Chullin 56
נבדקיה והדר נשחטיה האמר רבה
If we first examine it and then slaughter it [it i also of no avail, for] has not Rabbah taught that the gullet cannot be examined from the outside but only from the inside?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The gullet or oesophagus has two principal coats, the outer or muscular coat being red and the inner or mucous coat pale or whitish. A perforation would not be noticeable in the outer coat but only in the inner coat.');"><sup>1</sup></span>
וושט אין לו בדיקה מבחוץ אלא מבפנים
His son, R'Joseph, said to him: We could first examine the windpipe and then cut it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this in itself would be sufficient to render the slaughtering valid.');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ר' יהודה אומר
R'Hisda said that R'Judah deals with the case of a bird only, [and his reason is] because it is often roasted whole,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is therefore necessary to cut these veins in order to allow the blood to flow out.');"><sup>5</sup></span>
לא א"ר יהודה אלא בעוף הואיל וצולהו כולו כאחד אבל בהמה כיון דמנתחה אבר אבר לא צריך
Surely we have learnt: R'JUDAH SAYS: HE MUST CUT<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'slaughter'. I.e., ritually, since they are an intrinsic part of the slaughtering, and not merely cut for the purpose of allowing the blood to run out.');"><sup>6</sup></span>
למימרא דטעמא דרבי יהודה משום דם הוא
THROUGH THE JUGULAR VEINS? - Say: He must pierce<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With any instrument and not necessarily the slaughtering knife; the sole purpose being to allow the blood to flow.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
תא שמע
Come and hear: They said to R'Judah: 'Since the jugular veins were referred to only for the purpose of drawing out the blood, what does it matter whether they are cut ritually or not? ' It is evident,is it not, that Judah is of the opinion that they must be cut ritually? - This is what they said to him, 'What does it matter whether one pierces them at the time of the ritual cutting or not? ' He, however, is of the opinion that if [the jugular veins are] pierced at the time of the ritual cutting, the blood, being warm, will flow freely, but after the ritual cutting the blood will not flow so freely, for it is already cold.
וורידין בשחיטה דברי ר' יהודה
R'Jeremiah raised the question: According to R'Judah, what would be the law if one paused or pressed downwards whilst cutting the jugular veins?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., do they require ritual cutting? It is quite apparent that R. Jeremiah had not heard of R. Hisda's statement supra, for otherwise this question would not arise.');"><sup>8</sup></span>
אימא
- A certain old man answered him: This is what R'Eleazar has said (others read: A certain old man said to R'Eleazar: This is what R'Johanan has said) : They may be pierced with a thorn and are thus rendered valid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the piercing of these veins does not form part of the slaughtering and therefore it is of no consequence if one paused or pressed whilst cutting them.');"><sup>9</sup></span>
מנקבן בקוץ והן כשרין
Has he not cut here the greater portion? - [It is invalid only] by Rabbinic ruling as a precaution lest he should cut less than an exact half.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the law of the Torah the slaughtering in this case would be valid; the carcass therefore is not regarded as nebelah and will not render anything unclean.');"><sup>11</sup></span>
תניא כוותיה דרב חסדא
R'Kattina said: Come and hear: If he divided it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. an unclean earthenware stove. An earthenware vessel, once unclean, can in no wise be rendered clean and must be broken (V. Lev. XI, 35) . There must not remain one whole piece larger than half of the original vessel, for then the greater Part of the vessel is whole and would retain the uncleanness.');"><sup>12</sup></span>
שחט שני חצאי סימנין בעוף פסול ואין צריך לומר בבהמה
into two equal parts, both parts are unclean, because it is impossible to make an exactly equal division.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since one must necessarily be larger than the other, and it is not known which is the larger piece, both pieces remain unclean.');"><sup>13</sup></span>
חצי אחד בעוף וכו':
When you turn to one part you must regard it as the greater portion [and therefore unclean], and when you turn to the other part you must regard it as the greater portion [and therefore also unclean]? - R'Papa answered: There cannot be two greater portions in one vessel!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In this case therefore, since each half must clearly be treated on the same footing, each must be considered as a half and no more, with the result that each half is clean. In the case of shechitah however, the two parts of the organ are not treated on the same footing, for we are only concerned with the part that is cut; hence we may regard the exact half which is cut as equivalent to the greater portion, with the result that the slaughtering is valid.');"><sup>14</sup></span>