kosher def / Ant, Translation

Question

Halal means, from wiki, "permissible" and haram means "forbidden". However, what I've seen them used for in the lives of people that are spiritual is more like "wholesome" and "unwholesome", although it's definitely more like "(un)wholesome according to God". For example, it's permissible to cross the street, but it isn't Halal to cross the street (maybe it's literally halal but not Halal). :) Anyways, I wanted to check on a few things w.r.t. Hebrew: Firstly, what is the exact definition of Kosher, and is that word used to also mean something akin to "wholesome"? Is Kosher analogous to Halal? Secondly, what word is the antonym (opposite) of Kosher? And thirdly, is there a more suitable word for Kosher or Halal in English than "wholesome"? If you really want to dig into the western philosophical tradition Good is good enough, but ... I'm looking for something more specifically religious or spiritual. Maybe, "harmonious"? :) Anyways, sorry to start with the Arabic stuff, as I know that's not your thing here, but I just can't reach from English to Hebrew without providing that example.

Answer 1

There are several different definitions, both secular and religious to the word Kosher. Secularly, it means genuine and legitimate. In Judaism however, Kosher is similar to Hallal. People who are Hallal, for example, will eat Kosher meat, but people who keep kosher will not eat Hallal meat. Kashrut, the noun form of kosher, are the dietary restrictions many Jews follow. On the basic level, this pertains to meats and dairy. For meat, the animal it comes from must chew its cud and have split hooves, so pigs are a main example of something that is not Kosher, or in Yiddish, traif. For fish, people who keep Kosher will not eat bottom dweller. They will eat fish that has both fins and gills. For all other products, they must have a hechser, a simple proving that this item is Kosher. In order to obtain a hechser, a certified person, usually a rabbi, must watch over the food. The only thing that does not need a hechser are fruits and vegetables.