Sources trace the biblical prohibition against boiling a kid in its mother's milk and explore how rabbinic tradition expands this rule to forbid cooking, eating, and deriving benefit from any meat mixed with dairy products. The sources establish the practical halakhic boundaries and exceptions to this prohibition.
כׇּל הַבָּשָׂר אָסוּר לְבַשֵּׁל בְּחָלָב
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What the sources say
The prohibition derives from a pasuk written three times in the Torah — Shemot 23:19, Shemot 34:26, and Devarim 14:21 — each stating "You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk," and the school of Rabbi Yishmael in the Gemara (Chullin 115b) teaches that the threefold repetition generates three distinct biblical prohibitions: cooking meat with milk, eating the mixture, and deriving any benefit from it.
The Shulchan Arukh (Yoreh De'ah 87:1) and the Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Foods 9:1–6) both rule that all three prohibitions — cooking, eating, and benefiting — are biblical in force when the mixture is cooked, while rabbinic ordinance extends the eating prohibition to any form of mixture even without cooking.
The Mishnah in Mishnah Chullin 8:1–6 extends the fence around the prohibition further still, prohibiting even the placing of meat together with cheese on the same dining table lest one come to eat them together, excepting only fish and grasshoppers from the entire framework.
As for the underlying reason, Sefer HaChinukh (92) suggests that the prohibition belongs to a category of forbidden mixtures — not because the eating itself causes physical harm, since the Torah forbids even the act of cooking without eating — but because the combination itself is to be avoided, analogous to other prohibited mixings in the Torah.
שמות כ״ג:י״ט
Exodus 23:19
The Torah prohibits boiling a kid in its mother's milk. This verse is the biblical source that later tradition treats as the basis for the meat-and-milk prohibition.
רֵאשִׁ֗ית בִּכּוּרֵי֙ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ תָּבִ֕יא בֵּ֖ית יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
The choice first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the ETERNAL your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
שמות ל״ד:כ״ו
Exodus 34:26
The passage states the commandment not to boil a kid in its mother's milk.
רֵאשִׁ֗ית בִּכּוּרֵי֙ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ תָּבִ֕יא בֵּ֖ית יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
The choice first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the ETERNAL your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
דברים י״ד:כ״א
Deuteronomy 14:21
You may not eat carrion, but you may give it to a resident alien in your gates or sell it to a foreigner, because you are a holy people to the Lord your God; do not cook a kid in its mother's milk.
לֹ֣א תֹאכְל֣וּ כׇל־נְ֠בֵלָ֠ה לַגֵּ֨ר אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׁעָרֶ֜יךָ תִּתְּנֶ֣נָּה וַאֲכָלָ֗הּ א֤וֹ מָכֹר֙ לְנׇכְרִ֔י כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃
Chullin 103b:16
All meat is prohibited from being cooked together with milk, except for fish and locusts, and it is prohibited to bring meat with cheese to the table, except for fish and locusts.
מַתְנִי׳ כׇּל הַבָּשָׂר אָסוּר לְבַשֵּׁל בְּחָלָב, חוּץ מִבְּשַׂר דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים, וְאָסוּר לְהַעֲלוֹת עִם הַגְּבִינָה עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, חוּץ מִבְּשַׂר דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים.
משנה חולין ח׳:א׳-ו׳
Mishnah Chullin 8:1-6
The Mishnah lays out the basic laws of meat and milk, including the distinction between permitted and prohibited mixtures and the practical structure of the prohibition.
