Jewish Dietary Laws: Commentary

Some commentators, including Jewish ones, have sought to find a rational basis (e.g. reasons of hygiene, or benefits to the economy) for at least some of the dietary laws. The results are not impressive. In any case, some rabbis deem it improper to subject the rules, which are the will of God, to any such analysis. Indeed it has been proposed that a Jew should not say that he detests the flesh of swine and therefore abstains from it; better to say that he finds bacon attractive but does not eat it because God has commanded him not to.