Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 28

Siman 28

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א הַשּׁוֹחֵט חַיָּה אוֹ עוֹף צָרִיךְ לְכַסוֹת דָּמוֹ, בֵּין צָדָן עַתָּה בֵּין שֶׁהָיוּ מְזֻמָּנִים בְּיָדוֹ. הַגָּה: וְהַכִּסּוּי הוּא מִצְוָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ (כָּךְ מַשְׁמָע בַּאֲשֵׁרִי פֶּרֶק כִּסוּי הַדָּם), אֲבָל הַשְּׁחִיטָה כְּשֵׁרָה אַף אִם הֵזִיד וְלֹא כִּסָּה (בֵּית יוֹסֵף וְכֵן כָּתַב א"ח וְכ"ה בְּכָל בּוֹ).

1 One who slaughters a wild animal or a bird needs to cover its blood, whether it was just trapped now or whether it was already ready in his hand. Rema: And the covering is a commandment onto itself, but the slaughtering is valid even if [the blood] was purposely not covered.

ב חַיָּב לְבָרֵךְ קֹדֶם שֶׁיְּכַסֶה: אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל כִּסוּי דָּם בְּעָפָר. הַגָּה: מִי שֶׁשָּׁחַט פַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹן, מְבָרֵךְ שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ עַל הַכִּסּוּי אֲבָל לֹא עַל הַשְּׁחִיטָה, דְּמַזִּיק לִבְרִיָּה (בְּמִנְהָגִים יְשָׁנִים בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְדִידְיָה מִשַּׁפִּירָא).

2 One is obligated to make a blessing before he covers [the blood]: "... who sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us on covering blood in dirt." Rema: One who slaughters for the first time, makes a blessing of "that he gave us life" on the covering but not on the slaughtering since it damages a creature.

ג כּוֹי שֶׁהוּא סָפֵק חַיָּה, וְכִלְאַיִם הַבָּא מִבְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה, צָרִיךְ לְכַסוֹת דָּמָן וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ. וְאֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין אוֹתָם בְּיוֹם טוֹב. וְאִם שְׁחָטָן; אֵינוֹ מְכַסֶה דָּמָן; וּבַלַּיְלָה, אִם רִשּׁוּמוֹ נִכָּר, יְכַסֶנּוּ.

3 the Koy animal which is questionable if it's a wild animal, and mixed-breeds that come from domesticated and wild animals, one needs to cover their blood and there is no blessing made. And we don't slaughter them on holidays. And if they were slaughtered [on a holiday] their blood it not covered. And [after the holiday] at night, if [the blood's] imprint is recognizable, he should cover it.

ד הַבּוּ"פֶלוֹ, נָהֲגוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְכַסוֹת דָּמוֹ. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ מִסְתַּפְּקִים בַּבּוּ"פֶלוֹ שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹר הַבָּר, שֶׁמָּא חַיָּה הוּא (הַגְּאוֹנִים וְהֶעָרוּךְ), עַל כֵּן טוֹב לְכַסּוֹתוֹ בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה, אוֹ לִשְׁחֹט עוֹף גַּם כֵּן וְאָז יוּכַל לְבָרֵךְ עַל הַכִּסּוּי מִשּׁוּם הָעוֹף (בְּהַגָּהוֹת מהרי"ו).

4 The buffalo, we have the custom to not cover its blood. Rema: There are those who question if a buffalo is a "wild" ox or maybe it's a [species] of wild animal, therefore, it's good to cover [the blood] without a blessing or to also slaughter a bird and then he is able to make a blessing on the covering on account of the bird.

ה צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְמַטָּה עָפָר תִּחוּחַ, וְצָרִיךְ לְהַזְמִינוֹ בַּפֶּה, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ.

5 There needs to be loose earth below [the blood]. And one needs to designate it verbally, and there are those that say that there is no need.

ו מְכַסֶה בְּיָדוֹ אוֹ בְּסַכִּין אוֹ בִּכְלִי אַחֵר, אֲבָל לֹא בְּרַגְלוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מִצְווֹת בְּזוּיוֹת עָלָיו.

