Commandment Profile:

-176) Not to eat breeding insects that creep on the earth
Application to gentiles: Recommended Mandated punishment for violation: None Brief description: Not to eat any type of crawling insect or other invertebrate that is capable of breeding, including beetles, aphids, worms, etc. Jews are strictly bound by this commandment, while gentiles are not; but gentiles do earn extra reward from G-d for choosing to follow this rule exactly as Jews must. A gentile would be wise to avoid the spiritually blemishing effects on one’s soul from eating insects and the like. Examples: To inspect carefully fruits and vegetables for insect or worm infestations and to remove the vermin or else throw away the infested food. Because environmental regulations have banned safe, effective pesticides such as DDT, insects and worms now infest numerous crops. Many of the bugs are tiny and very hard to see. Certain types of produce, such as Romaine lettuce, asparagus, and walnuts, are often infested and need careful inspection; others, such as celery, tomatoes, and carrots, generally are not infested. Some canned vegetables and other produce are sold in stores with reliable, orthodox Jewish certification that they are infestation-free and therefore kosher to eat. Category: Optional Commandments Biblical source(s) (Rambam): Lev. 11:41 Biblical source (Sefer HaChinuch): Lev. 11:41 Number in Sefer HaChinuch: 162 Sources explaining relevance to gentiles: (See bibliography) Midrash Rabbah, Koheles 1:9 (#1) In the future, gentiles will claim their reward for not having eaten pigs, or for not having eaten neveilos, tereifos, shekatzim, or remasim; implicitly criticizes gentiles for having eaten these.