Pork is one of the most popular meats around the world, valued for its taste, versatility, and affordability. However for Jews who follow Kashrut (Jewish dietary laws), pork is not kosher and therefore avoided. This raises the question – do Messianic Jews who combine elements of both Judaism and Christianity, eat pork or abstain from it?
What are Messianic Jews?
Messianic Judaism is a religious movement that merges elements of Judaism with the belief that Jesus is the Messiah. Messianic Jews observe Jewish holidays, read the Torah, worship in congregations, and follow certain aspects of the Law of Moses. However, they believe that Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures.
There are approximately 350,000 Messianic Jews worldwide, with over 200 congregations in the United States alone. Messianic Judaism began in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Jesus movement, attracting both Jewish and non-Jewish followers.
Kosher Laws in Judaism
In Judaism, kosher dietary laws are based on biblical commandments regarding what foods are permissible to eat. These laws are laid out in detail in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, and forbid the consumption of certain animals like pigs, shellfish, birds of prey and others.
Over the centuries, rabbis expanded on these biblical food laws to derive a comprehensive set of kosher rules and regulations Keeping kosher became an important part of Jewish identity and a way to fulfill the commandment to be holy.
Pork, in particular, is singled out as prohibited for consumption in Leviticus 11 7-8 This biblical injunction against pork has been strictly observed by Jews for thousands of years
Do Messianic Jews Follow Kashrut?
When it comes to kosher dietary laws, Messianic Jews have a range of perspectives and practices. Here are some of the most common approaches:
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Full adherence to kosher laws – Some Messianic Jews follow traditional kosher rules fully, avoiding pork, shellfish, mixing meat and dairy, and only eating kosher-certified foods. They adhere to rabbinic extensions of biblical kosher regulations.
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Biblical kosher only – Others only avoid biblically forbidden foods like pork, shellfish, birds of prey etc. But they do not follow the additional fences and rabbinic regulations around preparing meat, separating dairy, etc.
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No pork, shellfish only – Many Messianic Jews do not keep full kosher, but still abstain from pork and shellfish as a nod to their Jewish heritage. They will eat dairy and meat together.
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No dietary restrictions – Some Messianic Jews do not follow any kosher dietary restrictions at all, eating all foods freely like mainstream Christians.
Reasons Why Messianic Jews May Abstain from Pork
There are several reasons why many Messianic Jews continue to avoid pork, even if they do not adhere to full traditional kosher laws:
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Jewish identity – Abstaining from pork is an important part of Jewish identity passed down for generations. Avoiding such a central “non-kosher” food is a way to stay connected to their heritage.
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Evangelism – Some Messianic Jews may keep basic biblical kosher rules like avoiding pork to remove barriers when evangelizing to Jews. Keeping some kosher laws helps Jews listen to their message about Jesus.
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Obedience – Some may see value in continuing to obey the biblical commandment against pork, even if rabbinic regulations are not followed.
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Health – Pork was forbidden in the Bible partly due to health concerns that still remain relevant today. Some may avoid pork for health reasons.
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Conviction – Others may refrain from pork out of personal spiritual convictions, regardless of Jewish identity or evangelism.
What Does the New Testament Say?
While the Hebrew scriptures clearly prohibit pork, the New Testament offers little direct instruction about dietary laws. Passages like Mark 7:1-23, Acts 10:9-16, and 1 Corinthians 8 seem to free Christians from strict adherence to kosher laws.
However, there is diversity even among mainstream Christians, with some denominations like Seventh Day Adventists promoting Old Testament dietary restrictions. So for Messianic Jews who identify as both Jewish and Christian, avoiding pork can be seen as a matter of personal choice.
So the question “do Messianic Jews eat pork?” does not have a simple yes or no answer. For some Messianic Jews, pork is off limits as part of their Jewish identity and obedience to biblical commandments. For others, dietary restrictions have been rendered unnecessary by the New Covenant. But pork avoidance does remain common among those who walk the narrow path between Judaism and Christianity.
1 Kashrut: Decisions & Commentary
All fruits, grains and vegetables are kosher. Fish with fins and scales are also kosher.
These basic laws of kashrut are first enjoined in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. The story of Noah, on the other hand, already shows the difference between animals that are tahor (ritually pure) and those that are not. Genesis 9:3 says that Noah and his family can eat any animal, but Genesis 8:20 says that only tahor animals can be sacrificed. As a holy nation set apart for Hashem from all the other nations, Israel is told to limit the number of animals it eats so that its table can be like the temple altar.
Many people have said that these dietary rules are good for your health, but the Torah says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44; see also Deuteronomy 14:2).