6 One covers it with his hand or with a knife or with another utensil, but not with his foot so that the commandments aren't denigrated on account of it.

ז שָׁחַט וְלֹא הָיָה עָפָר לְמַטָּה, צָרִיךְ לִגְרֹר הַדָּם וְלִתְּנוֹ בְּעָפָר תִּחוּחַ וּלְכַסוֹת עָפָר תִּחוּחַ עָלָיו.

7 If one slaughtered and there was no earth below, he needs to scrape off the blood [from the knife] and put it on loose earth and cover it with loose earth.

ח מִי שֶׁשָּׁחַט הוּא יְכַסֶה; וְאִם לֹא כִּסָה וְרָאָהוּ אַחֵר, חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת.

8 The one who slaughters he is the one who should cover. And if he didn't cover and someone else sees [the blood, the other person] is required to cover it.

ט שָׁחַט מֵאָה חַיּוֹת אוֹ מֵאָה עוֹפוֹת, אוֹ שֶׁשָּׁחַט חַיָּה וְעוֹף בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד, כִּסוּי אֶחָד לְכֻלָּם.

9 If one slaughters a hundred wild animals or a hundred birds or he slaughtered a wild animal and a bird in the same place, he does one covering for all of them.

י הַשּׁוֹחֵט וְנִבְלַע הַדָּם בַּקַּרְקַע, אִם רִשּׁוּמוֹ נִכָּר חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת.

10 One who slaughters and the blood got absorbed into the ground, if the imprint is recognizable he is required to cover it.

יא כִּסָהוּ הָרוּחַ, פָּטוּר מִלְּכַסוֹת; וְאִם חָזַר וְנִתְגַּלָּה, חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת. אֲבָל אִם הוּא עַצְמוֹ כִּסָהוּ וְנִתְגַּלָּה, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְכַסוֹתוֹ פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת.

11 If the wind covered it he is exempt from covering it; but if after [the wind covered it] it returned and uncovered it, he is required to cover it. But if he himself covered it and it became uncovered, he is not required to cover it again.

יב דָּם שֶׁנָּפַל לְתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם, אוֹ מַיִם שֶׁנָּפְלוּ לְתוֹךְ הַדָּם, אִם יֵשׁ בּוֹ מַרְאֵה דָּם חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת; וְאִם לָאו, פָּטוּר.

12 Blood that fell into water or if water fell into the blood, if there is still the appearance of blood one is required to cover it, but if not he is exempt.

יג נִתְעָרֵב הַדָּם בְּיַיִן אָדֹם אוֹ בְּדַם בְּהֵמָה, רוֹאִים הַיַּיִן וְדַם בְּהֵמָה כְּאִלּוּ הוּא מַיִם, וְאִלּוּ נִתְעָרֵב בְּמַיִם כַּשִּׁעוּר הַזֶּה, הָיָה בּוֹ מַרְאִית דָּם, חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת.

13 If the blood became mixed with red wine or the blood of a domesticated animal, we view the wine and the blood of the domesticated animal as if it were water, and if [the blood] would have mixed with that amount of water it would have still have had an appearance of blood one is required to cover it.

יד שָׁחַט עוֹף אוֹ חַיָּה וְשָׁחַט עָלָיו בְּהֵמָה, פָּטוּר מִלְּכַסוֹת; אֲבָל אִם שָׁחַט בְּהֵמָה וְשָׁחַט עָלֶיהָ חַיָּה אוֹ עוֹף, חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת. הַגָּה: שָׁחַט עוֹף אוֹ חַיָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ שָׁחַט עוֹד אַחֶרֶת וְנִתְנַבְּלָה בְּיָדוֹ, אִם יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁדָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן כִּסָּה דָּם הָרִאשׁוֹן, פָּטוּר מִלְּכַסּוֹת; אֲבָל מִסְּתָמָא חַיָּב לְכַסּוֹת (בְּהַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי פי"ד פָּסַק סְתָם שֶׁחַיָּב לְכַסוֹת, וְהוּא מְחַלֵּק אִם יוֹדֵעַ כו' דְּלָא תַּקְשֵׁי אַהֲדָדֵי הַגָּה זוֹ וְהַאי דְּשָׁחַט עָלָיו בְּהֵמָה דְּפָטוּר).

