Shulchan Arukh Yoreh De'ah · Siman 1

Shulchan Arukh Yoreh De'ah 1 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1All may slaughter (shecht), at the outset, even women. Rema: There are those that say that women should not be permitted to shecht, as we have already established a custom that (women) are not to shecht, and thus the tradition (holds) that women do not shecht. Slaves and anyone, even if you do not know that he does not faint (because of shechting), even if you do not know if he is an expert that knows the laws of shechita (kosher slaughter), it is permitted from the outset to let him shecht and it is permitted to eat from his shechita. This is because the majority of those that regularly shecht are under the presumption of being tested experts (in shechita). What situation are we talking about here? (We are talking about a situation) where that person is not in front of us, only then is it permitted to eat from his shechita, and we rely on the presumption (referenced to above). However if he is before us we need to check him, if he is an expert and knows the laws of shechita, however we do not need to ask if he faints. Rema: There are those that say that one should only rely on the presumption after the fact,and that initially the presumption should not be relied upon if you are in a place where you can clarify him (the Shochet's [kosher slaughterer's] abilities). All this applies to those that aren't proficient and need to know if this Shochet is proficient. But the Shochet himself shall not shecht, even if he knows the laws of shechita and is proficient, until he has shechted 3 times in front of a learned man and one that is proficient in the laws of shechita. Therefor we practice that a man shall not shecht without having obtained kabalah (ordination) from before a learned one. And the learned one should not give kabalah until he knows that he (the Shochet) knows the laws of shechita and is proficient with his hands. Therefor we practice that all who come to shecht we trust them initially and we don't check them before or after. Because all that are found to be shechting have already received kabalah from before a learned one. And in a few places they are more stringent. That the one who received (kabalah) also gets a written letter from the learned one, as proof that he has given him kabalah. And every Shochet, even though he has recieved kabalah, it is fitting that he should return to the chapters of laws of shechita. That they (the laws of shechita) should live in his mouth and in his heart, so that he will not forget them. And like in the laws of shechita and with one that comes to shecht thus is the ruling in the laws of bedikaht hare'ah (checking the lungs for disqualifying sickness) and one that comes to check (the lungs). And their (shechita's and behikah's) rules and customs are all equal in all of this. And it is fitting for a Jewish court to investigate and the bodkim (checkers of disqualifying sickness) and shochtim (kosher slaughterers). Because large is the transgression in bedikot and shechitot, that are applicable to all. And if they checked some Shochet or bodek and it is found that he does not know, if at one time he received kabbalah we do not deem all everything he has shechted in the past to be treif (unkosher), for we say that only now did he become bad. But if one has never received kabalah, everything that he has shechted will become treif, and also all the dishes on which what he shechted was cooked would need to be kashered
2. 2One does not need to know all of the different details of the laws (of shechita), rather if one says "concerning this matter I would be in doubt and ask (a competent authority)", such an individual is called "knowledgeable", until he calls that which is forbidden permitted. Rema: And we check him about the laws of shechita that will be explained later in the beginning of S23 and in the rules of checking of the knife and in the rules of checking the simanim after shechita that will be explained in S25. And if he shechts and is not here in front of us to check, we none the less check the simanim to see if the majority of them was shechted, because whatever is possible to check we do. And this is all in places where there is not a custom to get kabbalah, but in places where the custom is to get kabbalah, like the sons of Ashkenaz and others that follow them, we do not customarily check after him at all, as will be explained (later)
3. 3A person who we know that he does not know the laws of shechita, even if he shechts in front of us 4 or 5 times a proper and fitting shechita, and afterwards shechts privately his shechita is not kosher. Even if they ask him, "did you do such and such?" and from his answer it seems he shechted correctly, we do not rely on him. And even if he says "It is clear to me that I shechted beautifully." Rema: {a person who regularly faints, and we know he is not muchzak (established as not fainting), and he shechts and says "It is clear to me that I did not faint", (he is) believed. This is because he knows the laws of shechita.} And someone who we know does not know the laws of shechita, we can let him shecht if someone supervises him. This is only if he watches him from the beginning of the shechita until the end of it (the shechita). Rema: {And some are strict and forbid to let him shecht lehathila (initially). This is because he does not know the laws of schechita, and thus is the practice.}.
4. 4If his goats or chickens are lost or stolen, and he found them properly slaughtered; in a place where the majority of people are Jews (and also the majority of the thieves in the city are Jews), they are permissible (to eat) - whether he found them in the market or he found them in the refuse heap of a home. But if he found them in the refuse heap in the market, they are forbidden.
5. 5A person who is mute: that does not speak and does not hear; and a mentally disabled person, which is one who goes out himself at night or rips his clothes or sleeps in a graveyard or losses what is given to him… even just one of these, if he does it in the way of a crazy person; and a minor who does not know how to train his hands to shecht; we do not let them shecht lehat’hila (initially). Even if others are standing over them. And if they (none the less) shechted, their shechita is kosher if others were standing over them. But we do not allow them to shecht lehat’hila when others are not stand standing over them, even if we want to feed (the meat) to dogs. If a minor knows how to train his hands, if others are standing over him, he can shecht lehat’hila and it is allowed to eat from his shechita. Rema: However, if he shechts for himself, than his shechita is disqualified, even if he knows the laws of shechita; he is considered a minor with regards to this matter (of shechita) until he has become bar-mitzvah, which is 13 years and 1 day [old]. There are those that are strict to not give kabalah to anybody less than 18 years old. For then he is a “man with wisdom”, and knows to be careful.
6. 6One who is: a person with hearing-loss, which speaks but cannot hear- he shall not shecht. This is because he does not hear the blessing. If he shechts, even by himself, the slaughter is valid.
7. 7One who hears but does not speak, if he is skilled, he can even shecht lehat’hila if another blesses.
8. 8A drunk person who reaches the drunkenness of Lot, his ruling is that of a person of cognitive incapability. If he has not reached the drunkenness of Lot, he can shecht lehat’hila. Rema: And there are those that say that one who is drunk should not shecht, because for him to come to derasa (chopping, which is forbidden in shechita).
9. 9A blind person, shall not shecht lehat’hila, unless others are watching him. And if he shechted, his shechita is kosher.
10. 10A naked person shall not shecht lehat’hila, this is because he cannot make a blessing.
11. 11If the community established a decree, that none should shecht other than a known butcher, and another shechted, there are those that say his shechita is forbidden. Rema: If the decree was nullified than all the shochtim are in a presumption of kosher[shechita], as in the beginning.
12. 12One who shechts, in front of witnesses, an animal for an idol worshiper, then, when a Jew comes to buy it from him, he says “don’t buy (meat) from this animal because I did not shecht it” he is not believed. However, to himself(the Shochet) it(the meat) is forbidden , since he declared it to be a forbidden cut/slice for himself (by his statement that it wasn't kosher)
13. 13A butcher that makes a sign on the head of the sheep that was shechted, that it should be seen that it (the sheep) is treif, and he also said that it is treif. And afterwards he said that it was kosher, and that he only said this in order that they would not take it so that he should be able to take meat from it. Because he gave a reason for his words, he is trusted...
14. 14If one witness said that a shochet did not shecht correctly. And he (the shochet) denies it, one witness against a denial is nothing (not considered sufficient proof). And to the witness himself it is allowed to eat from here (the shochet’s meat) and to the next. In any case, everything is according to the man.

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