Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000 20:06:29 -0500 (EST)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Kashrut

QUESTION: Vegans have many benefits. What does Judaism say about this

ANSWER:
I just wanted to add the small point that under strict Jewish law it is
prohibited to be a vegan 100% of the time (Vs 90%) of the time.

More specifically according to Jewish law people **must** eat sacrificial
meat on the following occasions (a) Pascal lamb (b) the 3 festival
sacrifices (c) thanksgiving peace offerings which are offered when one is
saved form grave danger (like surviving an accident).

Please do not misunderstand this---this does not apply today since we do
not have a Temple. Also, there is no (legal) objection to being a vegan on
weekdays during the rest of the year (95% of the time).

In summary while I have no objection to speaking about the benefits of
being a vegan nevertheless one must acknowledge the need to occasionally
have meat.  I close with the famous Biblical verse Dt 12:20 "When ever you
desire to eat meat do so"

Russell Hendel; phd ASA
Moderator Rashi Is Simple, http://www.shamash.org/rashi/