14 If one slaughtered a bird or a wild animal and then slaughtered a domesticated animal on top of it he is exempt from covering the blood, but if he slaughtered a domesticated animal and then slaughtered a bird or a wild animal on top of it he is obligated to cover the blood. Rema: If one slaughtered a bird or a wild animal and afterward while slaughtering another one it became a carcass (invalidly slaughtered) in his hand, if he knows that the latter's blood covers the former's blood he is exempt from covering, but in the simple situation he is obligated to cover it.

טו דָּם הַנִּתָּז וְשֶׁעַל הַסַכִּין, אִם אֵין שָׁם דָּם אֶלָּא הוּא, חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת; וְגוֹרֵר אוֹתוֹ וּמְכַסֶהוּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתֵּן עָפָר גַּם לְמַטָּה. אֲבָל אִם יֵשׁ שָׁם דָּם אַחֵר, אֵין צָרִיךְ לְכַסוֹתוֹ, שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ לְכַסוֹת כָּל הַדָּם. לְפִיכָךְ אֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַמְתִּין לְכַסוֹת עַד שֶׁיֵּצֵא כָּל הַדָּם. הַגָּה: מִיהוּ יַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁמַּתְחִיל לִירֵד טִפִּין, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּכַסֶּה מִקְצָת דַּם הַנֶּפֶשׁ (מַהֲרַ"ל בְּשֵׁם מהרא"ק וּשְׁחִיטוֹת יְשָׁנִים בְּשֵׁם מהר"ש).

15 Blood that sprayed and that's on the knife, if there is no other blood but it one is required to cover it, and he scrapes it off and covers it in order that there should also be earth below it. However, if there is other blood there one does not need to cover it because there is no need to cover all the blood. Therefore, there is no need (to wait) to cover until all the blood comes out. Rema: However, he should wait until [the blood] starts dripping down in order that he should cover some of the life-blood.

טז הַשּׁוֹחֵט לְחוֹלֶה בְּשַׁבָּת, לֹא יְכַסֶה; אֲפִלּוּ אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ דֶּקֶר נָעוּץ. וּבַלַּיְלָה, אִם רִשּׁוּמוֹ נִכָּר יְכַסֶנּוּ. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁאִם הָיָה לוֹ אֵפֶר מוּכָן לְכַסוֹת בּוֹ צוֹאָה, יֵשׁ לְכַסוֹת בּוֹ הַדָּם אֲפִלּוּ בְּשַׁבָּת.

16 One who slaughters for a sick person on Shabbat he does not cover, even if he has a shovel already stuck in the ground. And [after Shabbat ] at night, if [the blood's] imprint is recognizable, he should cover it. And there are those who say that if he had ash set aside to cover dung there is something to covering the blood even on Shabbat.

יז הַשּׁוֹחֵט וְנִתְנַבְּלָה בְּיָדוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁשָּׁחַט וְנִמְצֵאת טְרֵפָה, פָּטוּר מִלְּכַסוֹת. וְכֵן חֵרֵשׁ שׁוֹטֶה וְקָטָן שֶׁשָּׁחֲטוּ, וְאֵין אֲחֵרִים רוֹאִים אוֹתָם, חֶזְקַת שְׁחִיטָתָן מְקֻלְקֶלֶת, וּפְטוּרָה מִכִּסוּי.

17 One who slaughters and it became a carcass (invalidly slaughtered) in his hand or one who slaughters and finds [that the animal] has signs that make it unfit, he is exempt from covering it. And so too, if a deaf person or a mentally challenged person or a child slaughtered and there was no one watching them, there is an assumption that the they had a botched slaughter and it is exempt from being covered.

