Food and dietary laws

When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten.

You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten; it is to be burned up. As for any other meat, anyone who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

But take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. This is what you are to eat during the 390 days you lie on your side.

Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg?

Have we no right to food and to drink?

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.

“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

It is taught in a baraita: One who vows that milk is forbidden to him is permitted to partake of whey. One who vows that whey is forbidden to him is permitted to partake of milk. One who vows that milk is forbidden to him is permitted to eat cheese. One who vows that cheese is forbidden to him is permitted to partake of milk. One who vows that gravy is forbidden to him is permitted to eat sediments of boiled meat. One who vows that sediments of boiled meat are forbidden to him is permitted to eat gravy. If one said: This piece of meat is hereby forbidden to me, he is prohibited from eating it, and from its gravy, and from its sediments.

One who vows that vinegar is forbidden to him is permitted to partake of vinegar of late grapes, as vinegar is typically made from wine. One who vows that leeks are forbidden to him is permitted to eat kaflutot, a type of leek. One who vows that vegetables are forbidden to him is permitted to eat wild field vegetables, as this type of vegetable has a modifier and is not referred to by the unspecified term vegetable.

MISHNA: In the case of one who vows that cooked foods are forbidden to him, he is permitted to eat roasted and boiled foods, as they are not defined as cooked. If one said: Cooked food is konam for me, and for that reason I will not taste it, he is prohibited from tasting a loose cooked food but is permitted to taste a thick one, which people do not generally refer to as a cooked food. And he is likewise permitted to eat a turemuta egg and the remutza gourd, as they are not considered cooked foods either. In the case of one who vows that food cooked in a dish is forbidden to him, he is prohibited from deriving benefit only from food that is cooked by boiling it in a dish. However, if one said: That which enters into a dish is konam for me, and for that reason I will not taste it, he is prohibited from tasting anything cooked in a dish.

Forbidden unto you (for food) are carrion and blood and swineflesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by (the goring of) horns, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by the death-stroke), and that which hath been immolated unto idols. And (forbidden is it) that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination. This day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear Me! This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam. Whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful

Say: I find not in that which is revealed unto me aught prohibited to an eater that he eat thereof, except it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or swineflesh - for that verily is foul - or the abomination which was immolated to the name of other than Allah. But whoso is compelled (thereto), neither craving nor transgressing, (for him) lo! thy Lord is Forgiving, Merciful

All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful

Narrated Abu Tha'alba: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited the eating of donkey's meat. Narrated Az-Zuhri: The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited the eating of beasts having fangs

Narrated Anas: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the sale of date fruits till they were ripe. Abu ʿAbdullah (Al-Bukhari) said, "That means till they were red (can be eaten) Narrated Jabir bin ʿAbdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the sale of (date) fruits till they were red or yellow and fit for eating

Narrated Jabir bin ʿAbdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) had forbidden the sale of fruits till they were ripe (free from blight)

The food that people enjoy is also threefold, like the ways of sacrifice, austerity, and almsgiving. Listen to the distinction. The foods that prolong life, increase purity, vigour, health, cheerfulness, and happiness are those that are delicious, soothing, substantial, and agreeable; these are loved by the pure. Those in whom passion is dominant like foods that are bitter, sour, salty, overly hot, pungent, dry, and burning. These produce unhappiness, repentance, and disease. The ignorant love food that is stale, not nourishing, putrid, and corrupt; the leftovers of others, and unclean.

There are two aspects in Nature: the perishable and the imperishable. All life in this world belongs to the former, while the unchanging element belongs to the latter.

All creatures are the product of food; food is the product of rain; rain comes from sacrifice, and sacrifice is the noblest form of action.

Yama said: Ask for sons and grandsons who shall live a hundred years, many cattle, elephants, gold and horses. Ask for lands of vast extent and live thyself as many autumns as thou desirest. If thou thinkest of any other boon equal to this, ask for wealth and long life; be ruler over the wide earth. O Nachiketas, I shall make thee enjoyer of all desires. Whatsoever objects of desire are difficult to obtain in the realm of mortals, ask them all as thou desirest; these lovely maidens with their chariots and musical instruments, such as are not obtainable by mortals--be served by these whom I give to thee. O Nachiketas, do not ask regarding death.

Who then can know where is this mighty Self? He (that Self) to whom the Brahmanas and Kshatriyas are but food and death itself a condiment.

Yama said: O Brahmana! Revered guest! My salutations to thee. As thou hast remained three nights in my house without food, therefore choose three boons, O Brahmana.

