Q 01/05

What does the word 'kosher' literally mean?

A) Chosen

B) Fit

C) Blessed

D) Holy

Answer · why

B) Fit

Fit: the Hebrew kasher means fit or proper, which is why English slang later borrowed 'kosher' for anything legitimate or above board.

Q 02/05

What is the Yiddish-derived word for non-kosher food?

A) Nevelah

B) Chametz

C) Treif

D) Pasul

Answer · why

C) Treif

Treif comes from the Hebrew for 'torn': the Torah forbids meat from an animal torn by wild beasts, and the word stretched to cover all non-kosher food...

Q 03/05

Which two books of the Torah supply most of the basic laws of kashrut?

A) Exodus and Numbers

B) Leviticus and Deuteronomy

C) Genesis and Exodus

D) Numbers and Deuteronomy

Answer · why

B) Leviticus and Deuteronomy

Leviticus and Deuteronomy list the permitted animals but give no reasons for most of the rules, so some scholars class the food laws as chukim, decree...

Q 04/05

Which of these animals is kosher because it has split hooves and chews the cud?

A) Horse

B) Rabbit

C) Deer

D) Camel

Answer · why

C) Deer

Deer pass both tests, but like cattle they must be slaughtered by hand to be kosher, so venison shot in the wild is off the table.

Q 05/05

Why specifically is the pig excluded as non-kosher?

A) It eats meat

B) It has no horns

C) It does not chew the cud

D) It has no cloven hooves

Answer · why

C) It does not chew the cud

It does not chew the cud, though the pig does have split hooves; a midrash pictures it lying down with its hooves stretched out, as if to say 'See, I ...