Food Laws
Mackerel and "scale" debate
by P. Bennett "These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the rivers, them shall ye eat" (Lev.11:9). The mackerel is directly responsible for this series of articles (those written by P. Bennett - Keith Hunt). As a child I was taught that the mackerel was unclean.....By some, the mackerel was claimed to be a scavenger, and they re-enforced their claim by pointing out that this was the reason why mackerel does not keep well. There was a period in my life when I greatly enjoyed sea fishing. During the summer months there was the thrill of fishing for the larger fish, such as tope spurdog and possibly the occasional blue shark. The bait used to lure these fish was always fresh mackerel. As we steamed for the deep water fishing grounds all eyes would search for the telltale signs of feeding mackerel. Then would come a hectic five minutes as six rods brought aboard strings of writhing mackerel. In a short time the bait boxes would be full and as we continued out journey, came the task of cleaning up. As the mackerel thrashed around the decks, scales were shed everywhere. Since it appeared clear to me that mackerel had both fins and scales, were we correct to exclude it from our diets? Were we correct to label it as a scavenger? The mackerel is of genuine 'Scomber" and is closely related to the tunny, which end up on our table as tuna. The mackerel enters the waters around our southern and western coasts (Bennett is writing from the British Isles - Keith Hunt) during the warm summer months, where they follow and feed upon the shoals of sprats, white bait and other small fish. They are in the main, top and middle surface eaters, and cannot be described as scavengers. The mackerel is designed for speed in order to catch its pray. It has been claimed that, weight for weight, it is the fastest fish in the sea. Be that as it may, it is interesting to note that in order for the mackerel to sustain its great speeds, it has a blood temperature that is higher than most fish and the muscles in its body receive a far greater amount of blood. Also, the nervous system of the mackerel is more complete than in other species. These factors may help to explain why this fish deteriorates more rapidly, especially when exposed to the sun's heat for long periods before being landed. Although it seemed to me that mackerel fell within God's definition of clean fish, conformation was necessary. Both the Zoological Society and the Natural History Museum stated that mackerel has both fins and scales. During my fishing trips I have also caught plaice, dab, flounder and on the odd occasion, sole. Although these fish obviously have fins, it is not so obvious that they have scales. However, the two above mentioned bodies also confirm that they do have scales. The orthodox Jew also considers these fish as 'kosher.' When I wrote for confirmation of this fact. I was informed that as a general guideline, a Jew can eat all fish with fins, scales and a backbone. The inclusion of backbone appears to be a Talmudic addition. However it does help to distinguish those fish of the group Actinopterygii (bony fish) from those of group Elasmobranches (cartilage fish), which groups includes the skate, and the dogfish, (which is eaten as rock salmon). Also from the class Marsipobranchii (jawless vertebrates) which includes lampreys and hagfish. The command to eat only fish having both fins and scales would appear to be straightforward, and uncomplicated. HOWEVER, in this age when so many SCIENTISTS and TEACHERS openly SCORN the fact that God created all living creatures as separate beings, BUT RATHER WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE in the theory of EVOLUTION, there is another THREAT to OUR teachings. In simple terms, the NEW breed of marine biologist TEACHES that ALL fish, of whatever group, have SCALES. These scales, they claim, range from the PLACIOD scale of the shark to the THIN flexible and transparent types found on the cod and herring. Some scales, they claim, such as those on the EEL, are so minute they can only be seen through a MICROSCOPE. Other scales, during evolution, have become ENLARGED, FUSED together with others, or become modified for special use, as in the sword of the swordfish, and the thorns of the thornback rays, or the spines of the dogfish. To the orthodox Jew, such teachings present little difficulty, as his definition, as already mentioned, excludes these because they lack a bony skeleton or backbone. Are we able to answer these assertions which in effect claim ALL fish to be clean, especially as these claims are made at a time when the Muslim religion is influencing western thought, and culture? To the Muslim, ALL fish, including shellfish can be eaten. END of P. Bennett's article (all captial letter words were mine for emphasis - Keith Hunt) Now, we have yet one more argument that I had never heard of until May 2003. The argument goes like this: The food laws of Israel under Moses were never really food laws at all, but laws to make Israel different than other nations, and make then a holy special people, set apart from other nations. I guess God giving out such laws somehow meant to God.....something, well to Him it made them holy in some way to observe these "eating restrictions" shall we then call them. Of course such a thought and such a teaching means that there never was any real food laws of vegetation, animals, insects, birds, fish, AT ALL EVER, and so there is none today, as the days of Moses and ancient B.C. Israel are over with. Well of course, against such an argument there is no real answer per se, for it is a complete "other way" of theological reading of the Bible, just as the Jehovah Witnesses read the verses about the literal return of Jesus in a way that for them there is no Bible teaching that Jesus will return in a literal way. GOD did not give the fish food laws based upon having a microscope to detect if a fish has scales. It was and is the human eye and the touch; scales are scales hence easy to see and feel. There are plenty of fish in the waters and sea that obviously have fins and scale.
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