18 – Laws of Sheḥita

01. The Requirement of Sheḥita

The Torah permits the Jewish people to eat the meat of domesticated animals, wild animals, and birds, provided the animals are slaughtered properly, as it is stated: “You shall slaughter from your cattle and from your flock, which the Lord has given you, as I commanded you” (Devarim 12:21; Ḥullin 28a). Meat that did not undergo valid sheḥita is forbidden by Torah law as either ever min ha-ḥai or neveila.

The prohibition of ever min ha-ḥai forbids eating a limb or piece of meat removed from a domesticated animal, wild animal, or bird while it is still alive. If the animal is later slaughtered, the sheḥita permits the rest of its meat, but it does not permit the limb or meat that had already been removed. Noaḥ’s descendants are also bound by this prohibition, as it is stated: “But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat” (Bereishit 9:4; Sanhedrin 57a). The Torah later repeated this commandment to the Jewish people: “Do not eat the life with the flesh” (Devarim 12:23; Ḥullin 102b).

The prohibition of neveila applies when an animal dies from illness, old age, or an accident, or when it is slaughtered improperly. In all these cases, the animal is considered a neveila and may not be eaten, as it is stated: “You shall not eat any neveila; give it to the stranger within your gates and he may eat it, or sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to the Lord your God” (Devarim 14:21).

An animal that was slaughtered properly but had a condition that would cause it to die within a year is a tereifa and may not be eaten, as it is stated: “You shall be holy people to Me; you shall not eat flesh torn in the field; you shall cast it to the dogs” (Shemot 22:30). As regards the prohibition of eating, neveila, tereifa, and ever min ha-ḥai are treated alike: one who intentionally eats a ke-zayit of meat from any of them, after being warned by witnesses, is liable to lashes. In matters of ritual impurity, however, there is a difference: a neveila is impure, whereas a tereifa is not. Today, these laws of ritual impurity and purity do not apply in practice, since we have no way to purify ourselves from corpse impurity.

The requirement of sheḥita is limited to domesticated animals, wild animals, and birds. Kosher fish and kosher locusts do not require sheḥita at all; consequently, the prohibitions of neveila, tereifa, and ever min ha-ḥai do not apply to them (Ḥullin 27b; above, 17:7–8).

After sheḥita, one may not eat the animal’s meat while it is still convulsing. The meat becomes permitted only after the animal has fully died, as it is stated: “You shall not eat upon the blood” (Vayikra 19:26). One prohibition derived from this verse is eating meat from an animal whose life has not yet ended (Sanhedrin 63a; SA YD 27:1). When a wild animal or bird is slaughtered, there is also a mitzva to cover its blood, as explained below in section 9.

Even after sheḥita has been performed properly, one must still be careful about several prohibitions: eating blood, eating the gid ha-nasheh, and eating the forbidden fats of domesticated animals.

As we learned above in chapter 14, eating animal meat is morally complex. Initially, human beings were not permitted to kill animals for food. After the sin of Adam and the Flood, however, the world descended from its original level, and people were permitted to eat animals. Sheḥita is a special mitzva that God gave Israel, so that the animal’s meat may be elevated from its own level and become fit for the spiritual level of Israel, who are holy. Thus we read: “You shall not eat any neveila… for you are a holy people to the Lord your God” (Devarim 14:21), and: “You shall be holy people to Me… you shall not eat… tereifa” (Shemot 22:30).

02. The Laws of Sheḥita

The laws of sheḥita were given to Moshe at Sinai, as it is stated: “You shall slaughter from your cattle and from your flock, which the Lord has given you, as I commanded you” (Devarim 12:21; Ḥullin 28a). In sheḥita, the two simanim must be cut: the windpipe and the esophagus. These simanim are the channels of life: the windpipe supplies oxygen, and the esophagus supplies food. When they are cut, the animal’s source of life is severed (SA YD 21:1). To spare the animal suffering and because of the prohibition of eating blood, the arteries and veins must be cut together with the simanim. Once the arteries are cut, the animal no longer feels pain and its life departs without suffering; cutting them also drains the blood that is forbidden to eat, as explained below in section 3.^[1]

Sheḥita is performed with a sharp knife drawn across the soft front of the neck, where the simanim and arteries are located. If, however, one slaughtered from the back of the neck, then as soon as the knife struck and cut the spinal bone, the animal became a neveila, and continuing the cut until reaching the two simanim would no longer help. If one began slaughtering from the side of the neck, the sheḥita is valid as long as both simanim were cut without touching the spinal bone. In turkeys and doves, the simanim are located at the sides of the neck. The shoḥet must position the birds so that the simanim face the front of the neck, ensuring the cut does not strike the spinal bone (SA YD 20:3–4).