כָּל הַבָּשָׂר אָסוּר לְבַשֵּׁל בְּחָלָב, חוּץ מִבְּשַׂר דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים. וְאָסוּר לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ עִם הַגְּבִינָה עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, חוּץ מִבְּשַׂר דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים. הַנּוֹדֵר מִן הַבָּשָׂר, מֻתָּר בִּבְשַׂר דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים. הָעוֹף עוֹלֶה עִם הַגְּבִינָה עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן וְאֵינוֹ נֶאֱכָל, דִּבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, לֹא עוֹלֶה וְלֹא נֶאֱכָל. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, זוֹ מִקֻּלֵּי בֵית שַׁמַּאי וּמֵחֻמְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. בְּאֵיזֶה שֻׁלְחָן אָמְרוּ, בַּשֻּׁלְחָן שֶׁאוֹכֵל עָלָיו. אֲבָל בַּשֻּׁלְחָן שֶׁסּוֹדֵר עָלָיו אֶת הַתַּבְשִׁיל, נוֹתֵן זֶה בְצַד זֶה וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ:
It is prohibited to cook any meat of domesticated and undomesticated animals and birds in milk, except for the meat of fish and grasshoppers, whose halakhic status is not that of meat. And likewise, the Sages issued a decree that it is prohibited to place any meat together with milk products, e.g., cheese, on one table. The reason for this prohibition is that one might come to eat them after they absorb substances from each other. This prohibition applies to all types of meat, except for the meat of fish and grasshoppers. And one who takes a vow that meat is prohibited to him is permitted to eat the meat of fish and grasshoppers. The meat of birds may be placed with cheese on one table but may not be eaten together with it; this is the statement of Beit Shammai. And Beit Hillel say: It may neither be placed on one table nor be eaten with cheese. Rabbi Yosei said: This is one of the disputes involving leniencies of Beit Shammai and stringencies of Beit Hillel. The mishna elaborates: With regard to which table are these halakhot stated? It is with regard to a table upon which one eats. But on a table upon which one prepares the cooked food, one may place this meat alongside that cheese or vice versa, and need not be concerned that perhaps they will be mixed and one will come to eat them together.
חולין קט״ו ב — ד"ה כְּעוּרָה זוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנָה רַבִּי
Chullin 115b:1
The passage discusses various interpretations and proofs that meat cooked with milk is prohibited both for eating and for any benefit, derived through textual comparisons and logical arguments.
כְּעוּרָה זוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנָה רַבִּי? ״לֹא תֹּאכְלֶנּוּ״ – בְּבָשָׂר בְּחָלָב הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר. דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל תָּנָא: ״לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ״ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים, אֶחָד לְאִיסּוּר אֲכִילָה, וְאֶחָד לְאִיסּוּר הֲנָאָה, וְאֶחָד לְאִיסּוּר בִּשּׁוּל.
Is that derivation that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi taught ugly, that you derive a new one? The verse states with regard to an animal’s blood: “You shall not eat it; you shall pour it upon the earth as water” (Deuteronomy 12:24), and the next verse adds: “You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you.” Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi teaches that the redundant second verse is not referring to the prohibition of blood. Rather, the verse is speaking of the prohibition of meat cooked in milk, teaching that it is prohibited for consumption. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: The Torah states three times: “You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19, 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). One verse serves to teach the prohibition against eating meat cooked in milk, and one serves to teach the prohibition against deriving benefit from it, and one serves to teach the prohibition against cooking meat in milk.
רש"י על שמות כ״ג:י״ט
Rashi on Exodus 23:19
Rashi explains the verse as teaching the prohibition of eating, benefiting from, and cooking meat and milk together, and he connects the verse to broader halakhic application.
