An Aquatic Kosher Adventure

Featuring a controversial fish

This coming year launches the tenth anniversary of the Biblical Museum of Natural History. We’ll be running various events during the year, and we’ll be starting with one of our famous exotic kosher feasts, with this year’s theme being “Legends from the Sea.”

While we don’t release the menu in advance, one of the most prominent dishes will be a whole swordfish. Much has been written about the kosher status of this fish, but it is still not a fully settled issue.

Historically, Jews ate swordfish for many centuries with full rabbinic approval, through to modern times. This alone is good reason to try to justify its kosher status. Rabbi Dr Moshe Tendler argued that this historically-approved fish was a different fish, but while he was very successful at convincing others to believe him, careful investigation shows that it is clear beyond doubt that swordfish was the fish being discussed and eaten.

With regard to the scales, there is confusion, because there are two different types of scales found on swordfish to be considered. There is one type of scale clearly possessed by very young swordfish, but it is a deeply embedded scale of disputed halachic validity. Another type of scale, of clear halachic validity, is found (albeit sometimes with difficulty) on older specimens. The existence of these scales is not mentioned in zoological literature, and some wonder if they are perhaps scales from other fish that keep getting stuck to swordfish. But numerous halachic authorities who have examined swordfish have found these scales and declared swordfish to be kosher, and it is difficult to imagine that they were all fooled, or that halacha would allow for such a scenario. For full discussion and pictures/video, see my recently updated article on the museum’s Knowledge Base.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about our forthcoming event and book seats (last year’s event sold out!), click here or on the graphic below.