[Sca-cooks] shatnez stuff

[Stefan li Rous]

Guenievre answered Olwen with:
> > I never knew there were kosher laws about materials.  How very 
> interesting.
> > Now I have one more thing to put on my list of stuff to find
> > out more about.>   Thanks.
> > Olwen
>
> The rule is called "shatnez".  Here's a quick explanation -
> http://www.aish.com/literacy/mitzvahs/Wool_and_Linen_=_Shatnez.asp
Thank you for this link. This was something I'd never heard of before.  
I did find that one of their statements though reminded me of some 
medieval sumptuary laws that, I think,  were discussed here. The phrase 
on this website mentions:
> nterestingly, "holy garments" are exempt from the prohibition of 
> shatnez. For example, the special garments worn by a Kohen while 
> serving in the Holy Temple contained both wool and linen. Similarly, 
> it is theoretically permitted to wear tzitzit that has shatnez (though 
> there are technical factors which don't allow this today). The 
> explanation may be that these garments are already inherently 
> "kosher."

The sumptuary law that I'm thinking of prohibited wearing jewelry of 
fake metal or jewels, unless you were the king or some other higher 
ups. In other words, if you want to be part of the 'in' crowd you must 
look the part and pay the high cost to be admitted. Unless you are the 
king or one of the privileged, then you can cheat.

The site also touches on the fact that there are logical reasons behind 
some of the prohibitions, while for others there is no logic other than 
that god wills it. Makes a handy excuse, I guess, for the prohibitions 
that seem illogical. But the example they give for one of these 
illogical rules is one that I can easily see reasons for, and that was 
the prohibition against eating pork.

The site seems to concentrate on mixing wool and linen as opposed to 
any two different fibers. for instance where do all the synthetic 
fibers fit in? And something like rayon, which is a synthetic from wood 
pulp (I think). Is there a prohibition, like linen, against wearing it 
with wool? Hmmm. Or silk with linen?

Stefan
(who probably asks too many questions to be a good medieval Catholic or 
Jew)
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
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