Hot answers tagged slaughter-shochet-shecht
15
If a non-Jew slaughters an animal, it is not kosher. (Mishna Chullin 1:1 [English on p. 36 of this .PDF], Rambam Shechita 4:11 [English translation], Shuchan Aruch YD 2:1 In fact, I know of no authority who has ever argued on this point.)
11
To get Kosher meat takes three main steps: choosing the right animal, killing it in the proper way, and removing non-kosher parts from it. (This is all an oversimplification, of course.)
Choosing the right animal
Kosher land mammals are those who chew their cud and have split hooves. Kosher birds are those that aren't one of the ones listed as not kosher ...
10
No. A kosher animal must be specifically slaughtered and prepared according to Jewish laws in order for its meat to be kosher.
These laws are very specific, governing the knife used, the method and stroke of the knife, the method for soaking/salting properly, and checking the innards for defects which would render the animal unkosher. If any of these laws ...
7
There are certain foods likely to be taken from live animals and most others would not be. So for example, I'd trust that most chicken or beef available on the market is not eiver min hachai. But snow crab legs are apparently often taken from live snow crabs. So if the ben noach knows what foods are likely to be problematic, they can avoid those or devote ...
5
Kudos to both answers above; just one more point: after the ainmal is slaughtered by a Jew according to Jewish law, the meat is then inspected, soaked, and salted; then it can be packaged in a reasonably tamper-proof container and shipped off and sold at any general supermarket. So you don't have to go to a "kosher butcher shop" per se.
5
Hod's answer above is correct. However, to address your point about "a prayer":
One must recite a b'rachah upon slaughtering an animal, which is the typical practice when performing mitzvos (Rambam, Hil. B'rachos 11:15). However, as usual with birkas hamitzvos, the absence of this blessing does not render the slaughtering unfit (Bi'ur HaGra, YD 1:31).
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5
The Aruch HaShulchan in OH 551:25 writes, after quoting the Ramo in the question:
ומובן ממילא דבעיר גדולה שיש בה תמיד כמה חולאים וכמה יולדות, והרבה חלושי הבריאות – לא שייך להצניע הסכין
"And it is understood automatically that in a big city where there always many sick people and many women who have given birth and many weak people -- it is not relevant to ...
5
The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Likkutey Sichos vol. 15 pg. 192 and footnote 12-13 there) asserts that (unlike Eisav who the Gemora calls an apostate Jew), Yishmael did not have the legal status of a Jew. He cites the view of many commentators, that only "in Yitzchok will be called your seed" (Genesis 21:12), whereas Yishmael was not considered the seed of Avraham ...
4
The Rambam rules (Avot HaTumah 2:1) that if one shechts a non-kosher animal it does not attain Nevelah status until it finishes dying, unlike by kosher Shechita where it is considered dead immediately after the Shechita even as it is twitching (and additionally, Kosher Shechita should remove the tumah and prohibition of Nevela, but possibly leaving it as a ...
4
The Mishna (Zevachim 3:1) states:
כל הפסולין ששחטו שחיטתן כשרה שהשחיטה כשרה בזרים בנשים ובעבדים ובטמאים אפילו בקדשי קדשים
Anyone who is invalid for Temple service who slaughtered [a sacrifice], the slaughter is valid, for slaughtering [sacrifices] is valid even for non-priests, women, slaves and even impure people, even for the holiest of sacrifices.
...
3
Here is a blog post that breaks down the Rogatchover Gaon's interpretation of the verse (Bereshit 22:6):
ו וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָהָם אֶת-עֲצֵי הָעֹלָה, וַיָּשֶׂם עַל-יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ, וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ, אֶת-הָאֵשׁ וְאֶת-הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת; וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם, יַחְדָּו.
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and ...
2
R' David Silverberg discusses some non-literal interpretations:
The Maharsha explains that Rava urged Rabbi Zeira to drink during the Purim festivities, to the point where Rabbi Zeira took seriously ill. Rava then prayed on his colleague's behalf and Rabbi Zeira recovered from his intoxication. According to this reading, the Gemara relates this story ...
2
In Darkei Teshuvah Siman 23 Se'if Katan 22 he brings Shu"t Pri Ho'oretz (YD 1:4) that a Chaya has the same Shiur of a Behema which is כדי שיגביה בהמה דקה וירביצנה וישחטנה. Then he brings the Da'as Torah (YD 23 sk 4) who learns that the Pri Megadim (YD MZ 28:16) holds that it's the same Shiur as a bird, and declares צ"ע (this requires further investigation) ...
1
I recall explicitly learning that shechitah accomplishes nothing from a halachic perspective on non-kosher species; but would have to find the source.
There are stories of people who had to eat a non-kosher animal (either due to starvation or some odd medical condition) where they shechted it first to feel less bad about doing what needed to be done, but ...
1
I think they shechted them upright. See the bottom of http://www.grandin.com/ritual/euthanasia.slaughter.livestock.html for a picture of the modern mechanism.
In the Bais Hamikdash they had special rings which you can read about here. The rings held the animal immobile, and yes they were hinged.
And apparently some guys shechted a cow which was only tied ...
1
Nezer HaTorah - Rabbi Reuvain Ravonisky mentions the Mechilta Parshas Beshalach 14 which according to him seems to indicate that the Jews wore Tefilin from the time they left Egypt.
He also mentions in the name of the Maharil Diskin (menyioned in Siddur Otzar HaTefilos) that when we say "Hoshana Yekorcha Imom Maavirin" this is proof that the Jews wore ...
1
The Simla Chadasha in Siman 1, Seif 36 says that a "zaken muflag" should not do shechita because his hands are heavy (same thing it says about drinkers) and his eyes are bad. This is assessed individually, but there is at least some concept of an age limit.
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