Take the 2-minute tour ×

As a ben Noach, I watch what meat I eat. I eat kosher or halal cut meat only. However, I think that bnei Noach aren't forbidden from eating pig meat or shellfish.

How would I make sure that such meat is kosher for bnei Noach? Would it be as simple as just making sure the limbs of the animal are intact upon slaughter?

Since bnei Noach food is mostly a superset of Jewish kashrut, I would think most kashrut and shechita laws pertain only to Jewish laws and that it wouldn't focus on bnei Noach shechita laws as much or at all(sadly).

I personally indirectly solve this by staying away from pig meat, but technically I would think I could consume pig meat. Same thing with shellfish, etc.

share|improve this question
TTBOMK, you can eat any meat of any dead animal. –  Shmuel Brin Aug 17 '12 at 22:09
i didn't mark it a duplicate, just a resource -- the answer provided makes a statement about what a B"N needs to be concerned about in terms of meat –  Danno Aug 17 '12 at 22:14
@EhevuTov The condition is between shechting and the end of the death rattle: kosher for Jews but not for non-Jews. –  Double AA Aug 17 '12 at 22:22
Part of the information you are interested in is discussed in the Shulchan Aruch code of law (SA YD 27) and its commentaries. According to Noahide law, one may not partake of an animal before that animal is dead. Even when that animal subsequently dies, that part removed before death is forbidden. –  YDK Aug 29 '12 at 18:28
An exception to that rule is when a one can piggy-back (no pun intended) on a Jewish permit. Since the Jewish permit for eating an animal is slaughter, not death, a kosher slaughtering would render the animal permitted and allow removal of a limb even before death (though as a technical rule, one may not eat it until the animal dies).The condition of this ruling is that the animal must be a kosher animal to which the laws of slaughtering apply, and the slaughtering must be done according to Jewish law. –  YDK Aug 29 '12 at 18:28

4 Answers 4

This is a great question that highlights the differences between the halachah for a ben Noach and the halachah for Am Yisrael.

I think that it is worthwhile to ask this question l'maaseh to a posek who has some familiarity with the laws for the bnei Noach but...

While it might seem that it is safest to purchase kosher meat to avoid any issue of ever min haChai (the prohibition against eating a limb from a living animal, the "kashrus" issue for B'nei Noach), it is not clear that this is automatically the case. According to some authorities although a Jew is permitted to eat meat taken subsequent to the two simanim (signs) of shechita (slaughter) being severed, while it remains prohibited to a ben Noach as long as the animal moves (Rambam in the Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Melachim 9:12,13, the footnote in the Moznaim English translation explains that the Rashba and others rule that a non-Jew is not liable in the circumstance where a Jew isn't based on Hullin 121b).

Practically however, State and Federal laws in the United States regarding slaughter would prevent commercially produced meat from being taken while an animal is still alive. Although I'm not sure we can apply concepts such as Rov or Chazakah in the framework of the Sheva Mitzvos B'nei Noach, nevertheless it seems to me reasonable that one can rely on the government in this situation insofar as they are effectively exercising their obligation to set up "court" which prevent taking an "ever min haChai". As such it would seem permissible for a B'nei Noach to purchase pork sold commercially in the stores. Furthermore the Rambam rules (ibid 10:1) that with the exception of murder a non-Jew is not liable for an inadvertent transgression (b'shogaig).

With regard to shellfish it would not seem to be a concern because it is not clear that the prohibition applies to fish at all. The Rambam understands the prohibition as not applying to poultry/fowl (ibid 9:11). Though the Rava'ad (see Moznaim ibid) disagrees, he exempts a sheretz (creeping creature), and it is would seem seafood is just out of the equation. Additionally shellfish are often sold live, whole, or effectively whole/clearly "slaughtered". If there is reason to be concerned about ever min haChai regarding seafood it shouldn't be difficult obtaining seafood whose suitability is evident.

share|improve this answer

as a ben Noach, you don't need shchita. all you need is the animal completely dead.
any way, you can't do shechita to a pig, simply because his anatomy is different.
about shell fish, I think they are just fish, and there for you don't need to be shochet them even if you are jewish.

share|improve this answer
What aspect of the pig's anatomy would prevent one from slicing its throat? –  Double AA Aug 29 '12 at 16:13
I don't think shellfish are fish, but sheretz hayam. –  YDK Aug 29 '12 at 18:22

I actually would disagree that NO dietary laws are required for Bnei Noach, for as I read, the Torah states, "every living thing THAT MOVES...shall be food for you, etc."; therefore, there may be implied a prohibition against the consumption of true shell-fish, meaning those which live within actual shells, and are immobile, i.e. do not move; ex. mollusks (clams, oysters, mussels, avelone, etc.), and also see a clear prohibition against not simply the limb from a living animal(which I see no actual prohibition against, though it is clearly understood that this would be prohibited simply by reason of even the morality of the average Gentile), rather the prohibition is more akin to the tradition maintained by Halal of the Muslims, being the prohibition of eating red(living cells, filled with LIVING bacteria and viruses), un-drained, uncooked bloods. There are also deeper levels of interpretation that allude to the "food" of "supernal Torah", and the prohibition against "using for food", encapsulated parts of the Torah (shell-fish) as a means of spiritual nourishment. If one wishes to be "fit" for HaShem's Kingdom, one must "eat" from only those "living things" that may be found "moving" throughout the T"N"K" entire...i.e. one may not pick and choose from the parts one likes, removing them from their original context; and this applies to "foods" that "move" along the face of the ground, that is the clear, and literal reading of the Torah(Peshat), as well as those that one has to go "fishing" for, in the deep waters of the supernal Torah(Sod).

share|improve this answer
What about plants? –  Shmuel Brin Feb 5 at 3:14
Where does it say that non-Jews can't eat blood. Blood moves –  Shmuel Brin Feb 5 at 17:52

There are only seven laws in the torah that non-jews (gentiles / benei noach) must follow . the rest ONLY apply to jews.

example : theft, murder..etc.

share|improve this answer
Ya, and one of them is Ever min haChai. Do you know if the shellfish are processed before they die? –  Double AA May 10 '13 at 21:10
I'm sorry but it seems you don't understand. If someone rips a piece of the animal off for packaging lets say before the animal dies, the piece remains forbidden even later. This can be an issue with larger mammals that the machines start taking the animal apart before it has stopped twitching. I assure you I know nothing of standard industrial shellfish packaging procedures, but if you do please inform me. –  Double AA May 13 '13 at 15:34
the typical procedure would be to kill them first, thus unless otherwise stated, we must assume that the responcibilities have been carried out correctly by the food providers. Furthermore, as long as you are not aware that it is a common practice by the suppling company to not comply with rules, you can eat all of their products. There is NO KOSHER laws for non jews, so eat all the pig and shellfish you like, as long as the animal is not breathing anymore –  Ess Kay May 13 '13 at 16:01
Do you mind my asking how you know so much about the industrial meat industry that we should trust you? (After that we can discuss how you know bittul berov applies to non Jews.) –  Double AA May 13 '13 at 16:03
I do IT for multiple large scale food industries and at times venture through their processessing plants. Does that qualify? –  Ess Kay May 13 '13 at 16:11

Your Answer


