א הַכֹּל שׁוֹחֲטִין לְכַתְּחִלָּה, אֲפִלּוּ נָשִׁים. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵין לְהַנִּיחַ נָשִׁים לִשְׁחֹט, שֶׁכְּבָר נָהֲגוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁחֹט, וְכֵן הַמִּנְהָג שֶׁאֵין הַנָּשִׁים שׁוֹחֲטוֹת (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָאָגוּר). וַעֲבָדִים וְכָל אָדָם, אֲפִלּוּ אֵין מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ שֶׁמֻּחְזָק לִשְׁחֹט שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַלֵּף, וְגַם אֵין יוֹדְעִין בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא מֻמְחֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה, מֻתָּר לִתֵּן לוֹ לְכַתְּחִלָּה לִשְׁחֹט, וּמֻתָּר לֶאֱכֹל מִשְּׁחִיטָתוֹ, שֶׁרֹב הָרְגִילִין לִשְׁחֹט הֵם בְּחֶזְקַת מֻמְחִין וּמֻחְזָקִין. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ לְפָנֵינוּ, אָז מֻתָּר לֶאֱכֹל מִשְּׁחִיטָתוֹ וְסוֹמְכִים עַל הַחֲזָקָה. אֲבָל אִם הוּא לְפָנֵינוּ, צָרִיךְ לְבָדְקוֹ, אִם הוּא מֻמְחֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה, אֲבָל אֵין צָרִיךְ לְשָׁאֲלוֹ אִם נִתְעַלֵּף. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵין לִסְמֹךְ עַל הַחֲזָקָה אֶלָּא בְּדִיעֲבַד, אֲבָל לְכַתְּחִלָּה אֵין לִסְמֹךְ עַל הַחֲזָקָה, בְּמָקוֹם דִּיכוֹלִין לְבָרְרוֹ, (מָרְדְּכַי וְהַגָּהוֹת אֲשֵׁרִי וְאָגוּר בְּשֵׁם אוֹר זָרוּעַ וּשְׁאִלְתּוֹת פָּרָשַׁת בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ). וְכָל זֶה מַיְרִי בַּאֲחֵרִים, שֶׁאֵינָן בְּקִיאִין וְיוֹדְעִין אִם זֶה הַשּׁוֹחֵט בָּקִי אוֹ לֹא, אֲבָל הַשּׁוֹחֵט עַצְמוֹ לֹא יִשְׁחֹט, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה וּמֻמְחֶה, עַד שֶׁשָּׁחַט ג' פְּעָמִים בִּפְנֵי חָכָם וּמֻמְחֶה בְּהִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה, שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא רָגִיל וְזָרִיז שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַלֵּף. (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרַמְבַּ"ם) וְלָכֵן נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁאֵין אָדָם שׁוֹחֵט אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן נָטַל קַבָּלָה לִפְנֵי חָכָם, (אָגוּר בְּשֵׁם הִלְכוֹת א"י). וְאֵין הֶחָכָם נוֹתֵן לוֹ קַבָּלָה, עַד שֶׁיֵּדַע בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה וּבָקִי בַּיָּד. וְלָכֵן נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁכָּל הַבָּאִין לִשְׁחֹט, סוֹמְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם לְכַתְּחִלָּה, וְלֹא בַּדְקִינָן אוֹתָם לֹא בַּתְּחִלָּה וְלֹא בַּסּוֹף, דְּכָל הַמְּצוּיִין אֵצֶל שְׁחִיטָה כְּבָר נָטְלוּ קַבָּלָה לִפְנֵי חָכָם, (ד"ע). וּבִקְצָת מְקוֹמוֹת נוֹהֲגִין לְהַחְמִיר עוֹד, דְּהַמְקַבֵּל נוֹטֵל כְּתָב מִן הֶחָכָם, לִרְאָיָה שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ קַבָּלָה. וְכָל שׁוֹחֵט, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנָּטַל קַבָּלָה, יִרְאֶה שֶׁיַּחֲזֹר לִפְרָקִים הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁגוּרִים בְּפִיו וּבְלִבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁכְּחֵם (מהר"ר יַעֲקֹב הַלֵּוִי בְּשֵׁם מהר"ש). וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהַדִּין בְּהִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה וּבְמִי שֶׁבָּא לִשְׁחֹט, כָּךְ הוּא הַדִּין בְּהִלְכוֹת בְּדִיקוֹת הָרֵאָה וּבְמִי שֶׁבָּא לִבְדֹּק, וְדִינָם וּמִנְהָגָם שָׁוֶה בְּכָל זֶה, (ד"ע). וְיֵשׁ לב"ד לַחְקֹר וְלִדְרֹשׁ אַחַר הַבּוֹדְקִים וְהַשּׁוֹחֲטִים, וְלִרְאוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּקִיאִים וּמֻמְחִים וּכְשֵׁרִים, (מהרי"ו סי' נ'). כִּי גָּדוֹל אִסּוּר הַמַּכְשֵלָה בִּשְׁחִיטוֹת וּבְדִיקוֹת הַמְּסוּרִים לַכֹּל. וְאִם בָּדְקוּ אֵיזֶה שׁוֹחֵט וּבוֹדֵק, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵע, אִם נָטַל פַּעַם אַחַת קַבָּלָה אֵין מַטְרִיפִין לְמַפְרֵעַ מַה שֶּׁשָּׁחַט, דְּאַמְרִינָן הַשְׁתָּא הוּא דְּאִתְרַע, (חִדּוּשֵׁי אֲגֻדָּה). אֲבָל אִם לֹא נָטַל קַבָּלָה מֵעוֹלָם, כָּל מַה שֶּׁשָּׁחַט, טְרֵפָה, גַּם כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁבִּשְּׁלוּ בָּהֶן מַה שֶּׁשָּׁחַט, צְרִיכִין הֶכְשֵׁר, (רשב"א סִימָן רי"ח).
