Chullin 34
סכין שיש בה פגימות הרבה תידון כמגירה ושאין בה אלא פגימה אחת אוגרת פסולה מסוכסכת כשרה
A knife with many notches must be regarded as a saw; with but one notch, if it is ogereth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. from the root , 'to gather, to take in', i.e., to catch or intercept the finger-nail as it passes along the edge of the knife. ,fxfxn ,fxfuxn lxfx');"><sup>1</sup></span>
כגון שהוליך ולא הביא
The sharp edge of the knife will cut [the skin and flesh] and the notch will tear [the organs]! - [The reference is to a notch] that is at the top of the knife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the part of the knife which has this one-edged notch will merely cut the skin and perhaps also the flesh, but the organs will be properly cut by the rest of the knife which is not notched.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
אמר רבא ג' מדות בסכין
But even so, when the knife is moved forward [the edge of the notch] cuts [the skin and flesh] and when it is drawn back it tears [the organs]! - [The reference is where the slaughterer] moved [the knife] forward but did not draw it back.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There is therefore no possibility of the notch having come into contact with the organs at all.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
אוגרת לא ישחוט ואם שחט שחיטתו פסולה
Raba stated: There are three rules with regard to the knife: (i) if it has an ogereth, one may not slaughter with it, and if one did the slaughtering is invalid; (ii) if it has a mesakseketh, one may not slaughter with it the first instance, but if one did the slaughtering is valid; (iii) if its edge is uneven,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it rises and descends'.');"><sup>5</sup></span>
א"ל רב הונא בריה דרב נחמיה לרב אשי
Is it not well known that Raba said: A knife with a mesakseketh is fit for use? - It is no contradiction, for in the one case [the slaughterer] moved the knife forward and backward<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The slaughtering is then invalid.');"><sup>6</sup></span>
מסוכסכת כשרה
R'Aha the son of R'Awia asked R'Ashi: What if the edge of the knife resembles an awn?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the edge of the knife is rough, though without notches. According to the Alfasi: the knife is so sharp that it resembles an awn.');"><sup>8</sup></span>
דמיא לסאסאה מאי
But is it not obviously necessary so to do, seeing that if the gullet is perforated the animal is trefah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And a knife with a notch will most certainly perforate and tear the gullet.');"><sup>11</sup></span>
מאן יהיב לן מבשריה ואכלינן
But surely has not R'Johanan said that the ruling that one must present the knife to a Sage for examination was laid down only out of respect to the Sage? - The rule is actually Rabbinic; and the verse adduced is merely a support.
מנין לבדיקת סכין מן התורה
the knife is usually examined by the light of the sun.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to detect any notches; either by holding up the knife to the light of the sun or by watching the shadow of the knife on the ground.');"><sup>14</sup></span>
שנאמר
In Nehardea it is usually examined with water.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either by passing the sharp edge of the knife across a smooth surface of water, the presence of a notch being detected by the ripple caused; or by allowing a drop of water to trickle down the edge of the knife, when any notch would impede the course of this drop of water.');"><sup>15</sup></span>
לחכם קאמרינן
In Sura it was said: Seeing that it is to cut flesh it must be examined with flesh.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., with the soft flesh of the finger or, as R. Shesheth did, with the tip of the tongue.');"><sup>16</sup></span>
והאמר רבי יוחנן
R'Papa ruled: It must be examined with the flesh of the finger and with the fingernail, and the examination must be of the three edges [of the knife].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the sharp edge, and also the sides of this edge must be examined.');"><sup>17</sup></span>
צריכא בדיקה אבישרא ואטופרא (ואתלתא רוחתא)
that if one made a knife red-hot and slaughtered with it the slaughtering is valid, because the effect of the sharp edge precedes the effect of the heat; and the question was raised as to the sides of the knife, and the answer was given that the cut opens wide?
אמר ליה רבינא לרב אשי אמר לן רב סמא בריה דרב משרשיא משמך דאמרת ליה משמיה דרבא
Then in this case, too, we should also say that the cut opens wide.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is therefore unnecessary to examine the side edges of the knife, for these cannot come into contact with the flesh since the cut opens wide apart.');"><sup>19</sup></span>
אמר ליה
In three matters the law regards a notch as of consequence: (i) A notch in the bone of the paschal lamb;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A notch or cut made in the bone of the paschal lamb is a transgression of the law: Neither shall ye break a bone thereof. Ex. XII, 46.');"><sup>20</sup></span>
אבישרא ואטופרא אמרי ואתלתא רוחתא לא אמרי
A notch in the ear of a male firstling;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is regarded as a blemish and renders the animal unfit for a sacrifice. Consequently this firstling may be slaughtered and used for ordinary purposes. The same would apply to a notch in any other organ besides the ear (v. Bek. 36a) .');"><sup>21</sup></span>
איכא דאמרי
A notch in any organ which, if blemished, invalidates a sacrifice.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This refers to such blemishes which are only to be found in female animals and which are not included in class (ii) . E.g., if the female genital organs were defective.');"><sup>22</sup></span>