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Shechitah (Kosher Slaughter): Difference between revisions
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Shechitah (Kosher Slaughter) (view source)
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"Nevelah" refers to an animal that was not slaughtered properly. "Terefah" refers to an animal that for one medical reason or another would not have lived out the year and is such prohibited from consumption even though it was slaughtered properly. Nevelot emit Tumat Nevelah (ritual impurity of Nevelah), whereas Terefot are Tehorot (pure). | "Nevelah" refers to an animal that was not slaughtered properly. "Terefah" refers to an animal that for one medical reason or another would not have lived out the year and is such prohibited from consumption even though it was slaughtered properly. Nevelot emit Tumat Nevelah (ritual impurity of Nevelah), whereas Terefot are Tehorot (pure). | ||
===What Does and What Does Not Need Shechitah=== | |||
====The Basic Rules==== | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+ Fact Sheet | |+ Fact Sheet<ref>Simla Chadasha 13:1</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Hebrew Term !! English Term !! Requires Shechitah !! Requires [[Kisui HaDam]] !! Details !! Examples | ! Hebrew Term !! English Term !! Requires Shechitah !! Requires [[Kisui HaDam]] !! Details !! Examples | ||
| Line 24: | Line 26: | ||
| Ofot || Birds || Yes || Yes || Majority of one siman || Chicken | | Ofot || Birds || Yes || Yes || Majority of one siman || Chicken | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Chagavim || Locusts || No || No || | | Chagavim || Locusts || No || No || Just kill first || | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Dagim || Fish || No || No || Just kill first || Salmon | | Dagim || Fish || No || No || Just kill first || Salmon | ||
|} | |} | ||
====Exceptional Circumstances==== | |||
# ''Ben Pakua'': an unborn eight or nine month old baby found in a shechted animals womb that hasn't yet walked on the ground does not need Shechitah at all, but one shouldn't eat it until it's fully dead.<ref>Simla Chadasha 13:2</ref> If it did walk on the ground or something else, it needs Shechitah MiDeRabbanan.<ref>Simla Chadasha 12:4</ref> | |||
==When and Where to Shecht== | |||
See ''[[Timing and Location of Shechitah]]'' for more details. | |||
# One may only slaughter during the day and/or with sufficient light. | |||
# The Chachamim forbade slaughtering in a number of venues given their resemblance to pagan practices, specifically on the water and in a pit. | |||
==Who Can Be a Shochet== | ==Who Can Be a Shochet== | ||
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One can perform shechitah with a variety of items, but nowadays everybody just uses a knife.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | One can perform shechitah with a variety of items, but nowadays everybody just uses a knife.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | ||
The knife must be sharp ("''Chad''")and smooth (''Chalak'') so that it can swiftly cut what it has to without tearing.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | The knife must be sharp ("''Chad''") and smooth (''Chalak'') so that it can swiftly cut what it has to without tearing.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | ||
Different knife lengths are required depending on the width of the neck being slaughtered.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 9</ref> | Different knife lengths are required depending on the width of the neck being slaughtered.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 9</ref> | ||
Knives are sharpened and polished with special whetstones and checked before use.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | Knives are sharpened and polished with special whetstones and checked before use.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | ||
The shochet checks it from top to bottom from the center, right, and left with his fingernail.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 18</ref> | The shochet checks it from top to bottom from the center, right, and left with his fingernail.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 18</ref> | ||
The knife is commonly rectangular and not pointed, to avoid chaladah.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | The knife is commonly rectangular and not pointed, to avoid chaladah.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 6</ref> | ||