יח הַשּׁוֹחֵט, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ אֶלָּא לַדָּם, חַיָּב לְכַסוֹת. כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה, נוֹחֵר אוֹ מְעַקֵּר, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּפָּטֵר מִכִּסוּי.

18 One who slaughters, even if he only wants the blood, he's obligated to cover. How should he perform [the slaughtering instead?] He should stab or tear out [the organs] in order to be exempt from covering.

יט צָרִיךְ לִבְדֹּק הַסִימָנִים וְהַסַכִּין קֹדֶם הַכִּסוּי, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹא לִידֵי בְּרָכָה לְבַטָּלָה.

19 One needs to check the signs and the knife before the covering in order that one doesn't come to make a wasted blessing.

כ הַשּׁוֹחֵט חַיָּה לֹא יְכַסֶה עַד שֶׁיִּבְדֹק הָרֵאָה; וְאִם נִמְצֵאת סְפֵק טְרֵפָה, מְכַסֶה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה; וְהוּא הַדִּין לְכָל פְּסוּל שֶׁהוּא מֵחֲמַת סָפֵק, כְּגוֹן הַהִיא דְּחַיְישִׁינָן שֶׁמָּא בָּעוֹר נִפְגְּמָה, וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. הַגָּה: אֲבָל דָּבָר שֶׁמִּדִּינָא הוּא כָּשֵׁר רַק שֶׁמַּחְמִירִים בּוֹ, כְּגוֹן אִם חָתַךְ כָּל הַמַּפְרֶקֶת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, חַיָּבִים לְכַסּוֹת (ת"ה סִימָן קפ"ז).

20 One who slaughters a wild animal does not cover [the blood] until he checks the lungs, and if he finds a questionably invalid signs, he covers without making a blessing. And this is the law for all invalidations that arise from a questionable status, for example that [case] where we're worried that maybe [the knife] became notched while [cutting] the skin, and so too all similar cases. Rema: But anything that according to the law is valid [and] it's only [ruled invalid] because we're strict on it, for example if one cut the entire neck, and similar cases, one is obligated to cover [the blood].

כא מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ עָפָר לְכַסוֹת, לֹא יִשְׁחֹט. הַגָּה: אֶלָּא יַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ עָפָר (טוּר); וְאִם הוּא הוֹלֵךְ בְּמִדְבָּר אוֹ בִּסְפִינָה, וְלֹא שָׁוֶה הָעוֹף כְּהֶפְסֵד הַבֶּגֶד שֶׁיִּשְׂרֹף לְאֵפֶר אוֹ הַזָּהָב שֶׁיִשְׁחֹק, תַּקִּינוּ לֵהּ רַבָּנָן לִשְׁחֹט וּלְמַצֵּא הַדָּם בְּבֶגֶד אוֹ בְּסַנְדָּל, וּמְבָרֵךְ, וּכְשֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹם עָפָר יְכַבֵּס הַבֶּגֶד אוֹ הַסַּנְדָּל שֶׁיֵּצֵא הַדָּם, וּמְכַסֵּהוּ בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה (מָרְדְּכַי בְּשֵׁם הַגְּאוֹנִים) וְהָכֵי נָהוּג (אוֹר זָרוּעַ והראב"ן).

21 One who has no earth to cover with should not slaughter. Rema: Rather, he should wait until he has earth. And if he is travelling in the desert or on a ship, and the bird is not worth the loss of a garment that he would [need to] burn for its ashes [to cover with] or the gold that he would [need to] grind [to cover with], the sages enacted to slaughter and to keep the blood in a garment or a sandal and make a blessing, and when he reaches a place with earth, he should wash the garment or the sandal so that the blood comes out, and cover it without a blessing, and this is the custom.

כב הַשּׁוֹחֵט חַיָּה וְעוֹף וְלֹא יָצָא מֵהֶם דָּם, מֻתָּרִין.