Five laws of sheḥita were given to Moshe at Sinai: shehiya, derasa, ḥalada, hagrama, and ikur. If any of these requirements is not met, the sheḥita is invalid and the meat is classified as neveila.

Shehiya refers to a pause during the act of sheḥita. The act of sheḥita must be continuous; if the shoḥet pauses even momentarily, the sheḥita is invalid. True, the Sages said that a pause invalidates only if it lasts as long as it takes to perform sheḥita (Ḥullin 32a). Nevertheless, according to many Rishonim, this means the time it takes to cut most of the simanim – an interval of less than a second, too brief to measure – and the practice is therefore to invalidate the sheḥita after any pause at all (Rashi; Mahari Weil; Rema YD 23:2; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 13).

Derasa refers to slaughter by pressure rather than by cutting. Sheḥita must be performed by drawing the knife back and forth across the neck, not by pressing the knife into it. Any pressure of the knife into the neck, even slight pressure, is derasa and invalidates the sheḥita. If the knife is at least twice the width of the neck, one may, when necessary, perform a valid sheḥita with a single cutting motion. Ideally, however, one should use such a knife while moving it back and forth, so as to avoid any possible concern of derasa (SA YD 24:1–6; Shulḥan Arukh Ha-Rav 9; Simla Ḥadasha 3).

Ḥalada refers to concealed sheḥita, where the knife is inserted into the neck and cuts from within. Such a sheḥita is invalid. The word ḥalada denotes concealment, like a weasel (ḥulda) that hides in holes, because the knife is concealed inside the neck. If an animal had heavy wool on its neck and the shoḥet inserted the knife beneath the wool and slaughtered, the sheḥita is invalid out of concern for ḥalada, and the animal’s meat is forbidden to eat (Ḥullin 30b; SA YD 24:7–8). When an animal has thick wool on its neck, the practice is to shear it before sheḥita.

Hagrama refers to slaughtering outside the section of the neck designated for sheḥita. The cut must not be made too high, toward the mouth, or too low, toward the lungs and stomach; if it is, the sheḥita is invalid. For this reason, the accepted practice is to slaughter near the middle of the neck, avoiding any concern of hagrama (SA YD 20:1–3; 24:12–14).

Ikur refers to sheḥita in which the simanim are torn, uprooted, or displaced rather than cut properly in their place. It invalidates sheḥita in one of two ways. The first involves the knife: if the blade has a nick, it can tear or puncture the windpipe and esophagus rather than cut them cleanly, and the sheḥita is invalid. The second involves the simanim themselves: if one of them has become dislodged from its natural place in the neck, and it is cut in that state, the sheḥita is invalid (SA YD 24:15–18).

03. Sheḥita and Mercy

Although the mitzva of sheḥita is a divine commandment whose full reason we cannot understand, its laws clearly express mercy. As R. Dr. Levinger explains in his comprehensive work Ha-Sheḥita Ve-tza’ar Ba’alei Ḥayim, sheḥita is the least painful way to put an animal to death without suffering. The artery that supplies most of the blood to the brain passes through the site of sheḥita, so immediately after sheḥita, the brain’s blood supply is cut off. By the time the pain signal would reach the cerebral cortex — where pain is consciously registered — the lack of blood and oxygen has already cut off the cortex’s ability to receive it. Even before the main artery is cut, the pain is barely felt: sheḥita must be performed with a sharp, smooth knife in a swift motion, and under these conditions the sensation of pain is almost imperceptible. In addition, the practice is to place the animal on its side before sheḥita. This reduces its distress, both because the position distracts the animal from the act of slaughter and because, in that position, the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain is cut off more quickly. Research has also shown that animals do not sense they are about to be killed: even after animals standing beside them were slaughtered, they continued calmly chewing grass — whereas when frightened, animals stop chewing entirely.

