martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (03/05/84)
The practise of not eating meat and fish together on the same plate is strictly custom. Northern European Ashkenazim (low countries and Germany) but not northern European Sephardim would eat meat and fish together on the same plate. Current medical theory is not valid justification for a Jewish practise. I am 27 years old, and in my lifetime medical opinion on circumcision has flip-flopped at least 4 times, but we do not change our practises because of these new opinions. Although I will eat meat and fish together from the same plate, usual Sephardic and oriental Jewish practice is to follow the fish course with a piece of bread, then to have some alcoholic beverage, and finally to wash the hands. Only then would meat be eaten. Net.religion.jewish readers may be interested to know that Jews who eat locust will eat the locust from the same plate from which they are eating meat. Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo