Bishul Yisrael (literally "
cooking
Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to Outline of food preparation, prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric ...
of Israel" - i.e., by a Jew) is a
Hebrew term for one of the laws of
kashrut
(also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
in
Judaism. 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 instituted by the rabbis of the
Talmud 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 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
Talmud, 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 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'', 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.][
]
See also
* Chalav Yisrael
* Kosher foods
Kosher foods are foods that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of ''kashrut'' (dietary law). The laws of ''kashrut'' apply to food derived from living creatures and kosher foods are restricted to certain types of mammals, birds and fish m ...
* Kosher wine
Kosher wine () is wine that is produced in accordance with ''halakha'', and more specifically '' kashrut'', such that Jews will be permitted to pronounce blessings over and drink it. This is an important issue, since wine is used in several Jew ...
* Pas Yisroel
References
External links
OUKosher.org: Aish M'aish: Bishul Yisroel
{{Kashrut
Kosher food
Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law
Cooking