The requirements of sheḥita also appear to reflect the animal’s degree of development and capacity for suffering. The Torah is more demanding with domesticated and wild animals than with birds: for domesticated and wild animals, both simanim – the windpipe and the esophagus – must be cut, whereas for a bird, the sheḥita is valid, at the minimum level, if even one siman is cut (Ḥullin 27b). This distinction may be understood as follows: since birds have a less developed nervous system and their suffering is less acute, the law of their sheḥita is less demanding as well (above, 15:1, principle 2). The same logic may explain why fish and locusts require no sheḥita at all: since their nervous systems and brains are far less developed, the Torah did not command that they be slaughtered, and the prohibition of ever min ha-ḥai does not apply to them (below, section 11; above, 17:7–8).

A story is told about R. Yehuda Ha-Nasi (Rebbi), the editor of the Mishna. A calf was once being led to slaughter. It broke away from the shoḥet, hid its head in the folds of Rebbi’s garment, and cried out in distress. Although animals do not seem to sense that they are about to be killed, this calf apparently had been pulled forcefully and hurt, and it ran away in distress. Rebbi pushed the calf away and said, “Go to the shoḥet, for this is what you were created for.” At that moment, a severe accusation arose against Rebbi in Heaven: Since he did not have mercy on that calf, severe suffering should come upon him. For thirteen years, Rebbi suffered from gum pain and painful urination.

Sometime later, Rebbi’s maidservant was cleaning the house when she found a litter of young rats and was about to throw them out. Rebbi said to her: “Leave them, for it is stated, ‘His mercy is upon all His works’” (Tehilim 145:9). At that moment, Heaven judged him differently: Since he had shown mercy to animals, he too deserved mercy. His suffering ceased (Bava Metzia 85a).

Although halakha permits slaughtering animals for their meat, this story teaches that one should feel some measure of sorrow over it. In truth, in the world’s ideal state, human beings would have been able to sustain themselves on plant-based food alone. Only after the entire world descended from its original level through Adam’s sin and the sins that brought the Flood did the laws of nature take hold, and human beings began eating animals. Given Rebbi’s great spiritual and moral stature, he should have shown the calf some measure of mercy, soothing it and easing its path to slaughter. Because he was unmoved by its suffering, suffering came upon him (Rav Kook, Ḥazon Ha-tzimḥonut Ve-ha-shalom 1).

The Sages said that Rebbi did not resent his suffering. In his prayer, he asked that if it was proper for him to be refined through suffering, the suffering should continue to afflict him. Since this suffering came upon him in keeping with his moral stature, to refine and purify him, the Sages said that during all those years of his suffering, the rains did not cease (Bava Metzia 85a).

04. The Shoḥet

All Jews are halakhically eligible to perform sheḥita: men and women, adults and minors, and even a Jew who occasionally stumbles and eats tereifot (Ḥullin 2a; SA YD 1:1; 2:2). If a non-Jew performed sheḥita, however, even if he performed it properly, the sheḥita is invalid and the meat is neveila, for only one who was commanded in sheḥita is eligible to perform it. Similarly, if a Jew worships idols, desecrates Shabbat publicly, or eats neveilot in defiance, his sheḥita is invalid (SA YD 2:1–5).

Although all Jews are eligible to perform sheḥita, their sheḥita is valid only if it was done properly. Therefore, if the person who slaughtered is proficient in the five laws of sheḥita, we may rely on his sheḥita. If he is not proficient, his sheḥita is valid only if a Jew who is proficient in the relevant halakha was present and saw that he slaughtered properly. Ideally, even one who has studied the laws should not slaughter independently until he has practiced several times before an experienced shoḥet, who can assess both his skill and his ability to handle the sight of blood (MT, Laws of Sheḥita 4:1–3).

Since even a small flaw in the knife can invalidate sheḥita, and detecting such flaws requires trained sensitivity, the Sages placed the knife under rabbinic oversight. Anyone who wished to slaughter first had to present his knife to the local rabbi, who would examine it and determine whether it was fit for sheḥita. Strictly speaking, any Torah scholar could perform this examination; nevertheless, out of respect for the local rabbi, the knife was brought specifically to him (Ḥullin 17b). This meeting also allowed the rabbi to assess the owner of the knife and determine whether he needed to review the laws of sheḥita before slaughtering.

