Is there a bracha (blessing) said for shechita (kosher slaughter)? If so, what is the bracha?
Is the blessing said before or after the animal is slaughtered?
Is there a bracha (blessing) said for shechita (kosher slaughter)? If so, what is the bracha?
Is the blessing said before or after the animal is slaughtered?
There is a bracha on shechita, here is the wording:
ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וציוונו על השחיטה
~ SA YD 19:1 (see also Simlah Chadashah at 19:1)
Rambam writes (Hil. Brachos 11:12) that if one slaughters his own קרבן פסח (Pesach offering), he makes a different bracha:
אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וציוונו לשחוט
( h/t DoubleAA for pointing this Rambam out -- I had never seen it before! )
The blessing is said before the animal is slaughtered.
~ SA ibid, SC ibid
The exception to this case is if there is a possible problem with the animal, and it is uncertain whether it is kosher or not (due to טרפות, mostly terminal health problems) -- in that case, the blessing is made after the shechita and subsequent bedika (inspection) (Rama 19:1, SC 19:2). The shechita, bedika, and bracha should all follow each other without hefsek (pause); if there was a pause, then the blessing is not made (SC 19:2).
( h/t DoubleAA for pointing this out the Rama -- I had never seen it before, and had forgotten what the SC had written about it )