This week we will begin Perek Ha’Shochet (the second chapter), establishing the foundational rules of how much of the simanim (windpipe and esophagus) must be cut for valid shechita, a majority of one siman for birds and two for animals. We will then learn the precise technical requirements of the cut itself, analyzing what counts as a “majority,” whether half equals a majority for purposes of treifah versus shechita, the laws of shehiyah (pausing mid-cut), and how long the knife must be — concluding it must extend beyond the length of the neck.
