יורה דעה
Yoreh Deah (He will instruct knowledge)
סימן א – מי הם הכשרים לשחוט,
Chapter 1
Who is acceptable to be a (ritual) slaughterer?
א
הַכֹּל שׁוֹחֲטִין לְכַתְּחִלָּה, אֲפִלּוּ נָשִׁים.
וַעֲבָדִים וְכָל אָדָם, אֲפִלּוּ אֵין מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ שֶׁמֻּחְזָק לִשְׁחֹט שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַלֵּף, וְגַם אֵין יוֹדְעִין בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא מֻמְחֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה, מֻתָּר לִתֵּן לוֹ לְכַתְּחִלָּה לִשְׁחֹט, וּמֻתָּר לֶאֱכֹל מִשְּׁחִיטָתוֹ, שֶׁרֹב הָרְגִילִין לִשְׁחֹט הֵם בְּחֶזְקַת מֻמְחִין וּמֻחְזָקִין. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ לְפָנֵינוּ, אָז מֻתָּר לֶאֱכֹל מִשְּׁחִיטָתוֹ וְסוֹמְכִים עַל הַחֲזָקָה. אֲבָל אִם הוּא לְפָנֵינוּ, צָרִיךְ לְבָדְקוֹ, אִם הוּא מֻמְחֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה, אֲבָל אֵין צָרִיךְ לְשָׁאֲלוֹ אִם נִתְעַלֵּף.
Siman 1
Seif 1
All may slaughter, at the outset, even women.
Slaves and virtually anyone even though you do not know them who does not faint because of slaughtering. (is fit for slaughtering.)
Even though you do not know where or whether he learned the laws of slaughtering.
It is permitted from the outset to accept what he slaughters and permitted to eat it as well.
This is because most are familiar with his slaughtering and his expertise is known as well.
What are we saying?
(We are saying) that if that person is not in front of us it is permitted to eat what he slaughters because we rely on what is generally known.
However if he is before us we need to check if he is an expert in the laws of slaughtering, however we do not need to ask if he faints.