Kosher – what it means and how kashrut works
Kashrut is the set of Torah laws about which foods a Jew may eat and how they are prepared. These guides explain the basics with their sources.
- What is kosher? כָּשֵׁר
Kosher means fit to eat under Torah law: which animals, birds and fish are permitted, shechita, meat and dairy, and what a kosher symbol tells you.
- Meat and dairy בָּשָׂר וְחָלָב
Why kosher kitchens separate meat and milk, the Torah source, how long to wait between meat and dairy, pareve foods and Sephardi and Ashkenazi customs.
For learning and general information only. Customs differ between communities; for practical halachic questions ask your rabbi.