or meat itself, and when it comes out into the food when you cook the second thing, it is considered cooking meat and milk together, and ultimately, if it gets that far, to eating meat and milk together.

In an real live case where meat and milk were cooked together in the same pot, or meat in a milky pot (a pot that was used before for milk) one should take advice with a competent Orthodox Rabbi, because the status of the food is dependant on several relevant points, like what was the ratio of the different foods involved, how long ago was the pot was used for dairy, and if sharp foods were involved, like onions, to name a few.

This explains why in homes where they observe Kosher, there are two sets of silverware, dishes, and pots, one for meat and one for milk. Similarly in an Kosher eating establishment like a restaurant. In general a Kosher restaurant will be organized to offer only meaty (and neutral) foods or milky and neutral foods. This is because in a rapid pace environment like a restaurant, it is hard enough to watch out for the Kashrus (the being Kosher) without the problem of meat and milk mix-ups. Therefore the standard is not to have both meat and milk in the same kitchen.

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