[[File:Sussman ofos knife 2.jpg|alt=Ofos Chalef by Laevi Sussman, JewishKnives.com|thumb|Ofos Chalef by Laevi Sussman, [https://www.JewishKnives.com JewishKnives.com]]] | |||
==The Five Laws of Shechitah Every Shochet Must Know== | ==The Five Laws of Shechitah Every Shochet Must Know== | ||
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There are five Halachot leMoshe MiSinai regarding Shechitah. One may not eat from the slaughter of a shochet who does not know them.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 23:1</ref> | There are five Halachot leMoshe MiSinai regarding Shechitah. One may not eat from the slaughter of a shochet who does not know them.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 23:1</ref> | ||
# ''Shehiyah'' (Pausing): A pause during the incision renders an animal’s meat non kosher. The knife must move in an uninterrupted motion | # ''Shehiyah'' (Pausing): A pause during the incision renders an animal’s meat non kosher. The knife must move in an uninterrupted motion and never be removed and then reapplied. This occurs if the shochet stops cutting, lifts the knife and then begins cutting again, but we are careful not to allow any pause, even if the knife is not removed from the neck. Such cases include a shochet banging his arm, elbow, or knife into an object, cutting himself; the animal jumping and causing a pause; or if there was something hard or stiff in the veshet during shechita.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 23</ref> | ||
# ''Chaladah'' (Covering/Digging): The knife must be visibly drawn over the throat during slaughter. No covering or blocking it from the flesh by fur, feathers, or other objects. It must not be stabbed into the neck and cut backwards. To avoid this, sheep are sheered and other animal necks are hosed down beforehand.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 24</ref> | # ''Chaladah'' (Covering/Digging): The knife must be visibly drawn over the throat during slaughter. No covering or blocking it from the flesh by fur, feathers, or other objects. It must not be stabbed into the neck and cut backwards. To avoid this, sheep are sheered and other animal necks are hosed down beforehand.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 24</ref> | ||
# ''Derasa'' (Chopping): The cut must be made using a back and forth sawing motion across the throat, not by chopping | # ''Derasa'' (Chopping): The cut must be made using a back and forth sawing motion across the throat, not by chopping in a solely downward motion as one cuts a pumpkin or turnip. In order to ensure we do not come to chop, we’re careful not to push down with the index finger, use a heavier than necessary knife, decapitate, or hack at the neck.].<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 24</ref> | ||
# ''Hagrama'' ( | # ''Hagrama'' (missing): The shechita cut must be made within a defined portion of the esophagus and trachea, this area is called the Makom Ha-Shechita. Cutting anywhere below or above this area would render the animal to be a nevelah. The makom ha shechita is located at the: | ||
# ''Ikkur'' (Tearing): If either the esophagus or trachea is torn during shechita, the animal is rendered unkosher. Tearing usually occurs as a result of a nicked or improperly sharpened knife.<ref>Based on [https://www.grandin.com/ritual/rules.shechita.proper.cut.html The rules of Shechita for performing a proper cut during kosher slaughter] and [https://thekoshercut.com/blog/the-five-disqualifying-acts/ The Five Disqualifying Acts - The Kosher Cut]</ref> | #* Upper Kaneh (all animals): Today all are machmir to shecht below the large upper ring of the trachea | ||
#* Upper Veshet (all animals): below the turbatz ha-veshet (the area where the esophagus condenses) | |||
#* Lower Veshet & Kaneh (ofos): birds with crops at the top of the crop, birds without crops at the place where the wings connect to the neck | |||
#* Lower Kaneh (chayos/behemos): the top of the upper lobe of the lung when it is inflated | |||
#* Lower Veshet (chayos/behemos): the place where the esophagus begins to develop little hair like follicles as are present in the stomach.<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 24</ref> | |||
