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ShechitaOn 17 Av 5765 (22 Aug 2005), I took a trip with my Rav HaMasmich and some 25 other musmachim to a slaughterhouse. We met there with shochtim who gave us live lessons and demonstrations in shechita and chulin. Most of us found the experience exhilarating — what wonders Hashem has made in His world and how remarkable His Torah! That said, not everyone is able to experience shechita as a spiritual encounter; the graphic nature of the slaughterhouse can be overwhelming. One of the shochtim told me that he fell unconcious when he first saw a shechita.Warning! These pictures are graphic! |
![]() Knives The shochet's knives must be large enough to perform the shechita in one pass. |
![]() Sharpening the Knife The shochet sharpens his knife. |
![]() The Shochet The shochet checks the knife before and after each shechita. |
![]() Checking the Knife R' Aharon checks the knife with his fingernail to confirm that there are no nicks. A nick would render the shechita invalid and the animal a neveila. Nicks are discussed in Y.D. 18. |
![]() Holding Pen This machine will hold the cow during the shechita. |
![]() Cow The cow is locked into place. |
![]() Cow It is given a drink of water. |
![]() Cow The holding pen begins to roll the cow upside-down. |
![]() Cow The holding pen rolls the cow upside-down. The Mechaber brings in Y.D. 6:4 that the knife must be above the animal's neck during the shechita. See also Shach s"k 8. |
![]() Cleaning The cow's neck is hosed down to remove dirt and debris. A stone stuck in the cow's fur can nick the knife. |
![]() Shechita While an assistant extends the cow's neck by pushing the cow's chin with a specially shaped poll, the shochet performs the shechita, taking the cow's life with one cut through the trachea, esophagus, and carotid arteries. Y.D. 20:4 explains that the shochet pulls the trachea forward before the shechita so that it is cut first. In 22:2, the Mechaber explains that the carotid arteries don't have to be cut as part of the shechita for the shechita to be valid, though if they are not cut, the animal cannot be roasted whole and the arteries themselves must be removed and discarded. As animals are rarely (and today never) roasted whole, this isn't considered a major issue. |
![]() After the Shechita After the blood drains, the cow will be lifted by its back leg. |
![]() Lifting the Carcass The cow is lifted and the blood is rinsed away. |
![]() The Carcass The carcass is hung to drain the blood. |
![]() The Carcass The blood is drained and rinsed away. |
![]() The Carcass Occassionally the dead carcass twitches. This one twitched suddenly several minutes after the shechita. |
![]() The Head The cow's head is removed. |
![]() Checking the Lungs The carcass is laid down and the shochet slices it open. He will reach in up to his shoulder to feel the lungs inside to make sure the animal is kosher. |
![]() Sheep |
![]() Sheep The sheep are walked into the slaughterhouse. |
![]() Preparations The shochetim are very serious in their work. They must be yorei shamayim as they will be held accountable for any pain or suffering the animal feels. |
![]() Beit HaShechita The shochet grips the trachea with his left hand and pulls it forward for the shechita. The neck bones in the back must be avoided as they can nick the knife rendering the shechita nonkosher. |
![]() Beit HaShechita |
![]() The Epiglottis The shochet shows the vavles that close the trachea when the animal swallows. The shechita must be done below this point. |
![]() Shechita The shochet pulls the trachea forward for shechita. |
![]() Beit HaShechita The shochet demonstrates the shechita technique on an intact carcass. |
![]() Beit HaShechita After the shechita, the blood from the beit hashechita. |
![]() Sheep The sheep are lined up over the drain after the shechita. |
![]() Sheep |
![]() Maphshit After the shechita, the carcass is skinned. |
![]() Maphshit |
![]() Skin Here is the cow skin. It may go to a sofer to be turned into tefillin. |
![]() Carcasses After skinning, the sheep carcasses are hung up. |
![]() Heads The heads are removed. |
![]() The Rosh |
![]() Head and Entrails The head and entrails are placed on the table to be checked by the shochet. |
![]() The Stomachs The shochet feels each stomach to ensure that it does not contain nails, sharp items, or punctures. To the left is the esophagus which leads into the first stomach. |
![]() The Lungs The lungs are inflated with air to make sure there are no punctures. These lungs were chalak (glatt), meaning smooth with no scars. |
![]() The Heart The shochet spreads the lungs to reveal the heart beneath. |
![]() The Liver The shochet lifts the cheilev that covers the liver. |
![]() Cheilev and Kilayim The cheilev has been pulled aside to reveal the kidneys. |
![]() Entrails Stomachs, entrails, and cheilev. |
![]() Legs |
![]() Entrails On the right, the digestive tracks of two cows hang by the tongue. In the center hang two heads as seen from below the chin. All will hang while they are checked by the shochet for treifos. |
![]() Entrails Entrails as seen from the other side. Even at this point the muscles occasionally twitch. I saw several such movements as I was standing there. |
![]() Entrails The shochet checks the hanging entrails. |
![]() Feet |
![]() Cleaned Carcass Here's the cleaned carcass, commonly called "a side of beef." |
![]() Cleaned Carcass |