The Torah states in Parashat Re’eh (Debarim 12:21), “Ve’zabahta Mi’berakrecha U’mi’sonecha…Ka’asher Siviticha” – “You shall slaughter from your cattle and your sheep…as I commanded you.” This verse indicates that G-d had previously presented the commands for how to slaughter animals. However, no such commands appear anywhere in the Humash. The Sages explain that these laws were transmitted orally to Moshe (“Halacha Le’Moshe Mi’Sinai”), and were then conveyed to us. G-d taught Moshe the rule that in order for the meat of a kosher species of animal to be permissible for consumption, the animal must be slaughtered with a perfectly smooth knife, that severs at least the majority of the animal’s “Kaneh” (windpipe) and “Veshet” (esophagus).
This requirement applies to kosher species of domesticated and non-domesticated animals, and birds. Fish, however, do not require Shehita (slaughtering). A verse in the Book of Bamidbar (11:22) speaks of fish being “collected” for food (“Im Et Kol Degeh Ha’yam Ye’asef Lahem”), implying that fish may be eaten without Shehita, even if they were already dead when they were drawn from the water. This applies to grasshoppers, as well. A verse in the Book of Yeshayahu (33:4) speaks of grasshoppers being “collected” (“Osef He’hasil”), indicating that grasshoppers, like fish, can be eaten regardless of how they died, even without slaughtering.
In explaining the reason behind the requirement to slaughter animals before eating their meat, the Sefer Ha’hinuch points to the severity of the prohibition against consuming an animal’s blood. He writes that consuming such blood has the effect of bringing the animal’s nature into our beings. Therefore, in order to ensure that we avoid the consumption of blood when partaking of animal meat, the Torah required killing the animal in the manner that drains the blood the swiftest – slaughtering the neck. The knife must be perfectly smooth and bereft of any nicks, the Sefer Ha’hinuch explains, in order to minimize the pain inflicted on the animal during the act of slaughtering. The Sefer Ha’hinuch writes that the Torah does not want us to cause pain to the animal “Yoter Mi’dai” – excessively, or “Hinam” – for no reason, and so the knife must be smooth.
There are four ways in which a Shohet (slaughterer) can render the Shehita invalid. The first is through Shehiya – a pause during the process of slaughtering. If, for example, the Shohet began slaughtering the esophagus, but before completely severing it, he stopped, and then went back to complete the process, the Shehita is invalid, and the animal is considered a Nebela – an animal that died without Shehita. If, however, the knife was dull, and the Shohet thus needed to move the knife back and forth for an extended period of time in order to sever the windpipe and the esophagus, the Shehita is valid, because no pause was made.
The second disqualifying method of Shehita is “Hadrasa,” which means pressing the knife downward. The severing must be achieved by moving the knife back and forth, and not by applying pressure against the two pipes as though one cuts vegetables. If the Shohet pushes the knife downward to sever the two pipes, the Shehita is invalid.
The third disqualification is “Halada” – concealing the knife during the act of slaughtering. The blade must be exposed and visible at the time of the severing of the windpipe and esophagus.
The fourth disqualifying factor, “Hagrama,” involves the spot where the incision is made. The Shehita must be performed at a specific area of the neck, and if it is done higher or lower, then the Shehita is invalid.
Additionally, the Sefer Ha’hinuch writes, the Shohet must ensure when slaughtering that the windpipe and esophagus are intact. If they are “Akur” (“uprooted”), not in place, when the slaughtering took place, then the animal is considered to have died without slaughtering, and it is thus forbidden for consumption. The Sefer Ha’hinuch warns that a slaughterer who is not aware of this crucial law is guilty of feeding his fellow Jews forbidden meat. Moreover, the Sefer Ha’hinuch warns, it is forbidden to eat the meat of an animal slaughtered by somebody who is not proficient in the laws relevant to these five disqualifications.
As mentioned earlier, the knife used to slaughter the animal must be perfectly smooth, without any nicks. Therefore, a Shohet is required to carefully inspect the knife before slaughtering. The Gemara outlines the procedure that must be followed for this inspection.
These laws apply in all times and places, and to both men and women. Halacha allows a woman who is proficient in the relevant laws to perform Shehita.
Strictly speaking, a minor who is proficient in these laws may perform Shehita, as long as an adult supervises him. However, the Rabbis discourage having minors perform Shehita, because they frequently err, resulting in forbidden meat and thus causing a considerable financial loss.
If somebody partook of meat of an animal that did not undergo Halachically valid slaughtering, then besides transgressing the prohibition against eating a Nebela, he also transgresses this affirmative command to eat only meat from a properly-slaughtered animal. If he ate a Ke’zayit of such meat, he is liable to Malkut for violating the command not to eat a Nebela.
We must be very careful when purchasing meat to ensure that it was prepared through proper Shehita. In earlier generations, this was somewhat easier, because people generally knew the Shohet, whom they trusted as knowledgeable and G-d-fearing. This is not the case today, when meat is prepared industrially, on a large scale, and when companies have an interest in sidestepping halachic restrictions in order to maximize profits. We must therefore exercise caution and purchase meat only if it has reliable certification.
The unique importance of this law can be seen in the Gemara’s comment in Masechet Megilla (12a) that the Jews at the time of the Purim story were deserving of annihilation because they took part in Ahashverosh’s feast. It seems that this violation, indulging in non-kosher food, is so severe that it is punishable by death. Although Bet Din punishes this violation with Malkut, it seems that G-d treats it as a capital offense, to the point where He nearly annihilated the Jewish People in response to their participation in Ahashverosh’s feast.
This explains the Gemara’s otherwise perplexing discussion in Masechet Hulin (139b), where it raises the question of “Haman Min Ha’Torah Minayin” – where we might find an allusion to Haman in the Humash. The Gemara answers by citing G-d’s response to Adam after he and Havah partook of the forbidden fruit – “Ha’min Ha’etz Asher Siviticha Le’bilti Achol Mimenu Achalta” (“Did you eat from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?! – Bereshit 3:11). The word “Ha’min” can be punctuated differently to read “Haman,” and this verse, then, alludes to Haman. The question naturally arises as to why the Gemara found it necessary to find such an allusion in the Humash, and how the story of Adam’s sin in Gan Eden relates to Haman and the Purim story. The answer might be that the Torah was wondering where in the Torah we find an indication that the sin of partaking of forbidden food constitutes a capital offense, punishable by death. It wanted to know why Haman – the threat of annihilation – was a punishment for the Jews’ participation in Ahashverosh’s feast. The Gemara found the answer to this question in the story of Adam’s sin, which brought death to the world. Adam and Hava were severely punished for eating forbidden fruit, to the extent that G-d decreed death in response to this misdeed. This shows us the unique gravity of the sin of eating forbidden food.
Indeed, the Gemara noted that great Sages were capable of making occasional mistakes, but they would never eat forbidden food. It is more likely that a Tanna (Rabbi from the period of the Mishna) would accidentally violate Shabbat than he would eat non-kosher food.
The reason for this unique severity, perhaps, is that the food we eat becomes part of us. Other sins are simply forbidden actions, which one can regret and repent for. Forbidden food, however, becomes part of the body, and cannot simply be eliminated. It adversely affects the person, compromising his judgment and his ability to properly understand Torah. The Rambam once wrote a letter to a community that was struggling with philosophical questions relevant to Jewish faith, and he urged them to check the butcher to make sure their meat is kosher. The consumption of non-kosher meat has the effect of undermining a person’s faith and religious devotion. We must therefore exercise caution in this regard and ensure to eat meat with reliable certification.