The Sages were especially strict with meat sellers, since the public relied on them. They were not permitted to slaughter unless they had first shown their knife to the rabbi. A butcher who failed to do so was placed under a ban. If he had bypassed the rabbi and his knife was then found to be nicked, he lost the right to sell meat, and the community was informed that any meat he sold from then on was to be treated as tereifa (Ḥullin 18a; SA YD 18:17).

In villages, many Jews raised their own animals and birds and knew how to slaughter them, so responsibility remained largely with each individual: whoever slaughtered, whether for himself or for others, first had to show his knife to the rabbi. In cities, however, the community depended on professional shoḥetim, and those appointed to the role had to be carefully vetted to ensure that they were God-fearing and proficient in their craft. If, Heaven forbid, an unsuitable shoḥet were appointed, he could cause the entire community to eat neveilot and tereifot for years.

Thus, as Jewish life became concentrated in larger communities and trades grew more specialized, sheḥita too became an established communal role, entrusted to designated individuals. The leading Torah authorities therefore ruled that no one may be appointed as a shoḥet without certification from a qualified rabbi, attesting that he is God-fearing and proficient in the relevant laws. Responsibility for the kashrut of the community’s meat remained with the local rabbi, who would appoint designated rabbinic overseers to supervise sheḥita and the examination for tereifot on his behalf. Inspecting the knives was only one part of this broader responsibility (see Rema YD 1:1).

Since sheḥita expresses Israel’s sanctity, as explained above in section 1, the shoḥet should be more than technically competent: he should be refined in character, righteous, and God-fearing. His work is to elevate the animal from the animal realm, rendering its flesh fit to become part of Israel’s vitality and strength in the service of Torah and mitzvot. For this reason, the shoḥet should also be compassionate and gentle, and should not approach slaughter with coarseness of heart or cruelty.

05. The Berakha over the Mitzva

Before slaughtering, the shoḥet recites: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu al ha-sheḥita (“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning sheḥita”). If he forgot to recite the berakha before slaughtering, it can no longer be said, but the sheḥita remains valid (SA YD 19:1).

When one intends to slaughter several animals, one berakha covers them all. From the berakha until the final slaughtering, he should not speak about unrelated matters; he may speak about matters connected to the sheḥita itself.

Even though an animal may later be found to be a tereifa, leaving its meat forbidden, the berakha is recited before slaughtering each animal because most animals are kosher. If, however, a question about the animal’s kosher status arose while it was still alive – for example, if it was sick or injured – the shoḥet should not recite the berakha before slaughtering it, since the sheḥita may not permit its meat. After the sheḥita, the animal should be examined promptly; if it is found to be kosher, the shoḥet recites the berakha immediately (Rema YD 19:1; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 8, 11). Better still, the animal whose status is uncertain should be slaughtered together with an ordinary animal or bird: the shoḥet recites the berakha before slaughtering the ordinary animal or bird, and that berakha covers the animal whose status is uncertain as well (Taz and Shakh).

06. The Knife

Sheḥita must be performed with an instrument that cuts cleanly. In principle, one may slaughter even with a detached object such as flint, glass, or wood, provided that it is sharp, smooth, and free of any nick (Ḥullin 15b; SA YD 6:1–2). In practice, however, sheḥita is performed with a metal knife, because metal is strong and can be sharpened to a fine, reliable edge.

Any nick in the knife invalidates the sheḥita, because at the point of the nick, the knife tears the simanim rather than cutting them. A nick is disqualifying only if it “catches”: if a hair drawn along the blade would get caught in the damaged spot, it is a nick that catches (Ḥullin 17b; SA YD 18:2). For this reason, the knife must be examined carefully before sheḥita, on all three sides of its edge. The examination is performed by gently running one’s fingernail back and forth along the full length of the right side of the edge, then along the left side, and finally along the cutting edge itself. If a nick is found, the knife is sharpened again until the edge is completely smooth. Originally, the three sides of the knife were also checked against the flesh of the finger. In recent generations, however, as metalworking improved and knives became sharper, this became difficult to do without risking a cut to the finger. Shoḥatim and inspectors therefore customarily rely on the fingernail examination alone (Ḥullin 17b; SA YD 18:9; Beit David 5).