22 One who slaughters a wild animal or a bird and blood did not come out of it, it is permitted.

כג כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהַזְּרָעִים הַנִּזְרָעִים בָּהֶם מַצְמִיחִים, הֵם בִּכְלַל עָפָר וּמְכַסִין בָּהֶם. וְאִם אֵינָם מַצְמִיחִים, אִם נִקְרְאוּ עָפָר מְכַסִין בָּהֶם. לְפִיכָךְ, מְכַסִין בְּזֶבֶל, וּבְחוֹל הַדַּק מְאֹד עַד שֶׁאֵין הַיּוֹצֵר צָרִיךְ לְכָתְשׁוֹ כְּלָל, וּבְסִיד, וּבְחַרְסִית וּלְבֵנָה וּמְגוּפָה שֶׁל חֶרֶס שֶׁכְּתָשָׁן, וּבִשְׁחִיקַת אֲבָנִים, וּבִשְׁחִיקַת חֲרָסִים, וּבִנְעֹרֶת שֶׁל פִּשְׁתָּן דַּקָּה, וּבִנְסֹרֶת חָרָשִׁים, וּבָאֳכָלִים אוֹ בְּגָדִים שְׂרוּפִים עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עָפָר, וּבְשִׁחוֹר, וּבְכָחוֹל, וּבְנִקְרַת הַפְּסִילִים; אֲבָל אֵין מְכַסִין בְּזֶבֶל גַּס, וְלֹא בְּחוֹל שֶׁהַיּוֹצֵר צָרִיךְ לְכָתְשׁוֹ, וְלֹא בְּקֶמַח וְסֻבִּין וּמֻרְסָן, וְלֹא בִּשְׁחִיקַת מַתֶּכֶת אִם אֵינָם שְׂרוּפִין, חוּץ מִבְּזָהָב שָׁחוּק שֶׁנִּקְרָא עָפָר, דִּכְתִיב; וְעַפְרֹת זָהָב לוֹ (אִיּוֹב כח, ו) וְאֵפֶר נִקְרָא עָפָר, דִּכְתִיב: וְלָקְחוּ לַטָּמֵא מֵעֲפַר שְׂרֵפַת הַחַטָּאת (רמב"ם סוף ה"ש מפכ"ה דף פ"ח ע"ב) (בְּמִדְבַּר יט, יז).

23 All things that if one plants seeds in them they would sprout, they are included in "earth" and one may cover [blood] with them. And if they don't sprout, if they are called "עפר" ("earth") one may cover with them. Therefore, one may cover with dung, and with very fine sand, [fine] enough that the potter doesn't need to crush it at all, and with lime, and with an earthenware shard and brick and barrel stopper of earthenware that was crushed, and with ground stones and ground earthenware shards, and scraps of fine flax, and sawdust, and with food or garments that were burnt until they were made into ash, and with powdered coal, and with stibium, and with millstone dust. But one may not cover with coarse dung, and not with sand that a potter needs to crush, and not with flour and bran-flour, and coarse bran, and not with ground metal if it's not burnt [to ash], except for ground gold which is called "עפר" ("earth"), as it is written "and it has earth of gold". And ash is called "עפר" ("earth"), as it is written "And they should take for the impure from the earth, the burnt [ashes] of the sin-offering".

כד אֵין מְכַסִין בַּעֲפַר הַמִּדְבָּר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא אֶרֶץ מְלֵחָה וְאֵינָהּ מַצְמַחַת. הַגָּה: וְלָכֵן אֵין מְכַסִּים בְּעָפָר לַחָה מִמַּיִם, כְּגוֹן מְתוּנְתָא; (טוּר וּסְמַ"ג וּסְמַ"ק) וְאֵין לְכַסּוֹת בְּשֶׁלֶג (בֵּית יוֹסֵף וְאוֹר זָרוּעַ בְּשֵׁם גָּאוֹן דְּלֹא כְּמָרְדְּכַי בְּשֵׁם גָּאוֹן).

24 One may not cover with desert earth because it's damp earth and [seeds] don't sprout in it. Rema: And therefore, one may not cover with earth that's damp from water, for example swampy earth. And one may not cover with snow.

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