Restraint of the eye is good; good is restraint of the ear; restraint of the nose is good; good is restraint of the tongue. Restraint of the body is good; good is restraint of speech; restraint of mind is good; everywhere, restraint is good. The mendicant restrained everywhere is released from all suffering.

Weeds are the bane of crops, but hate is these folk’s bane. That’s why a gift to one rid of hate is so very fruitful. Weeds are the bane of crops, but delusion is these folk’s bane. That’s why a gift to one rid of delusion is so very fruitful. Weeds are the bane of crops, but desire is these folk’s bane. That’s why a gift to one rid of desire is so very fruitful.

Practice absorption, don’t be negligent! Don’t let the mind delight in the senses! Don’t heedlessly swallow a hot iron ball! And when it burns, don’t cry, “Oh, the pain!”

They refrain from injuring plants and seeds. They eat in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night and food at the wrong time. They refrain from seeing shows of dancing, singing, and music. They refrain from attiring and adorning themselves with garlands, fragrance, and makeup. They refrain from high and luxurious beds. They refrain from receiving gold and currency, raw grains, raw meat, women and girls, male and female bondservants, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, elephants, cows, horses, and mares, and fields and land. They refrain from running errands and messages; buying and selling; falsifying weights, metals, or measures; bribery, fraud, cheating, and duplicity; mutilation, murder, abduction, banditry, plunder, and violence. This pertains to their ethics. The shorter section on ethics is complete.

They refrain from injuring plants and seeds. They eat in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night and food at the wrong time. They refrain from seeing shows of dancing, singing, and music. They refrain from attiring and adorning themselves with garlands, fragrance, and makeup. They refrain from high and luxurious beds. They refrain from receiving gold and currency, raw grains, raw meat, women and girls, male and female bondservants, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, elephants, cows, horses, and mares, and fields and land. They refrain from running errands and messages; buying and selling; falsifying weights, metals, or measures; bribery, fraud, cheating, and duplicity; mutilation, murder, abduction, banditry, plunder, and violence.

“The good eat properly obtained millet, wild grains, broomcorn, greens, tubers, and grapes. They don’t lie to get what they want. But when you eat delicious food, nicely cooked and prepared, and offered by others, enjoying a dish of fine rice, Kassapa, you eat putrefaction. ‘Putrefaction is not appropriate for me’— so you said, O brahmin only by kin. Yet here you are enjoying a dish of fine rice, well prepared with the flesh of fowl. I’m asking you this, Kassapa: what do you take to be putrefaction?”

First Mehl : To take what rightfully belongs to another, is like a Muslim eating pork, or a Hindu eating beef. Our Guru, our Spiritual Guide, stands by us, if we do not eat those carcasses. By mere talk, people do not earn passage to Heaven. Salvation comes only from the practice of Truth. By adding spices to forbidden foods, they are not made acceptable. O Nanak, from false talk, only falsehood is obtained. ||2||

In the flesh we are conceived, and in the flesh we are born; we are vessels of flesh. You know nothing of spiritual wisdom and meditation, even though you call yourself clever, O religious scholar. Meat is allowed in the Puraanas, meat is allowed in the Bible and the Koran. Throughout the four ages, meat has been used. It is featured in sacred feasts and marriage festivities; meat is used in them. Women, men, kings and emperors originate from meat. If you see them going to hell, then do not accept charitable gifts from them. The giver goes to hell, while the receiver goes to heaven - look at this injustice.

O Baba, the pleasures of other foods are false. Eating them, the body is ruined, and wickedness and corruption enter into the mind. ||1||Pause|| My mind is imbued with the Lord's Love; it is dyed a deep crimson. Truth and charity are my white clothes. Erasing the blackness of sin is my wearing of blue clothes, and meditation on the Lord's Lotus Feet is my robe of honor. Contentment is my cummerbund, Your Name is my wealth and youth. ||2||

Colour’s five hues from th’ eyes their sight will take; / Music’s five notes the ears as deaf can make; / The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste; / The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste / Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange, / Sought for, men’s conduct will to evil change. Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who stretches his legs does not walk (easily). (So), he who displays himself does not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self-conceited has no superiority allowed to him. Such conditions, viewed from the standpoint of the Tao, are like remnants of food, or a tumour on the body, which all dislike. Hence those who pursue (the course) of the Tao do not adopt and allow them.

When the Tao prevails in the world, they send back their swift horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Tao is disregarded in the world, the warhorses breed in the border lands. There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one’s lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting. Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.