The knife must be examined again after sheḥita. If a nick is then found, the animal is forbidden, because the blade may have been damaged by the animal’s hide before it reached the simanim, so that the actual sheḥita was performed with a defective knife. To reduce this risk, mud and clay are removed from the animal’s neck before slaughter, and thick wool is shaved away (SA YD 18:12).

When many animals are slaughtered, the knife must be checked between one animal and the next; otherwise, if a nick is discovered only at the end, every animal slaughtered since the last valid inspection becomes forbidden. Large-scale poultry slaughter follows a different practice. There, after the initial inspection, many birds are slaughtered in succession, and the knife is examined afterward. If a nick is found, all the birds slaughtered since the previous inspection are rendered forbidden. This system is used because the loss caused by stopping to inspect the knife before every bird would be greater than the occasional loss incurred when a damaged knife is discovered and an entire group of birds must be rejected (SA and Rema YD 18:11; see Beit David, Yesodei Ha-Bayit 18:6:3). In practice, improved metal production has made this concern far less common: today’s knives are made from high-quality metal, and nicks serious enough to invalidate them are found only rarely.

07. Young Animals and Chicks Fit for Sheḥita

A newborn domesticated animal may be slaughtered immediately if we know that it completed its full gestation – nine months for cattle and five months for sheep and goats. When this is not known, we wait until the eighth day after birth; by then, it is clear that the newborn is viable and not a nefel. Since in practice we generally do not know whether a newborn animal completed its full gestation, newborn animals are not slaughtered before the eighth day after birth (SA YD 15:2).

This is different from offerings, for which the eighth day is itself required by the Torah. As it is stated: “When an ox, sheep, or goat is born, it shall remain seven days under its mother; from the eighth day onward it shall be accepted as a fire-offering to the Lord” (Vayikra 22:27). For ordinary meat, however, the eighth-day wait serves only to establish that the newborn is viable.

A chick becomes fit for sheḥita only after it has fully broken through its shell and emerged into the world. As long as it remains inside the egg, it is classified as a sheretz ha-of. Therefore, if the shell was broken open and the chick was removed, it may not be slaughtered or eaten. Only after it fully develops like other birds does it become fit for sheḥita (SA YD 15:1; Simla Ḥadasha 1). According to many authorities, even a chick that broke through the shell on its own should not be slaughtered before large feathers have grown on its wings, since eating such an undeveloped chick raises a concern of bal teshaktzu (Shakh 15:2; Tevu’ot Shor 15:2; AHS 2–3; Taz permits it).

08. An Animal and Its Offspring

The Torah forbids slaughtering a mother animal and her offspring, whether male or female, on the same day, as it is stated: “Whether an ox or a sheep, you shall not slaughter it and its young on the same day” (Vayikra 22:28). The order does not matter: if the offspring was slaughtered first, the mother may not be slaughtered that same day. Nor does the prohibition depend on one person performing both acts of sheḥita: once one animal has been slaughtered, no Jew may slaughter the animal’s mother or offspring that day.

When a young animal is attached to a female and follows her about, she is presumed to be its mother, even if no one remembers with certainty that it was born from her. Accordingly, the two may not be slaughtered on the same day. Where there is no such indication, however, we do not suspect that two animals from the same herd are mother and offspring (Tur and SA YD 16:5).

In practice, this prohibition generally concerns the mother and her young, since the father’s identity is usually unknown. The sire also has no recognizable ongoing bond with the offspring; it is the mother who nurses and tends her young while they are small. The Tannaim disagree whether the prohibition also applies to the father when his identity is known. In practice, since the halakha remains uncertain, the ruling is stringent: if the father’s identity is certain, neither he nor his offspring may be slaughtered that day. Nevertheless, because this application of the prohibition remains doubtful, one who transgresses is not punished with lashes (MT, Laws of Sheḥita 12:11; SA YD 16:1).

The “day” of this prohibition is the halakhic day, which begins at nightfall. Thus, if the mother was slaughtered at the beginning of the night, the offspring may not be slaughtered until the next day has ended. If the mother was slaughtered shortly before sunset, the offspring may be slaughtered that night, once three stars have emerged and a new halakhic day has begun (SA YD 16:4).