1 All may slaughter (shecht), at the outset, even women. Rema: There are those that say that women should not be permitted to shecht, as we have already established a custom that (women) are not to shecht, and thus the tradition (holds) that women do not shecht. Slaves and anyone, even if you do not know that he does not faint (because of shechting), even if you do not know if he is an expert that knows the laws of shechita (kosher slaughter), it is permitted from the outset to let him shecht and it is permitted to eat from his shechita. This is because the majority of those that regularly shecht are under the presumption of being tested experts (in shechita). What situation are we talking about here? (We are talking about a situation) where that person is not in front of us, only then is it permitted to eat from his shechita, and we rely on the presumption (referenced to above). However if he is before us we need to check him, if he is an expert and knows the laws of shechita, however we do not need to ask if he faints. Rema: There are those that say that one should only rely on the presumption after the fact,and that initially the presumption should not be relied upon if you are in a place where you can clarify him (the Shochet's [kosher slaughterer's] abilities). All this applies to those that aren't proficient and need to know if this Shochet is proficient. But the Shochet himself shall not shecht, even if he knows the laws of shechita and is proficient, until he has shechted 3 times in front of a learned man and one that is proficient in the laws of shechita. Therefor we practice that a man shall not shecht without having obtained kabalah (ordination) from before a learned one. And the learned one should not give kabalah until he knows that he (the Shochet) knows the laws of shechita and is proficient with his hands. Therefor we practice that all who come to shecht we trust them initially and we don't check them before or after. Because all that are found to be shechting have already received kabalah from before a learned one. And in a few places they are more stringent. That the one who received (kabalah) also gets a written letter from the learned one, as proof that he has given him kabalah. And every Shochet, even though he has recieved kabalah, it is fitting that he should return to the chapters of laws of shechita. That they (the laws of shechita) should live in his mouth and in his heart, so that he will not forget them. And like in the laws of shechita and with one that comes to shecht thus is the ruling in the laws of bedikaht hare'ah (checking the lungs for disqualifying sickness) and one that comes to check (the lungs). And their (shechita's and behikah's) rules and customs are all equal in all of this. And it is fitting for a Jewish court to investigate and the bodkim (checkers of disqualifying sickness) and shochtim (kosher slaughterers). Because large is the transgression in bedikot and shechitot, that are applicable to all. And if they checked some Shochet or bodek and it is found that he does not know, if at one time he received kabbalah we do not deem all everything he has shechted in the past to be treif (unkosher), for we say that only now did he become bad. But if one has never received kabalah, everything that he has shechted will become treif, and also all the dishes on which what he shechted was cooked would need to be kashered