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Shechitah (sheh-HEE-tah) is the Jewish ritual of slaughtering permissible land animals and fowl so that they are considered Kosher and are able to be eaten by Jews. Keeping Kosher is a very important aspect of Judaism because it benefits the mind, body, and soul; however non-Jews often consume Kosher meat because of the special process involved. Shechitah ensures the animal is slaughtered so that it feels no pain, and also ensures the meat is of the best quality.[1] It is a very difficult process, however, and it requires years of experience, a vast knowledge of biblical laws, and experience with the anatomy of the animal being slaughtered.[2] While you will not be able to do this yourself, because of the training involved, you might want to know the processes so you can understand why the price is considerably higher.
Steps
Community Q&A
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QuestionShould a cow be stunned before it is slaughtered?Community AnswerNo, performing an action that could in any way affect the health of an animal is prohibited, and if performed, renders said animal trefah.
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QuestionWill a stun knife work, I don't want it to wiggle?Community AnswerNo. You need a stun gun that will use enough force to penetrate the cow's brain. Anything you kill will always wiggle or twitch violently because the nervous system is trying to stay alive for about 2-5 minutes. That's just the way it is.
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QuestionAre there any modern variations to kosher slaughtering?Community AnswerYes, you can slit the throat at the same time the animal is stunned by a stun gun. There is a device for this in most slaughterhouse equipment catalogues.
Tips
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A person must be trained and certified by special rabbinic authorities to become a Shochet.[12]Thanks
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By law, a Kosher slaughterer must be an honest, kind and upright man. A cruel person person cannot be a shochet.[13]Thanks
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Stunning is against the laws of Kashrut.[14]Thanks
Warnings
- There is no way you could actually shecht a cow according to the standards of kashrut by just reading this article.Thanks
- You must receive certification to become a Shochet.Thanks
- It is extremely important to thoroughly examine if the cow is kosher before, during, and after the slaughtering.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- a chalif (chalef) (the blade must be checked before each slaughtering).
- a sharpening stone
- a cow
References
- ↑ https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-ritual-slaughter-shechitah
- ↑ https://www.dialrel.net/dialrel/images/dialrel-wp1-final.pdf
- ↑ https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=ijsap
- ↑ https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/412206/jewish/Why-Shechitah-Is-Important.htm
- ↑ https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/perspectives/publications/2012/06/hebrew-national-accused-of-being-the-wurst
- ↑ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/halal-and-kosher-slaughter
- ↑ https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kosher-slaughtering-an-introduction/
- ↑ https://cor.ca/2015/03/what-is-shechita-kosher-slaughter/
- ↑ https://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Projects/Reln91/Blood/Judaism/kashrut/kashrut.htm#:~:text=The%20Torah%20explicitly%20prohibits%20the,is%20contained%20in%20the%20blood.&text=%22Moreover%20you%20shall%20eat%20no,cut%20off%20from%20his%20people.%22
- ↑ https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/222245/jewish/What-Inspection-Does-the-Shochet-Perform-at-and-after-Shechita.htm
- ↑ https://www.torchweb.org/torah_detail.php?id=550
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6582925/
- ↑ https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/222243/jewish/Can-Anyone-Perform-Shechita.htm
- ↑ https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/222246/jewish/Whats-Wrong-with-Stunning.htm
- https://classroom.synonym.com/what-are-the-requirements-to-make-a-food-kosher-12080166.html