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שְׁהִיָּה כֵּיצַד, הֲרֵי שֶׁהִתְחִיל לִשְׁחֹט, וְהִגְבִּיהַּ יָדוֹ קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּגְמֹר הַשְּׁחִיטָה, וְשָׁהָה בֵּין בְּשׁוֹגֵג בֵּין בְּמֵזִיד, בֵּין בְּאֹנֶס בֵּין בְּרָצוֹן, וּבָא הוּא אוֹ אַחֵר וְגָמַר הַשְּׁחִיטָה, אִם שָׁהָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּגְבִּיהַּ הַבְּהֵמָה וְיַרְבִּיצֶנָּה, וְיִשְׁחֹט עַד רֹב הַסִימָנִים שֶׁהוּא הֶכְשֵׁר שְׁחִיטָה, שְׁחִיטָתוֹ פְּסוּלָה.
הָיְתָה בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה, שִׁעוּר שְׁהִיָתָהּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּגְבִּיהַּ בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה וְיַרְבִּיצֶנָּה וְיִשְׁחֹט. וְאִם הָיְתָה גַּסָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּגְבִּיהַּ בְּהֵמָה גַּסָה וְיַרְבִּיצֶנָּה וְיִשְׁחֹט; וּבְעוֹף, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּגְבִּיהַּ בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה וְיַרְבִּיצֶנָּה וְיִשְׁחֹט; וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּשִׁיעוּר שְׁהִיַּת עוֹף כְּדֵי שְׁחִיטַת רֹב סִימָן א’ בְּעוֹף בְּלִי הַגְבָּהָה וְהַרְבָּצָה; וּלְפִי דִּבְרֵיהֶם יֵשׁ לִזָּהֵר כְּשֶׁהִתְחִיל לִשְׁחֹט בָּעוֹף וְחָתַךְ מְעַט עַד שֶׁהַדָּם יוֹצֵא, וְהִגְבִּיהַּ סַכִּינוֹ מֵהַצַּוָּאר, שֶׁלֹּא יִגְמֹר הַשְּׁחִיטָה, לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָחוּשׁ שֶׁמֶּא שָׁחַט מַשֶּׁהוּ מֵהַוֵּשֶׁט; וַאֲפִלּוּ לֹא הִגְבִּיהַּ סַכִּינוֹ אֶלָּא מְעַט, יֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁהִיַּת הָעוֹף מוּעֶטֶת מְאֹד דִּכְדֵי שְׁחִיטַת רֹב סִימָן א’ בָּעוֹף הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה מַהֵר; וַאֲפִלּוּ אָמַר הַשּׁוֹחֵט: בָּרִי לִי שֶׁלֹּא חָתַכְתִּי כִּי אִם הָעוֹר, אֵין סוֹמְכִין עָלָיו כֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּצָא הַדָּם; וְאִם בָּא לִשְׁאֹל אַחַר שֶׁהִגְבִּיהַּ סַכִּינוֹ כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ שֶׁיִּשְׁחֹט הַקָּנֶה לְבַדּוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַהֲפֹךְ הַוֵּשֶׁט וְיִבְדֹּק אוֹתוֹ. וּלְעִנְיַן מַעֲשֶׂה יֵשׁ לְהַחְמִיר כִּסְבָרָא זוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הוּא שְׁעַת הַדַּחַק אוֹ הֶפְסֵד מְרֻבֶּה, שֶׁאָז יֵשׁ לִסְמֹךְ עַל סְבָרָא רִאשׁוֹנָה.
Seif 2
What do we mean by “pausing”? When a person begins to slaughter and raises his hand before he completes the slaughter and then pauses. Whether it was done inadvertently or intentionally, willingly or unwillingly. If he or another person completed the slaughter but delayed the amount of time it would take to lift up the animal and cause it to lie down, even if he slaughtered the greater part of the signs required for slaughter, his slaughter is not acceptable.
With regard to slaughtering a small animal: the amount of “pausing” is the amount that it would take to lift up a small animal, cause it to lie down, and then slaughter it. And with regard to a large animal, the measure of “pausing” is the amount of time it would take to lift up a large animal, cause it to lie down, and slaughter it. With regards to fowl, the measure of “pausing” is the amount of time it would take to lift up a small animal, cause it to lie down, and slaughter it. There are those who say that the amount of “pausing” regarding fowl is the amount of time it would take to cut the majority of one sign (Siman) without lifting it up or lying it down.
And according to their reasoning one should take notice when one begins to slaughter a fowl and to cut slowly until the blood comes out and lifts up his knife from the neck without completing the slaughter.
Also there is concern that perhaps he might cut elsewhere on the gullet. And even if he does not lift up his knife but for a moment, there is still concern since the amount pausing in fowl is very small. Accordingly if he slaughters most of one of the sign in the fowl, he should do so quickly. Even if the slaughterer says that it is clear to me that I only cut the skin,” we don’t rely on this because blood has come out.
If another person comes to ask after the knife has been lifted how he did it, they say to him that he should slaughter the windpipe alone in another place and afterward turn out the gullet and inspect it.
There are those that are more stringent in the matter, concluding that unless it is a dire time or there is potential for great financial loss, one should rely on the first argument.