Q&A: Anything That Comes from the Impure
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Anything That Comes from the Impure
Question
A somewhat strange question—I generally know the rule that “anything that comes from the impure is impure.” Based on that, what comes out of the human body is impure—so would it therefore be forbidden to “taste” (I did say this was a bit strange…) tears? And likewise with small children and other things they put in their mouths… Is that not kosher, just like pork?
Answer
Who said that a human being is impure? Simply speaking, human flesh is not among the forbidden foods (except according to Maimonides, who holds that one who eats it violates a positive commandment).
See also Nachmanides on Leviticus 11:3.