Q&A: The Kashrut of Locusts
The Kashrut of Locusts
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I know that the Rabbi is careful about eating meat or eggs for ethical reasons. Today the world is moving in the direction of insects, and they are already being marketed in supermarkets in the Western world.
I saw that recently there is awareness of this issue in the Haredi world as well, and Rabbi Machpud is “marketing” it.
What do you think?
1. Is only someone who has a tradition permitted to eat them (a friend of mine says that they ate them in Morocco, for example)? It seems to me that everyone is permitted; the tradition helps identify the permitted species, but if on the Torah level it is permitted, then why not?
2. How does it work in practice? After all, there is no ritual slaughter, no meat and milk… so do you just buy the permitted species and eat them?
Thanks and best regards,
Abraham
Some material I found:
Click to access 2016-chagavim-ashkenaz-Kapach.pdf
Click to access %D7%90%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%9B%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA.pdf
צפו: הרב יהודה מחפוד בשיעור המחשה לכשרות החגבים לפי מסורת תימן – לרגל פרשת שמיני
Answer
The issue of tradition appears in the halakhic decisors, but I have never understood why it is relevant. As with anything else, we have reasoning and can decide accordingly. Someone who is unsure can use tradition for assistance.
If in your view it is permitted and you think their identification is correct, then bon appétit.
I did not understand the question about ritual slaughter and meat and milk. You correctly wrote that with locusts none of that applies, so what is the problem?
Of course, animal suffering still remains a consideration. I wrote only regarding kashrut.