07-25-2007, 09:10 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-25-2007, 10:22 PM by Director Michael.)
The prohibition of "meat from a living animal" is only on land manimals and birds, not fish or crustaceans. For crustaceans there is a prohibition only on eating it live, since that would be an act of unnecessary cruelty. Since the crustaceans (lobster, crab, etc.) is already cooked when you eat it, it is permissible. As for boiling it while it is alive, scientific studies have shown that when it hits the already boiling water, its primitive nervous system overloads and it dies. Also this is not done for the sake of torture, but it is a necessary step in the process of using it as food.
Rabbi Yitz