לא תבשל גדי. אַף עֵגֶל וְכֶבֶשׂ בִּכְלַל גְּדִי, שֶׁאֵין גְּדִי אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן וָלָד רַךְ, מִמַּה שֶּׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁכָּתוּב גְּדִי וְהֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ אַחֲרָיו עִזִּים, כְּגוֹן אָנֹכִי אֲשַׁלַּח גְּדִי עִזִּים (בראשית ל"ח), אֶת גְּדִי הָעִזִּים (שם), שְׁנֵי גְּדָיֵי עִזִּים (שם כ"ז), לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר גְּדִי סְתָם אַף עֵגֶל וְכֶבֶשׂ בְּמַשְׁמָע. וּבְג' מְקוֹמוֹת נִכְתַּב בַּתּוֹרָה, אֶחָד לְאִסּוּר אֲכִילָה, וְאֶחָד לְאִסּוּר הֲנָאָה, וְאֶחָד לְאִסּוּר בִּשּׁוּל (מכילתא, חולין קט"ו):
לא תבשל גדי THOU SHALT NOT COOK A KID — A calf and a lamb also are comprehended under the term גדי, for גדי means nothing more than a young tender animal, as you may gather from the fact that you will find in several passages in the Torah that the term גדי is used and that the writer felt it necessary specially to explain it by adding after it the word עזים, as, e. g., (Genesis 38:17) “I will send forth a גדי of the goats”; (Genesis 38: 20) “the גדי of the goats”; (Genesis 27:9) “two kids of the goats (גדיי עזים)”. This fact serves to show you that wherever גדי is mentioned without further description the term implies also a calf and a lamb. — In three different passages the law לא תבשל גדי is written: once for the purpose of prohibiting the eating of meat-food with milk-food, once to prohibit us from deriving any other benefit (besides eating) from such mixture, and once to prohibit the boiling of meat with milk (Mekhilta; Chullin 115b).
משנה תורה, הלכות מאכלות אסורות ט׳:א׳-ו׳
Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Foods 9:1-6
Rambam codifies the laws of basar be-chalav, defining the prohibitions of cooking, eating, and deriving benefit, and setting out the practical halakhic boundaries.
בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב אָסוּר לְבַשְּׁלוֹ וְאָסוּר לְאָכְלוֹ מִן הַתּוֹרָה. וְאָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה. וְקוֹבְרִין אוֹתוֹ. וְאֶפְרוֹ אָסוּר כְּאֵפֶר כָּל הַנִּקְבָּרִין. וּמִי שֶׁיְּבַשֵּׁל מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם כְּזַיִת כְּאֶחָד לוֹקֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג יט) (שמות לד כו) (דברים יד כא) "לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ". וְכֵן הָאוֹכֵל כְּזַיִת מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם מֵהַבָּשָׂר וְהֶחָלָב שֶׁנִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ כְּאֶחָד לוֹקֶה וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא בִּשֵּׁל: לֹא שָׁתַק הַכָּתוּב מִלֶּאֱסֹר הָאֲכִילָה אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָסַר הַבִּשּׁוּל כְּלוֹמַר וַאֲפִלּוּ בִּשּׁוּלוֹ אָסוּר וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר אֲכִילָתוֹ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁתַק מִלֶּאֱסֹר הַבַּת מֵאַחַר שֶׁאָסַר בַּת הַבַּת:
It is forbidden to cook meat and milk together and to partake of them according to Scriptural Law. It is forbidden to benefit from [such a mixture]. It must be buried. Its ashes are forbidden like the ashes of all substances that must be buried. Whenever a person cooks an olive-sized portion of the two substances together, he is worthy of lashes, as [Exodus 23:19] states: "Do not cook a kid in its mother's milk." Similarly, a person who partakes of an olive-sized portion of the meat and milk that were cooked together is worthy of lashes even though he was not the one who cooked them. The Torah remained silent concerning the prohibition against partaking [of meat and milk] only because it forbade cooking them. This is as if to say: Even cooking it is forbidden, how much more so partaking of it. [To cite a parallel:] The Torah did not mention the prohibition against relations with one's daughter, because it forbade those with the daughter of one's daughter.
