Bishul Yisrael (literally " cooking of Israel" - i.e., by a Jew) is a Hebrew term for one of the laws of kashrut in

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

. The rule prohibits eating certain foods if they are cooked exclusively by non-Jews. The term is the opposite of ''bishul akum'' (cooking of a non-Jew), which the rule forbids. ''Akum'' (עכו"ם) is an acronym of ''Ovdey Kochavim U'Mazalot'' (עובדי כוכבים ומזלות), literally "worshippers of stars and

zodiac signs In Western astrology, astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the First Point of Aries, which is the vernal equinox. ...

", but is actually a term for non-Jews). This rule is part of a set of

decrees A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

instituted by the rabbis of the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

to prevent intermarriages with non-Jews. The prohibition of ''bishul akum'' applies to a formal meal prepared exclusively by non-Jews, even if the situation was one which had no other kosher food problems. The prohibition applies only if the food is prepared ''exclusively'' by non-Jews. A small amount of Jewish participation can suffice to keep the food kosher. Different rabbis have different views on the absolute minimum: Sephardi

poskim In Jewish law, a ''Posek'' ( he, פוסק , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the position of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities a ...

state that the minimum participation is to light the fire and place the pot on it to cook, while Ashkenazim are satisfied with merely lighting the fire, or even making a slight adjustment to a fire which was already lit by a non-Jew. The law applies only to foods which, according to the

, are "fit for a king's table" and are not generally eaten raw. Foods which would not be served at a state dinner are exempt from ''bishul akum'', and are kosher even if cooked totally by non-Jews, provided that all the other requirements of kosher food are met.

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Tora ...

explains that this prohibition was originally decreed in order to avoid a Jew being invited over by a non-Jew for a meal (which may lead to intermarriage), and people do not invite each other for dinner over food which is not "fit for a King's table" (Maimonides, Ma'akhalot Asurot 17:15). In contemporary observance, ''

mashgichim A mashgiach ( he, משגיח, "supervisor"; , ''mashgichim'') or mashgicha (pl. ''mashgichot'') is a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment. Mashgichim may supervise any type of food service establishment, including sl ...

'', along with supervising food preparation, typically help start the stove and/or provide other participation in the cooking sufficient to ensure that the rule of ''bishul Yisrael'' is complied with.

References

External links

OUKosher.org: Aish M'aish: Bishul Yisroel
{{Kashrut Kosher food Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law Cooking

See also

References

External links