OPINIONS: The Gemara says that "[after] cutting it and salting it, one may cook meat in a pot." When salting meat to remove its blood, one must first cut open the meat. The Gemara later (93b) says that another way to remove blood from meat is by roasting it over a flame.

When one removes blood through roasting, must he cut open the meat first?

(a) TOSFOS (DH Chatchei) infers from the Gemara that it is necessary to cut meat even before roasting it to remove the blood. The Gemara states that before cutting and salting, the veins of the foreleg are prohibited due to their blood content. After cutting and salting, they are permitted "not only" to be roasted, but "even" to be cooked in a pot. This statement implies that before the removal of the blood the foreleg may not be roasted, since it was not cut open.

(b) RASHI (93b, DH Talyei) implies that it is not necessary to cut the meat before roasting. Tosfos and the RASHBA explain that according to Rashi, this matter depends on whether one is removing blood from within the meat of an animal or from a vein that is in direct contact with the fire. When one removes blood from a vein that is in direct contact with the fire, it is not necessary to cut the meat.

(c) The ROSH (7:7) quotes RAV AMRAM GA'ON and the GE'ONIM who state that it is never necessary to cut open the meat before roasting. The Rosh favors their opinion.

OPINIONS: Abaye states that there are two places on the animal where the "Chutin" (veins) contain forbidden blood -- the foreleg and the jaw. By cutting them and salting them, one effectively removes the forbidden blood.

It is clear from the context of the Gemara that Abaye is referring to a domesticated animal (Behemah). He mentions also that there are three other Chutin that are forbidden because of Chelev, and the Isur of Chelev applies only to a Behemah. Does the requirement to cut the two veins that contain blood apply only to these veins on a Behemah, or does it also apply to these veins on all types of animals, including birds?

(a) The RITVA writes that his teacher, the RE'AH, ruled that this requirement applies only to animals. The corresponding veins on birds do not need to be cut individually. They are considered part of the bird's flesh for which Melichah, salting, is effective.

(b) However, the Ritva's other teacher, the RASHBA, disagreed and ruled that the veins of a bird must be cut before salting. (D. BLOOM)

OPINIONS: Abaye states that there are two places on the animal where the "Chutin" (veins) contain forbidden blood -- the foreleg and the jaw. By cutting them and salting them, one effectively removes the forbidden blood.

Are these the only veins that need to be cut in order to remove the forbidden blood?

(a) RASHI (DH ud'Lo'a) writes that the two places that Abaye mentions are places that contain only thin veins. Abaye does not discuss the "Mizrekei ha'Tzavar," the thick veins in the neck, which also require cutting.

The TEVU'OS SHOR (YD 22:2) writes that the "Mizrekei" that the Gemara later (93b) mentions are identical to the "Veridin" mention in the Mishnah earlier (27a), which Rebbi Yehudah requires to be cut during Shechitah in order to remove the blood.

However, when the BEIS YOSEF (YD 65, DH ha'Noker) cites RASHI later (93b, DH Mizrekei) who says that "Mizrekei" are the veins of the neck, he adds that it appears that these are not the same veins that Rebbi Yehudah (27a) discusses. The "Veridin" that Rebbi Yehudah requires to be cut do not need to be removed before salting, since they were cut during Shechitah.

(Rashi in Pesachim (74b, DH Umtza) seems to support the position of the Tevu'os Shor. Rashi there writes that "Mizrekei" are the "Veridin in the Beis ha'Shechitah." See SICHAS CHULIN, p. 75, DH Isa.)

Similarly, the ROSH (2:3) cites RABEINU EFRAIM who maintains that before cooking poultry, one must not only salt the bird but one must cut up the bird and remove the Mizrekei. (The MA'ADANEI YOM TOV there points out that this is also the view of Rashi, as mentioned above.)

(b) The Rosh disagrees and states that the Gemara here clearly shows that there are only two areas of veins that require additional cutting in order to remove the blood, and the neck is not one of them. The Gemara implies that the Mizrekei of the neck do not require any more cutting than the rest of the meat (the animal is cut up limb by limb).

The dispute between the Rosh and Rabeinu Efraim is reflected in a dispute between the RAN and RA'AVAD. The Ran (6b of the pages of the Rif) cites the Ra'avad who explains that the intention of the Gemara is that even if the Veridin of a bird were cut during Shechitah, or if an animal was cut up limb by limb, one who wants to cook the animal (and not roast it, which is a more powerful and effective way to extract the blood), one must cut the veins of the foreleg and jaw to ensure that the blood is removed. The Ra'avad states that in fact all veins must be cut up in this way. The only reason why the Gemara mentions the foreleg and jaw is to teach that even though these are close to the Veridin of the neck, the fact that the Veridin were cut during Shechitah is not sufficient to remove the blood of these veins. According to the Ra'avad, it is more obvious that veins elsewhere in the body require cutting, because they are farther away from the Veridin.

The Ran disagrees and maintains that it is only the veins of the foreleg and jaw that require cutting. The Chachamim knew that the blood contained in these two areas does not exit through the Veridin when the animal is slaughtered, while blood from veins elsewhere in the body exit through the Veridin at the time of Shechitah. (D. BLOOM)

OPINIONS: The Gemara says that when one wants to remove the wool from a lamb's head by burning it off with hot coals, he must position the head in a way such that the blood can drain.

What is the law with regard to removing chicken feathers by burning them off? Does the chicken need to be positioned in such a way that the blood drains out?

(a) TOSFOS (Reisha) suggests that the Gemara's requirement to position the head in a way that the blood will drain applies only to a large animal, because the skull bones trap the blood inside. In contrast, in the case of a small animal such as a chicken, the heat of the fire draws out all the blood.

(b) The RASHBA quotes the BA'AL HA'ITUR who disagrees and asserts that once blood moves from one place to another inside the animal as a result of externally-applied heat, it does not come out through salting, and thus the animal is prohibited. The Rashba agrees with this ruling.