Jewish Ethical Dilemmas Rimonim Shavuot Program, 2018 Lab Meat

Lab Meat

She'elah: I'm at a restaurant and the hamburger option is made of meat that is grown in a lab. The meat did not come directly from an animal, but originated from the cell of a cow. Is this hamburger kosher?

(ג) כָּל־רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוּא־חַ֔י לָכֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָ֑ה כְּיֶ֣רֶק עֵ֔שֶׂב נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־כֹּֽל׃ (ד) אַךְ־בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃
(3) Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these. (4) You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it.
(כג) רַ֣ק חֲזַ֗ק לְבִלְתִּי֙ אֲכֹ֣ל הַדָּ֔ם כִּ֥י הַדָּ֖ם ה֣וּא הַנָּ֑פֶשׁ וְלֹא־תֹאכַ֥ל הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ עִם־הַבָּשָֽׂר׃
(23) But make sure that you do not partake of the blood; for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the life with the flesh.

עבר(א''ו הָאָרֹךְ אֵבֶר הַנִּשְׁמָט מִמְּקוֹמוֹ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַטְרִיף הַבְּהֵמָה, מֻתָּר לְאָכְלוֹ, אַף אִם אֵין עוֹר וּבָשָׂר חוֹפִין רֻבּוֹ (רַשְׁבָּ''א סי' פ''ט) אֲבָל הַמִּנְהָג לְהַחְמִיר גַּם בָּזֶה (א''ו הָאָרֹךְ).ית

Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 62:3

A limb which is detached from its place in a location which does not cause mortal injury to the animal, it is permitted to eat it, even if skin and flesh do not cover most of it, but the custom is to be strict.

(ב) פָּרָה שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין חֲמוֹר, וַחֲמוֹר שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין סוּס, פָּטוּר מִן הַבְּכוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר פֶּטֶר חֲמוֹר פֶּטֶר חֲמוֹר, שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים, עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא הַיּוֹלֵד חֲמוֹר וְהַנּוֹלָד חֲמוֹר. וּמָה הֵם בַּאֲכִילָה. בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה, מֻתָּר בַּאֲכִילָה. וּטְמֵאָה שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה, אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה, שֶׁהַיּוֹצֵא מֵהַטָּמֵא, טָמֵא. וְהַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַטָּהוֹר, טָהוֹר. דָּג טָמֵא שֶׁבָּלַע דָּג טָהוֹר, מֻתָּר בַּאֲכִילָה. וְטָהוֹר שֶׁבָּלַע דָּג טָמֵא, אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה, לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ גִדּוּלָיו:

And what about eating them? If a pure species gives birth to [a creature which] looks like an impure species, it is permissible to eat [the offspring]; if an impure species gives birth to [a creature which] looks like a pure species, it is forbidden to eat [the offspring], for that which comes from an impure species is impure and that which comes from a pure species is pure. If an impure fish swallows a pure fish, [the pure fish found inside] is permissible to eat; if a pure fish swallows an impure fish, [the impure fish found inside] is forbidden to eat, for it is not its product.