# ''Ikkur'' (Tearing): If either the esophagus or trachea is torn during shechita, the animal is rendered unkosher. Tearing usually occurs as a result of a nicked or improperly sharpened knife, but may also occur by tearing the esophagus or trachea by hand (usually only a concern in chickens, quail, or other small birds).<ref>Based on [https://www.grandin.com/ritual/rules.shechita.proper.cut.html The rules of Shechita for performing a proper cut during kosher slaughter] and [https://thekoshercut.com/blog/the-five-disqualifying-acts/ The Five Disqualifying Acts - The Kosher Cut]</ref> | |||
==How to Shecht== | ==How to Shecht== | ||
''For more information, see [[The Shechitah Process]]'' | ''For more information, see [[The Shechitah Process]], [[Intention During Shechitah]], and [[Birkat HaShechitah]]'' | ||
The Gemara requires checking the knife before and after every shechita in order to catch a pegima as soon as it happens. Chazal were concerned that the knife might contact dirt on the animal’s skin or hit a bone during shechita and receive a nick and become invalid.<ref>Chullin 10b</ref> | The Gemara requires checking the knife before and after every shechita in order to catch a pegima as soon as it happens. Chazal were concerned that the knife might contact dirt on the animal’s skin or hit a bone during shechita and receive a nick and become invalid.<ref>Chullin 10b</ref> | ||
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# Check the knife | # Check the knife | ||
# Tefisah: Locate and grab the Simanim (trachea and esophagus) | # Tefisah: Locate and grab the Simanim (trachea and esophagus) | ||
# Recite the Beracha ("'Al HaShechitah'")<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 19</ref> | # Recite the Beracha ("'[[Birkat HaShechitah|Al HaShechitah]]'")<ref>Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 19</ref> | ||
===During=== | ===During=== | ||
# Severing the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries, jugular veins and vagus nerve in a swift '''sawing''' action that immediately renders the chicken insensible to pain. | # Severing the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries, jugular veins and vagus nerve in a swift '''sawing''' action that immediately renders the chicken insensible to pain. | ||
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==Where to Learn== | ==Where to Learn== | ||
Every Talmid Chacham must be fluent in the laws of Shechitah.<ref>Chullin 9a</ref> | |||
===Classes=== | ===Classes=== | ||
* [https://thekoshercut.com/ The Kosher Cut] | * [https://thekoshercut.com/ The Kosher Cut] | ||
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===Important Sefarim=== | ===Important Sefarim=== | ||
* Tevuot Shor, a commentary on Shulchan Aruch Hilchot Shechitah by Rabbi Alexander Sender Shor. (see this edition on [https://www.hebrewbooks.org/59596 HebrewBooks.org]) | * ''Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 1-28'' | ||
* Simla Chadasha, a classic handbook for Shochetim, Rabbi Shor's condensed version of his Tevuot Shor. [https://www.lulu.com/shop/chaim-loike/soft-cover-simlah-translated/paperback/product-125pwmee.html?page=1&pageSize=4 Translated into English by Rabbi Chaim Loike]. | * ''Tevuot Shor'', a commentary on Shulchan Aruch Hilchot Shechitah by Rabbi Alexander Sender Shor. (see this edition on [https://www.hebrewbooks.org/59596 HebrewBooks.org]) | ||
* Beis Dovid | * ''Simla Chadasha'', a classic handbook for Shochetim, Rabbi Shor's condensed version of his Tevuot Shor. Available in stores and on [https://www.sefaria.org.il/Simlah%20Chadashah?tab=contents Sefaria]. [https://www.lulu.com/shop/chaim-loike/soft-cover-simlah-translated/paperback/product-125pwmee.html?page=1&pageSize=4 Translated into English by Rabbi Chaim Loike]. | ||
* [https://www.amazon.com/Esek-Hashechita-Dovid-Shaffier/dp/1364450429 Esek Hashechita] by Rabbi Dovid Shaffier. See [https://seforimchatter.com/2022/11/08/book-review-esek-hashechitah-by-rav-dovid-shaffier/ SeforimChatter Review here]. | * ''Beis Dovid'', the Ashkenazi classic on Hilchos Treifos. | ||
* ''Zivchei Tzedek'', the Sephardi classic on all matters Shechita and Terefot. | |||
* ''[https://www.amazon.com/Esek-Hashechita-Dovid-Shaffier/dp/1364450429 Esek Hashechita]'' by Rabbi Dovid Shaffier. See [https://seforimchatter.com/2022/11/08/book-review-esek-hashechitah-by-rav-dovid-shaffier/ SeforimChatter Review here]. | |||
* ''Chullin Illuminated, Color Guide To Animal Anatomy With Halachic And Scientific Discussion'', Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Lach, Feldheim Publishers | |||
===Shiurim=== | ===Shiurim=== | ||
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<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category:Kashrut]] | [[Category:Kashrut]] | ||
{{Kashrut}} | |||