An animal bought in the marketplace may be slaughtered that same day; the buyer need not worry that its mother or offspring was also sold for slaughter that day. If the seller knows that he sold the animal’s mother or offspring for slaughter that same day, he must warn the buyer not to slaughter the animal he has purchased. On four occasions each year, however, the Sages required the seller to issue this warning even when the first buyer did not say explicitly that he intended to slaughter the animal that day. Since people normally bought animals on those days for immediate slaughter, the seller had to warn the second buyer if he sold him the mother or offspring of an animal already sold that day. These occasions are: the eve of Shemini Atzeret, the eve of Pesaḥ, the eve of Shavuot, and the eve of Rosh Hashana (Ḥullin 83a; SA YD 16:6). In large communities where many animals were customarily slaughtered for Shabbat, the rabbis instructed people to follow this stringency every Friday as well (Zivḥei Tzedek 16:17; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 31).

Today, slaughterhouses prevent this problem by scheduling different categories of animals for different days: calves are slaughtered on one set of days, nursing cows on another, and breeding males on another, so that a parent and its offspring will not be slaughtered on the same day.

If a mother and offspring were nevertheless slaughtered on the same day, some authorities maintain that although a Torah prohibition was violated, the meat may be eaten (Rambam, Ramban, and Rashba). Others maintain that the meat of the second animal should not be eaten until the halakhic day has ended (Behag, Rosh, and Ran; see SA YD 16:3). The prohibition of slaughtering an animal and its offspring applies only when both animals were slaughtered. If the first animal died on its own, or if its sheḥita was invalid, the second may be slaughtered that same day (SA YD 16:9).

This prohibition applies only to domesticated animals, not to wild animals; it also does not apply to birds.

Some Rishonim explain that this prohibition is meant to cultivate mercy within us. Although we eat animal meat, it is not fitting to slaughter a mother and her offspring on the same day (Rambam, Moreh Nevukhim 3:48; Ramban to Devarim 22:6).

09. Covering the Blood

One who slaughters a wild animal or a bird must cover its blood, as it is stated: “Any person from the Children of Israel or from the stranger who resides among them who hunts game, a wild animal or bird that may be eaten, shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth” (Vayikra 17:13). By contrast, the blood of a domesticated animal does not require covering, as it is stated: “You shall pour it upon the earth like water” (Devarim 12:24). Wild animals and birds share a common feature: they ordinarily live freely and must be hunted. Domesticated animals, by contrast, generally live under human care and are fed by people. True, chickens are birds that commonly live among people, but the Torah did not divide the bird category by species. Since most birds live freely, the few domesticated species are included as well (SA YD 28:1; Shakh 1).

The status of the wild ox is disputed. According to the Sages, it is a domesticated species that fled to the wilderness and became wild; according to R. Yosei, it is classified as a wild animal because it matures in the wild (Mishna, Kilayim 8:6). Most authorities rule in accordance with the Sages, so its blood need not be covered (Tur and SA YD 28:4). Some, however, are stringent and account for the view that it is a wild animal; they therefore cover its blood without a berakha (Rema YD 28:4; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 24).

Before covering the blood, one recites: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu al kisui ha-dam be-afar (“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning covering the blood with earth”). If one slaughters many wild animals or birds, he need not cover each animal’s blood separately. When he finishes slaughtering them all, he recites the berakha over covering the blood with earth and covers all the blood together (SA YD 28:9; 19:5).

The responsibility to cover the blood rests first on the shoḥet. If he fails to do so and another Jew sees the blood uncovered, that Jew must cover it, since all Israel are obligated in this mitzva (SA YD 28:8). Even if the mitzva was neglected and the blood was not covered, the meat remains kosher (Rema YD 28:1).

The obligation to cover the blood exists only when the sheḥita has rendered the meat kosher. If the sheḥita was invalid, making the animal a neveila, or if a defect was found that rendered it a tereifa, its blood need not be covered. Therefore, before the blood is covered, the knife and the cut simanim are examined, along with the standard checks for possible tereifot. If everything is found to be kosher, the berakha is recited and the blood is covered (SA YD 28:17–20).

Many explain that this mitzva reflects a moral discomfort: humanity has not yet reached the level at which eating animals would no longer be fitting, and therefore we cover the blood (Sefer ha-Ḥinukh §187). In contrast, we were not commanded to cover the blood of domesticated animals, which depend on human beings for their sustenance. Had the Torah required an act of apology even for slaughtering them, the proper moral balance would have been upset (Rav Kook, Ḥazon Ha-tzimḥonut Ve-ha-shalom 14).

