How Do You Properly Slaughter A Cow Under The Kosher Method Shechitah?
• Select a knife (called a Chalif) of the appropriate size. The length of the blade is twice the width of the animal’s neck. • ‘Thoroughly examine the cow prior to slaughter. If the cow is ill or injured, he/she is no longer considered Kosher. This has two purposes. First, it ensures the quality of the meat because an ill or injured cow should not be eaten anyway. Second, it provides a disincentive for Kosher farms to partake in the methods of other farms, because if the cow is hurt in any way, it cannot be slaughtered. • Restrain the cow so that the slaughtering can be done correctly and painlessly. If the cow is injured during the restraining, it is no longer considered kosher. • Inspect the blade of your knife. Make sure that there are absolutely no nicks or unevenness. The knife must be sharpened to such a sharp point that if the Shochet were to slice of his/her finger, he/she would feel no pain. [1] • Cut the esophagus, trachea, carotid arteries, and jugular veins in one quick inc
