196

Not to cook meat and milk together

The Luchos - Ten Commandments
רֵאשִׁ֗ית בִּכּוּרֵי֙ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ תָּבִ֕יא בֵּ֖ית יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ - פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים
Exodus 23:19 - "The choicest of the first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the Lord, your God. You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk."

This Mitzvah's Summary

מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Kashrut – כַּשְׁרוּת

Forbidden to cook meat and milk together.

This mitzvah prohibits cooking meat and milk together in any form. Unlike the previous mitzvah (195), which forbids eating such mixtures, this prohibition applies to the very act of cooking them together, even if one does not intend to eat the result. The Torah repeats this law three times to stress its importance and establish the separate prohibitions of cooking, eating, and benefiting. This law embodies the Torah’s demand for separation and sanctity in all aspects of daily life.

Commentary & Classical Explanation:

  • Rambam (Hilchot Ma’achalot Asurot 9:1): States that the act of cooking meat and milk together is itself a Torah prohibition, distinct from eating or benefiting.
  • Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 113): The root is to instill discipline and separation in Israel’s diet, keeping Jews holy and distinct from surrounding nations.
  • Talmud (Chullin 115b): Derives from the three repetitions of the verse that cooking, eating, and benefiting are separate prohibitions.
(Source: Chabad.org)

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