10. How the Blood Is Covered

The blood must be covered with a material halakhically classified as earth – either a substance commonly called earth or one in which seeds can be planted and grow. This includes soil, sand, manure, pulverized earthenware, ashes from burned materials, flax tow, and sawdust produced while wood is being sawed. Wet sand, which clumps rather than crumbles into fine particles, is not considered earth and may not be used. Sulfur and salt may not be used either, as they are not classified as earth (SA YD 28:23–24; Simla Ḥadasha 27–29).

The blood must be covered with earth both underneath and on top. Therefore, before slaughtering a wild animal or bird, the shoḥet should make sure that the blood will fall onto loose earth. If loose earth is already present, he should verbally designate it for the mitzva before beginning the sheḥita. After the blood has fallen onto the prepared earth, he recites the berakha and covers it with earth from above (SA YD 28:5; Shakh 12). If he mistakenly slaughtered over stones, he should move the blood onto loose earth, so that there is earth beneath it, and then cover it from above. If the blood cannot be moved, he covers it where it is; although the mitzva has not been performed in the proper manner, he still recites the berakha (SA YD 28:7; Simla Ḥadasha 8). The covering should be done respectfully, with one’s hand or with a utensil, not with the foot, lest mitzvot become degraded in his eyes (SA YD 28:6).

It is not necessary to cover every drop of blood. It is enough to cover some of the dam ha-nefesh, the vital blood that streams from the neck immediately after sheḥita. When possible, however, it is proper to cover all the blood.^[2]

In poultry slaughterhouses, the blood is collected in a large vessel prepared in advance with earth or sawdust, so that the blood falls onto a substance fit for covering. At the end of each slaughtering shift, the shoḥetim cover all the blood collected there.

If the blood is absorbed into the ground after sheḥita, then as long as a visible trace of the blood remains, that trace should be covered (SA YD 28:10). If the blood was properly covered and was later uncovered by the wind, it need not be covered again, since the mitzva had already been fulfilled. If, however, the wind covered the blood with earth before the shoḥet had a chance to do so, he is exempt as long as the blood remains covered; if it is later uncovered, he must cover it himself (Mishna, Ḥullin 87b; SA YD 28:11). According to many Aḥaronim, when he covers it in this last case, he does so without a berakha (Darkhei Teshuva 81).

11. Animals That Do Not Require Sheḥita

To permit domesticated animals, wild animals, and birds for eating, Torah law requires sheḥita. Fish and locusts, by contrast, require no sheḥita; they are not subject to the prohibitions of neveila, tereifa, or blood, and may be eaten regardless of how they died. They are also not subject to the prohibition of ever min ha-ḥai; therefore, one may cut off one of their limbs, rinse it, and eat it while they are still alive. Some authorities maintain that one should nevertheless not eat them in this manner, because doing so is cruel (Da’at Kohen §12). All agree, however, that one may not bite into them while they are alive, because this violates bal teshaktzu, which forbids eating in a repulsive manner (SA and Rema YD 13:1).

Although the mitzva of sheḥita is a divine decree whose full meaning lies beyond our grasp, we can suggest why fish and locusts require no sheḥita and are not included in the prohibition of ever min ha-ḥai. Their brains and nervous systems are far less developed than those of domesticated animals, wild animals, and birds, and it therefore stands to reason that their sense of pain and awareness of life are less developed as well, as explained above in section 3.

When a pregnant animal is properly slaughtered, the mother’s sheḥita also permits the fetus in her womb. This fetus is called a ben peku’a. Whether the fetus is alive or dead makes no difference: provided they undergo valid sheḥita, the fetus may be eaten as well. The Sages said, however, that if a ben peku’a walked on the ground, it must be slaughtered because of mar’it ayin, lest people think that an ordinary domesticated or wild animal is being eaten without sheḥita. Since the ben peku’a does not require sheḥita by law, its meat remains permitted even if it has defects that would render an ordinary animal a tereifa; as long as the mother is kosher, the fetus is kosher as well (SA YD 13:2). If the mother is found to be a tereifa, the fetus is forbidden too. If the fetus is kept alive until it has lived eight days and can stand on its feet, it is treated like any other domesticated or wild animal and can be permitted through its own sheḥita (SA YD 13:3; Shakh 11).^[3]