(Mishnah): If one slaughters one Siman of a bird, or two Simanim of an animal, this is Kosher;

(Cutting) the majority of a Siman is like (cutting) the whole Siman.

R. Yehudah says, he must also cut the veins.

If he slaughtered half a Siman of a bird, or one Siman and half the other Siman of an animal, this is invalid;

The majority of one (Siman) of a bird, or the majority of two of an animal is Kosher.

(Gemara) Question: The phrase 'if one slaughters' connotes b'Di'eved. In an animal, what more should he cut than the two Simanim?!

Answer #1: This was said due to one Siman of a bird (which is b'Di'eved).

Answer #2: This was said due to 'the majority of a Siman is like the whole Siman' (which is b'Di'eved).

Question: What is the source that Shechitah is done from the neck?

Answer #1 (Rav Kahana): "V'Shachat (he will slaughter) the bull" - from the place that Shach (it bends), Chatehu (make it permissible or be Metaher it).

Question: What is the source that 'Chatei' pertains to Taharah?

Answer #1: "V'Chitei (he will be Metaher) the house (that had Tzara'as)."

Answer #2: "Techateni (purify me) with hyssop, and I will be Tahor."

Question: Also the tail bends. Perhaps that is the place of Shechitah!

Answer: "It bends" connotes that it is normally erect.

Question: Perhaps Shechitah is from the ear!

Answer: (From Kodshim we know that) Shechitah must cause Dam ha'Nefesh (the blood that leaves when the animal dies) to come out.

Question (#1): Perhaps he begins cutting at the ear, and continues until he reaches the place of Dam ha'Nefesh!

(Rashi - Question #2; Tosfos - counter-question): What is the source that pausing, Derasah, Chaladah, Hagramah and Ikur disqualify Shechitah?

Answer: You must say that these are a tradition from Moshe from Sinai.

Answer: A tradition from Sinai teaches also that Shechitah is from the neck!

Question: What does the verse ("v'Shachat") teach?

Answer: He should not sever the head (Rashi - by doing Derasah; Tosfos - by cutting from the back of the neck).

Answer #2 (Rav Yeimar): "V'Zovachto" - from the place that Zav (it flows), Chatei (break) it.

Question: How do we know that 'Chatei' (with a 'Tav') pertains to breaking?

Answer: "Do not be afraid and do not Techas."

Question: Perhaps Shechitah is at the nose. Mucus flows from there!

Answer: It must flow due to being cut. Mucus flows by itself.

Question (#1): Perhaps he cuts the heart!

(Rashi - Question #2; Tosfos - counter-question): What is the source that Shehiyah, Derasah, Chaladah, Hagramah and Ikur disqualify Shechitah?

Answer: You must say that these are a tradition from Sinai.

Answer: Tradition teaches also that Shechitah is from the neck!

Question: What does "V'Zovachto" teach?

Answer: He should not sever the head (Rashi - through Derasah; Tosfos - through cutting from the back of the neck).

Answer #3 (Tana d'Vei R. Yishmael): We read "v'Shachat" like 'v'Sochat', from the place that Soch (it speaks), Chatei (Metaher) it.

Question: Perhaps this is from the tongue!

Answer: We require that through Shechitah, Dam ha'Nefesh leaves the animal.

Question: Perhaps he begins cutting at the tongue, and continues until he reaches the Dam ha'Nefesh!

(Rashi - Question #2; Tosfos - counter-question): What is the source that Shehiyah, Derasah, Chaladah, Hagramah and Ikur disqualify Shechitah?

Answer: You must say that these are a tradition from Sinai.

Answer: Tradition teaches also that Shechitah is from the neck!

Question: What does "v'Shachat" teach?

Answer: He should not sever the head (Rashi - through Derasah; Tosfos - through cutting from the back of the neck).

Answer #4 (Beraisa - R. Chiya): "The Kohanim will arrange the sections of the animal... the head and the Pader (Chelev)".

Question: Why were the head and Chelev singled out? They are included in the sections!

Answer - Suggestion: Perhaps "he will flay the Olah and dissect" teaches that only parts that are flayed are considered sections!

Rejection: "Its head and its Pader" includes the head, even though it was already severed.

From this we infer that Shechitah is from the neck.

Question: The Tana initially asked about began asking about the verse "the head and the Pader", but then expounded the verse "its head and its Pader"!

Answer: The Beraisa teaches as follows:

Question: What is the source that the head is offered? It was already severed!

Answer: We learn from "the head and the Pader."

Question: What does "its head and its Pader" teach?

Answer (Beraisa): "Its head and its Pader he will arrange" teaches that the head and Chelev are offered first.

Question: What do we learn from "the Pader" mentioned in the first verse?

Answer (Beraisa): He covers the slaughtered neck with the Chelev and offers them. This is a dignified way to serve Hash-m.

