What can you tell me about bishul akum?

Question

What would be wrong with a non Jew preparing food for a Jew? Don't the Orthodox eat out? Why shouldn't Jews associate with non Jews?

Answer 1

You ask a lot of questions.

For cooked food to be kosher,a Jew must have played a part in its cooking.

That is just one of those rules that Jews obey.

I regard the nasty "joke" posted here by Eitan F as insulting.

As should any sensitive soul, including the asker.

.

Answer 2

It is a matter of keeping kosher.

If you keep kosher, you would want to eat food prepared by someone else who kept kosher.

The same goes for Jews who do not keep kosher: It's logical, really!

Answer 3

The key is not so much that a non-Jew may not light the fire as that a Jew must light the fire or otherwise participate in the cooking in a meaningful way in order to render the food kosher.

If a non-Jew cooked the food alone, without Jewish participation, the food as well as the utensils are not kosher and the utensils must be koshered.

Bishul akum is strictly a matter of keeping kosher..Am Jewish & have friends of all beliefs so don't understand your ?

If a Jew has supervised and assisted in the cooking of these foods, such as by lighting the fire of the oven or stirring the food, such food is considered bishul Yisrael and is permitted.

These laws affect many commercially prepared foods. Some supervising services write the words bishul Yisrael on their hechsher (Kosher certification).

Have a great nite, shalom

Answer 4

The kosher laws are rather complex.

But in order to be certifed kosher, prepared food must be prepared by Jews.

Answer 5

It's not a matter of who prepared the food, it's a matter of keeping kosher. In many kosher restaurants in Israel (there are many non-kosher restaurants too) the food is cooked by foreign workers, but there is a certain level of supervision that the food is kosher.

I don't know if it's relevant, but at least originally, "akum" meant "pagan" (literally - "worshipers of stars and signs"). I think most cooks don't 'qualify' for that title.