The Torah forbids the eating of animals that either died of themselves or that were "torn". This prohibition of carrion was understood to mean any animal that was killed by any other means rather than shechitah, or that has a deadly condition. Originally, shechitah was done at home. In fact, the Hebrew word for "kitchen", is "mitbach", which literally means "the killing place". By Talmudic times there were special professionals called "Shochetim" who also sold the meat. Today, shochetim are employed by kosher processing plants. In smaller communities, they usually work for the local kosher butcher. Although in recent centuries this was done only by men, with much literature written as to the permissibility of women performing this function, many documents have emerged in the last century that prove that in many places women were also doing this, with rabbinic approval. The rules of shechitah are fairly simple. Although these rules are often interpreted as humane measures, there is no indication in sources as to the reasons behind them. A knife, called a "chalif", is prepared. It must have no nicks. The shochet passes the chalif over his fingernail, in order to find even the smallest defect. He has special sharpening tools handy. In large plants, where speed is of the essence, there will be a different person to check and repair the chalif. The knife must be checked before every animal. He then recites a blessing "Blessed are You..O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning shechitah". If many animals are to be slaughtered, one blessing suffices for all. The animal to be slaughtered is laid on the ground. In many places, it is hoisted mechanically by its hind legs instead. As many consider this inhumane, this has been abolished in most places. The shochet then cuts the animal's throat. He must cut both the trachea and the esophagus, and also sever the arteries of the neck, insuring a swift death for the animal. If less than these were cut, there are rules for different situations. The shechitah must be done with no pause, and no pressing applied to the throat without movement of the chalif. That it must be done with one motion is a popular fiction. The key is that there be no pause. Ashkenazic tradition invalidates the shechitah for a pause of even a moment. Sepharadic and Yemenite traditions allow a brief pause, and this is in line with the Talmud. However, the Ashkenazic approach has today become standard. As the Torah forbids the consumption of blood, the animal must be allowed to bleed freely. If the animal were to be stunned, as is done in non-kosher slaughter, this would lead to shock; a condition in which the blood goes to the internal organs. In some places, the secular authorities are content with stunning immediately after shechitah, rather than before. This is actually permissible, but rabbis are not happy with this. The Chief Rabbi of one European country recently resigned his position, rather than acquiesce to government interference in halachic areas such as this. A rare example of Jewish-Muslim cooperation is the joint protest over government interference in Shechitah, as the Muslim Halal is virtually identical to our shechitah. Shechitah is banned in Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The Netherlands is expected to follow suit shortly. After the animal has died, the shochet must examine the trachea and esophagus, to make certain that they have not been torn from their place before the shechitah has been completed. Poultry shechitah is done with the shochet holding the animal, and grasping its trachea and esophagus, as these often fall into the body cavity, making proper examination impossible. The Talmud enumerates eighteen bodily defects which will render an otherwise properly slaughtered animal non-Kosher. How this is applied, and has led to different shechitah systems in different groups, will be the topic of my next post.
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