ספר החינוך צ״ב — ד"ה מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוָה זוֹ
Sefer HaChinukh 92:2
The Chinukh presents the mitzvah against cooking and eating meat and milk together and offers a conceptual explanation for why the Torah distances Israel from this mixture.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוָה זוֹ, לְפִי הַדּוֹמֶה שֶׁהוּא כְּעִנְיָן מָה שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ בְּמִצְוַת מְכַשֵּׁפָה, כִּי יֵשׁ בָּעוֹלָם דְּבָרִים שֶׁנֶּאֱסַר לָנוּ תַּעֲרָבְתָּן בְּסִבַּת הָעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ שָׁם. וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁתַּעֲרֹבֶת הַבָּשָׂר עִם הֶחָלָב בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַבִּשּׁוּל יִהְיֶה סִבַּת אִסּוּרוֹ מִן הַיְּסוֹד הַהוּא. וּקְצָת רְאָיָה לָזֶה לְפִי שֶׁבָּא הָאִסּוּר לָנוּ בְּמַעֲשֶׂה הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נֹאכְלֶנּוּ, שֶׁנִּרְאֶה בָּזֶה שֶׁאֵין אִסּוּרוֹ מֵחֲמַת נֶזֶק אֲכִילָתוֹ כְּלָל רַק שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲשֶׂה פְּעֻלַּת אוֹתָהּ הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת וּלְהַרְחָקַת אוֹתוֹ עִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ. וְהִזְהִירָנוּ גַּם כֵּן בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר שֶׁאִם אוּלַי נַעֲשֶׂה הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת לְבַל נֹאכְלֵהוּ וְלֹא נֶהֱנֶה בּוֹ לְהַרְחִיק הָעִנְיָן. וַאֲפִלּוּ (פסחים כה א) אֲכָלוֹ מִבְּלִי שֶׁנֶּהֱנָה מִמֶּנּוּ כְּלָל, לוֹקֶה, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן בִּשְׁאָר כָּל אִסּוּרֵי הַמַּאֲכָלוֹת, וְכָל זֶה מוֹרֶה שֶׁיְּסוֹד טַעְמוֹ הוּא מֵחֲמַת הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת, וְכָעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ בְּכִשּׁוּף. זֶה נֹאמַר מִתּוֹךְ הַדְּחָק וַעֲדַיִן אָנוּ צְרִיכִים לְמוֹדָעִי הַמְקֻבָּל. וְהָרַמְבַּ"ם זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה כָּתַב בָּעִנְיָן טַעַם אַחֵר (מורה נבוכים ח"ג פמ"ח) אָמַר, כִּי יֵשׁ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה יַעַבְדוּהָ בְּמַעֲשֶׂה תַּעֲרֹבֶת בָּשָׂר עִם חָלָב, וְלָכֵן הִרְחִיקָה הַתּוֹרָה אוֹתָהּ הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת. וְכָל זֶה אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁוֶה לִי (אסתר ה יג).
It is from the roots of this commandment, according to what appears, that it is similar to the matter that we wrote about the commandment of the witch (Sefer HaChinukh 62), that there are things in the world the mixture of which are forbidden to us, for the reason of the matter that we said there. And it is possible that the reason for the prohibition of the mixture of meat and milk through the process of cooking is from this foundation. And there is somewhat of a proof to this, since the prohibition comes to us with the action of mixing, even though we do not eat it; such that we see from this that its prohibition is not because of the damage [caused by] its eating at all. Rather [it is] that we do not do the action of that mixing, for the sake of the distancing of that matter that we said. And we have also been warned in another place, that if we maybe make the mixture, we should not eat it and not derive benefit from it, to distance the matter [further]. And he is lashed even if he ate it without deriving benefit (enjoyment) from it at all (Pesachim 25a), which is not the case with all the other forbidden foods. And all of this teaches that the foundation of its reason is because of the mixture, and like the matter that we said about magic. This is said out of duress, and we still need the knowledge of the mystic. And Rambam, may his memory be blessed, said (Guide for the Perplexed 3:48) that there are some idolaters that worship through the act of mixing meat and milk. And that is why the Torah distanced that mixture. “But none of this is worthwhile for me.”
