Shehitah is the Jewish method of slaughtering permitted animals or birds for food. The underlying principle of the procedure is to kill the animal in the swiftest and most painless way possible by cutting horizontally across the throat, severing the trachea (windpipe), the esophagus, the jugular veins, and the carotid arteries. The knife is drawn across the throat of the animal in one or more swift, uninterrupted movements. In the case of animals most of the trachea and esophagus must be severed, while with birds it is sufficient to sever the largest part of either one. In the first instance, however, both are severed even in birds. "Then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee" (Deut. 12:21) is the Pentateuchal basis of shehitah. Maimonides lists shehitah among the 613 commandments (Sefer ha-Mitzvot, 146) and rabbinic authorities state (Hul. 28a): "Moses was instructed concerning the rules of shehitah." Aftrer shehitah is the responsibility of the shohet to carry carry out an examination (bedikah). Should a defect be found in some of the organs, such as the brain, the windpipe, the esophagus, the heart, the lungs, or the intestines, the animal is terefah, and forbidden for consumption. Defects are normally classified under eight categories (Hul. 43a): nekuvah, perforated organ walls; pesukah, split pipes; netulah, missing limbs; haserah, missing or defective organs; keru'ah, torn walls or membrane covers or organs; derusah, a poisonous substance introduced into the body, when mauled by a wild animal; nefulah, shattering by a fall; shevurah, broken or fractured bones. It is assumed in the Talmud that any of these defects would lead to the death of the animal within one year (Hul. 3:1). Only if the animal has none of these injuries, is it pronounced kasher. After shehitah, it is suspended head down, so that as much blood as possible may drain.

Should various sections of the animal have been removed before the bedikah has taken place, the animal is usually considered kasher. This rule is based on the fact that the majority of animals are usually found, after bedikah, to be kasher (Hul. lla–b). This rule, however, does not apply if the lung has been removed. Since a large minority of animals do suffer from lung diseases, that portion of the body must always be examined and if that is impossible the animal is considered terefah. Shehitah and bedikah of poultry is carried out in the same careful manner. The same laws of terefah apply but there is no need for examination except of the intestines. There are no specific rules concerning the method in which permitted fish are to be killed.

הסכמות: ר' דובערוש מייזלס, ווארשא, כא אב תרי"ח; ר' ישעי' מושקאט, פראגא, כב אב תרי"ח; ר' יצחק מאיר בהרב מור"י [ר' ישראל] אלטער, [ווארשא], כב אב תרי"ח; ר' דוד לוריא, ביחאווע ישן, יא שבט תרי"ד; ר' אברהם שמחה ב"ר נחמן, מסטיסלאוו; ר' יהושע יהודה ליב ב"ר בנימין [דיסקין], לאמזע, א של ראש- חודש אדר תרי"ח; ר' מאיר ברלין, מאהילאוו, כא אדר-ב תרי"א; ר' יואל יצחק קאצינעלין בוגין, סעמייטיטש, כח מרחשוון תרי"ח; ר' אריה ליב ב"ר אברהם אבלי, סטאוויסק, כא שבט תרי"ח; ר' צבי הירש הכהן רפאפארט, דובנא, כד אלול תרי"ז; ר' יחיאל העליר, סאוואלק, כד טבת תרי"ח; ר' יצחק מרג-ליות, שצוצין, יז שבט תרי"ח; ר' שמואל מאילייא, מדי עברי דרך פה טאלאטשין ישן, יב מנחם- [אב] תר"ד; ר' יעקב יהודה ליב ב"ר דוד העליר, טשעכנאוו, ה כסליו תרי"ח; ר' יהודה ליב ב"ר יקותיאל זלמן [לאנדוי], הוראדנא, יא טבת תרי"ח; ר' איסר יהודה [מאלין], בריסק, ראש-חודש מרחשוון תרי"ח; ר' יהושע פרידענזאהן, קאלנע, כא אדר תרי"ח; ר' נפתלי צבי יהודא ברלין, וואלאזין; ר' אלעזר משה הלוי איש הורוויץ לט בעומר [כד אייר] תרי"א; ר' דוב צבי אויערבאך, דובנא רבתי, כב אלול תרי"ז; ר' יוסף ב"ר יצחק אייזיק [חבר], יעדוואבנע, ד אדר תרי"ח; ר' חיים ב"ר נפתלי צבי יהודה ברלין, שקלאב.