LEVEL 01
רמת המתחיל
Basics — Beginner & Intermediate
Hebrew text of the Mechaber with a fluent English translation. The 3 prohibitions, de-oraita/de-rabbanan, poultry, key concepts explained and practical cases.
📖 Studyכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה ׳לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ׳ ג׳ פְּעָמִים: אֶחָד לְאִסּוּר בִּשּׁוּל, וְאֶחָד לְאִסּוּר אֲכִילָה, וְאֶחָד לְאִסּוּר הֲנָאָה. וְהוֹצִיא אֲכִילָה בִּלְשׁוֹן בִּשּׁוּל, לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ אָסוּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא דֶּרֶךְ בִּשּׁוּל, אֲבָל מִדְּרַבָּנָן אָסוּר בְּכָל עִנְיָן.
The three prohibitions of basar be-halav: It is written in the Torah "You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk" three times: once to forbid cooking, once to forbid eating, and once to forbid deriving benefit. The verse expresses eating through the term "cooking" to teach that the Torah prohibition applies only to what is prepared by cooking; but the Sages forbade it in every manner.
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 87:1The 4 levels of study
LEVEL 02
רמת הלמדן
Lamdan — Talmid Chacham
In-depth pilpul: the sugya of Chullin, the מחלוקת Shach/Taz, the status of poultry (de-oraita according to the Rambam?), the definition of derech bishul, חקירות and נפקא מינות.
📖 StudyLEVEL 03
חזרה וסיכום
Synthesis — Review
Comparative tables, golden rules, classic pitfalls (almond milk, liver, mar'it ayin) and memorization of the 11 se'ifim.
📖 StudyLEVEL 04
הלכה למעשה
Halacha le-ma'aseh — Psak
The practical halacha according to the Shach, Taz and Pri Megadim, then the Sephardic poskim (Yabia Omer, Yalkut Yosef) and Ashkenazi poskim. Note: the Shulchan Aruch HaRav does not deal with this siman — this is a level of psak, not "Daat HaRav".
📖 StudyFrequently asked questions — Siman 87
Is the prohibition of meat and milk from the Torah (de-oraita)?
Only the cooking of the meat of a kosher domesticated animal (behema) together with milk, and eating it or deriving benefit from it, are forbidden by the Torah (3 verses « לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו »). Everything else — mixing without cooking, poultry (according to most), the meat of a wild animal — is forbidden by the Sages (de-rabbanan). For practical halacha, consult your Rav.
Is poultry (chicken, turkey) with milk permitted?
No. Poultry with milk is forbidden by rabbinic decree (Chullin 113a, Shulchan Aruch YD 87:3), even though it is not included in the Torah prohibition. The decree of the Sages applies fully (cooking, eating, and one must keep it separate as with meat).
May one eat meat with almond milk?
Almond milk is not milk: there is no intrinsic prohibition. But because of mar'it ayin (a misleading appearance), the Shulchan Aruch requires placing some almonds nearby to signal that it is not animal milk. The details vary among the poskim — see Level 4 and consult your Rav.