שולחן ערוך, יורה דעה פ״ז — ד"ה באיזו בשר נוהג דין בשר בחלב
Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 87:1
The Shulchan Arukh gives the governing practical law of meat and milk, including the core prohibitions and their applications. This is the standard code reference for the topic.
באיזו בשר נוהג דין בשר בחלב והיאך נקרא בשול. ובו י"א סעיפים: כתוב בתורה לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו ג' פעמים אחד לאיסור בישול ואחד לאיסור אכילה ואחד לאיסור הנאה והוציא אכילה בלשון בישול לומר שאינו אסור מן התורה אלא דרך בישול אבל מדרבנן אסור בכל ענין (כל בשר בחלב שאינו אסור מן התורה מותר בהנאה (טור וארוך כלל ל') .
Prohibition of Mixing Meat with Milk and Explanation of the Biblical Term "Cook" The Scripture reiterates three times the negative precept: "Do not cook a kid in its mother's milk," to indicate the triple prohibition applied to the mixture of meat and milk: First, the prohibition of cooking it, second, the prohibition of eating it, and finally, the prohibition of deriving any benefit from it. The Scripture uses the term "cook" for the prohibition of eating to teach us that, according to biblical law, the mixture of meat and milk is prohibited only when it is in a cooked state, that is, hot; but it is prohibited in all forms by rabbinic ordinance. GLOSS: It is permitted to derive benefit from any mixture that is not prohibited by biblical law.
קיצור שלחן ערוך מ״ו — ד"ה בָּשָׂר בֶּחָלָב אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּבְבִשּׁוּל וּבַהֲנָאָה
Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 46:5
The Kitzur summarizes the practical laws of basar be-chalav in concise form, including the main prohibitions and everyday applications.
בָּשָׂר בֶּחָלָב אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּבְבִשּׁוּל וּבַהֲנָאָה, וְלָכֵן אִם נֶאֱסַר אֵיזֶה דָּבָר מִתַּעֲרֹבֶת בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב, צְרִיכִין לַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁאֵלָה מַה לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ, כִּי לִפְעָמִים נֶאֱסָר גַּם בַּהֲנָאָה, וְלִפְעָמִים אֵינוֹ נֶאֱסָר בַּהֲנָאָה (פ"ז). אָכַל בָּשָׂר אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ רַק תַּבְשִׁיל שֶׁל בָּשָׂר, לֹא יֹאכַל מַאַכְלֵי חָלָב עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁהֶה שֵׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת. וְהַלּוֹעֵס לַתִּינוֹק, צָרִיךְ גַּם כֵּן לְהַמְתִּין. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשָּׁהָה כַּשִּׁעוּר, אִם מָצָא בָּשָׂר בֵּין הַשִּׁנַּיִם, צָרִיךְ לְהָסִירוֹ. אֲבָל אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַמְתִּין אַחַר כָּךְ, רַק יְקַנַּח אֶת פִּיו וִידִיחוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיֹאכַל מְעַט פַּת וִיקַנַּח בּוֹ פִּיו, וְגַם מְדִיחוֹ בְּמַיִם אוֹ בִּשְׁאָר מַשְׁקֶה.
A mixture of meat and milk is forbidden to be eaten or to be cooked. Any benefit from this mixture is [also] forbidden. Therefore, if something becomes forbidden due to a mixture of meat and milk, a Rabbinic authority must be consulted about what should be done with the mixture for sometimes it is forbidden even to derive benefit from it and sometimes, deriving benefit is not forbidden. If you ate meat or even a dish prepared with meat you may not eat dairy food for six hours. If you chew meat for a child, you must also wait [six hours]. Even after waiting six hours, if you find a particle of meat between your teeth, you must remove it, but you do not have to wait after that, all you need do is cleanse your mouth and rinse it; that is, eat a little bread and cleanse your mouth with it, and then rinse [your mouth] with water or another liquid.