Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies

Genesis 18:8: Milk and Meat at the Same Meal?

Question

Dear Rabbi,

I have a question about Genesis 18:8 It says: "And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat". How come Abraham gave the angels milk and meat to eat, which is forbidden in the laws of Kashrut? Is it because the Torah actually says: Thou shall not cook meat and milk together, it does not say, that we can not eat meat and afterwards milk?

Answer

The Halakha clearly says that one cannot eat milk products after meat or together with meat. The midrash on this question says that Abraham first served the butter and milk and then the meat. Serving the dairy products before meat is permitted by the laws of kashrut (Shulhan Arukh 99:2).
Other commentaries say that this episode took place before the Torah which contains the rules of kashrut was given to the people.

Rabbi Monique Susskind Goldberg
November 2006