The vision Peter had in Acts 10 makes it sound like all the nations of the world are now being asked to share Israel’s holiness without becoming less like their own countries. Therefore, they may now become holy, like Israel, without adopting Israels dietary regimen. But Acts 10 doesn’t mean that Israel can’t fulfill its own priestly calling in a way that’s different from that.
The traditional dispute over swordfish and sturgeon concerns the status of their scales. Ramban says that the Torah only talks about fish scales that can be taken off of the skin. The scales of the swordfish and sturgeon can be removed from the skin, but only with difficulty. Thus, Orthodox authorities generally regard these fish as non-kosher, whereas the Conservative movement has ruled them kosher.
This dispute also affects the kashrut of caviar, which is derived from sturgeon.
On the prohibition of meat from the hind quarters of permitted four-legged animals, see decision 3.1.3.3.
“Some substances that come from animals are chemically treated in such a way that they can no longer be thought of as meat products.” This is the case with both gelatin and rennet, which Conservative authorities have ruled are kosher. ” (S. Dresner, Keeping Kosher [United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, 2000], 63. ).
If you want to follow a mitzvah, like getting circumcised, getting married, having kiddush, or saying havdalah, you should only use kosher wine (Dresner, 64). The fact that the wine was made by Jews and that Jewish religious leaders watched over the process makes the event even more holy.
All people are told not to eat blood in Genesis 9:4 and again in Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25. This rule is given when people are first allowed to eat meat (Genesis 9:3). Permission to eat meat is a concession to the violence that precipitated the flood (Genesis 6:11, 13). The one universal food rule that says you can’t eat blood comes right after the one that says you can’t murder (Genesis 9:5–6), which means shedding human blood. Thus, this universal dietary law expresses the biblical value of reverence for life.
It is striking that all carnivorous animals are ritually impure, according to Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. There are rules that say no one should eat animal blood, but Israel needs to go even further. It needs to stay away from the meat of animals that eat other animals’ blood. In this way the value of reverence for life is doubly reinforced.
Along with many other universal commandments, the one that says you shouldn’t eat blood is not what we call a “basic practice” because it is not just a Jewish rule. All people who believe in Yeshua should want to follow this commandment, so they should avoid eating blood as much as possible.
Ezekiel 33:25 makes it clear that eating blood is wrong. The prophet speaks out against it on behalf of Hashem, saying, “You eat with the blood” (which probably means, “You eat meat with the blood in it”). Thus, Jews must purge meat of blood to the extent that this can be reasonably accomplished. This is done through kosher slaughter and additional measures.
Usually, shechitah only means the kosher killing of an animal. But in this case, the word is used more broadly to refer to both the kosher killing (which is done by a shochet) and the processing and preparation of the meat (which is done by a butcher). This is called “porging,” and it involves (1) getting rid of any blood that is still there after “shechitah,” (2) getting rid of fats that are forbidden by the Torah (Leviticus 3:17), and (3) getting rid of the sciatic nerve, as Genesis 32:33 says must be done (see below). As Messianic Jews, we should respect the institution of shechitah because it is clearly based on the Written Torah. We should also try to buy meat that has been slaughtered and packaged under reliable kosher supervision if at all possible.
For a detailed description of the process of salting and boiling, see Klein, 350-57.
Liver requires broiling because of the preponderance of blood in it.
“Liver can only be koshered by broiling because it has too much blood in it. It shouldn’t be soaked.” Even if liver is to be cooked in some other way, it must first be broiled. ” (Dresner, 62).
According to our basic rules, the following cuts are fine: Chuck, Rib and Ribeye, Shank and Brisket, Skirt and Flank. London Broil (when it comes from the shoulder), Cubed Steak, and Ground Beef (when they don’t have any parts from the back) are also allowed.
Steaks like Top Loin (Strip or Shell), T-Bone, Porterhouse, Tenderloin, Sirloin, Tri-Tip, and Round should not be eaten. (London Broil from the Bottom or Top Rounds are likewise to be avoided. ).
The angel who wrestled with Jacob “wrenched Jacobs hip at its socket” (Genesis 32:26). To this day, the children of Israel don’t eat the thigh muscle that is on the socket of the hip (Genesis 32:33), because this is how the Torah says they remember what happened: “That’s why the children of Israel do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the socket of the hip.” A kosher butcher must cut out the sciatic nerve as part of this dietary restriction, which is still a Jewish custom. Chullin 7:1-6). It is common in the diaspora to set aside the hindquarters and sell them to non-Jews because this process is very hard to do, even for a trained kosher butcher.
It is against the law to eat kosher meat or be a vegetarian, and if we buy meat from an allowed animal from somewhere else, we should avoid meat from the hindquarters because it goes against Genesis 32:33.
As believers, should we be eating pork?
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