The mitzvah
Kosher means “fit.” The Torah’s food laws cover which animals, fish and birds may be eaten, how meat is slaughtered and prepared, and keeping meat and dairy completely separate.
The sources
Animals that chew the cud and have split hooves; fish that have fins and scales.
“Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” — written three times in the Torah, the source of separating meat and dairy.
“You shall be holy, for I am holy” — said in the chapter about food.
What you need
- Patience — this is a step-by-step mitzvah
- An eye for kosher symbols on packages (such as OU, OK, Star-K, Kof-K, cRc)
Step by step
- Step 1: stop eating pork and shellfish.
- Step 2: don’t eat meat and dairy together (no cheeseburgers, no milk in coffee with a meat meal).
- Step 3: buy packaged food with a reliable kosher symbol.
- Step 4: buy meat and chicken only from a kosher butcher or with a kosher symbol.
- Step 5: after eating meat, wait before eating dairy. Waiting periods vary by community and halachic tradition — follow your family’s custom or ask a rabbi (see customs below).
- Step 6: when ready, set up separate dishes for meat and dairy. A rabbi can help kasher your kitchen.
Questions people ask
What about eating out?
Look for restaurants with reliable kosher supervision. Until then, many choose vegetarian or fish dishes as a step.
Do I need separate sinks and ovens?
In a fully kosher kitchen, often yes — but that’s a later step. Start with what you eat.
What is “pareve”?
Food that is neither meat nor dairy — fruit, vegetables, eggs, fish — and can be eaten with either.
Your family’s way
Waiting periods vary by community and halachic tradition. The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 89:1) rules to wait six hours, and many communities follow this; other long-standing customs, discussed by the Rema there and later authorities, are shorter. Follow your family’s custom, or ask a rabbi.
The inner dimension
The Ramban’s interpretation: the forbidden birds are birds of prey, and the Torah keeps us from absorbing their cruelty (Ramban on Vayikra 11:13).
This week, take one kosher step — no pork or shellfish.
These are general guidelines. Customs differ between communities, and for a personal question, ask a rabbi you trust.