Answer #5: We learn the place of Shechitah like R. Eliezer does:

(Beraisa) Question: "This is the law of animals and fowl" - in what respect do they have the same law?

Their Tum'os are different. An animal Neveilah is Metamei one who touches or moves it, but not one who eats it (if it does not touch him externally), whereas the Neveilah of a Tahor bird is Metamei one who eats it (and it is even Metamei his clothes), but not one who touches or moves it!

Answer #1: Rather, just like animals require Shechitah, also fowl.

Suggestion: Just like the majority of both Simanim of an animal must be slaughtered, the same applies to birds!

Rejection: "This" (applies only to animals).

Answer #2 (R. Eliezer): The Torah teaches that just like (Korbanos of) birds become permitted (through Melikah) from the neck, also animals become permitted (through Shechitah) from the neck.

Suggestion: Perhaps animals are slaughtered from the back of the neck, similar to Melikah of birds!

Rejection: "U'Malak its head on the back of the neck" - the head (of a bird) is cut from the back of the neck, but not of animals.

Question: What does R. Eliezer learn from "this"?

Answer: One might have thought that just like Korbanos of birds are permitted through cutting one Siman, also animals. "This" teaches that this is not so.

(Bar Kapara): "This is the law of animals and birds (and... fish)" mentions birds between animals and fish.

We cannot say that both Simanim of a bird must be slaughtered, for birds are Hukshu (written next) to fish. (Birds should resemble fish, which do not need any Shechitah);

We cannot say that neither Siman of a bird need be slaughtered, for birds are Hukshu to animals. (They should resemble animals, in which both Simanim must be slaughtered)!

Rather, one Siman must be slaughtered.

Question: What is the source that fish need not be slaughtered?

Suggestion: "Ha'Tzon u'Vakar Yishachet... Degei ha'Yam Ye'asef" teaches that Asifah (gathering) suffices for fish.

Question: If so, we should say the same about Slav (the fowl given in the Midbar), about which it says "va'Ya'asfu Es ha'Slav"!

We said above that since birds are Hukshu to animals, one Siman must be slaughtered!

Answer: Indeed, we learn from "ha'Tzon...";

"Ha'Tzon..." mentions Shechitah of animals, and correspondingly, gathering fish. "Va'Ya'asfu Es ha'Slav" does not correlate this to Shechitah, so we do not learn from it.

(Uvar of Galil): Animals were created (in the six days of creation) from the dry land, and both of their Simanim must be slaughtered. Fish were created from the water, and they are permitted without any Shechitah;

Birds were created from the mud. One Siman must be slaughtered to permit them.

Support (Rav Shmuel Kaputka'ah): Birds have scales like fish (their creation from the mud is manifest in them, so presumably their law resembles that of fish).

Question (a Nochri mayor): "The waters will swarm with living swarming things, and birds will fly" shows that birds were created from water;

"Hash-m formed from the ground, every beast of the field, and all birds of the sky" shows that birds were created from the ground!

Version #1 - Answer #1 (to the mayor - R. Yochanan ben Zakai (Tosfos; Rashi - R. Gamliel)): They were created from the mud.

Answer #2 (for his puzzled Talmidim): I did not give him the true answer. Really, they were created from the water. The latter verse mentions birds only to teach (like the verse concludes) that Adam gave names to them.

Version #2: He told the mayor that they were created from the water (like Answer #2 above);

He told his Talmidim that "Hash-m formed" refers also to birds. They were created from the mud.

(Rav Yehudah): "He will spill (its blood)" teaches that the Torah does not require Shechitah of birds. It suffices to spill the blood.

Question: If so, we should say the same about Chayos (which are in the same verse)!

Answer: Chayos are equated to Korbanos that became blemished. (This teaches that they must be slaughtered.)

Question: "This is the law of animals and birds" equates the laws of animals and birds!

Answer: "He will spill" teaches that regarding Shechitah, birds are different.

Question: (The verse discusses birds and Chayos. Why do you say that it teaches about birds?) Perhaps it teaches about Chayos (that they not require Shechitah)!

Answer: "He will spill" is written next to birds, so it is more reasonable to learn the former way.

Question (Mishnah): If Shechitah was invalid and the animal became a Neveilah; or if he did Nechirah (tore the Simanim lengthwise) or uprooted the Simanim, he is exempt from covering the blood.

If the Torah does not require Shechitah of birds, Nechirah of birds is like Shechitah of Chayos. The Mitzvah to cover the blood should apply!

Answer: The Mishnah does not discuss birds. Rather, it says that Nechirah of Chayos does not require covering the blood.

Question (Beraisa): If one slaughters because he needs the blood, he must cover it;

To exempt himself from having to cover it, he should uproot the Simanim or do Nechirah.

Suggestion: The Beraisa discusses birds. The blood is needed due to worms that infest wool.

Answer: No, it discusses Chayos. The blood is needed for dye.