Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 63

Siman 63

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 בָּשָׂר הַנִּמְצָא מֻשְׁלָךְ בַּשּׁוּק, הַלֵּךְ אַחַר הָרֹב, דְּכָל דְּפָרִישׁ מֵרֻבָּא פָּרִישׁ; אִם הָיוּ רֹב הַמּוֹכְרִים עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, אָסוּר. וְאִם הָיוּ רֹב הַמּוֹכְרִים יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֻתָּר. וְכֵן בָּשָׂר הַנִּמְצָא בְּיַד עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וְלֹא נוֹדַע מִמִּי לָקַח, אִם הָיוּ מוֹכְרֵי הַבָּשָׂר יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֻתָּר, זֶהוּ דִּין תּוֹרָה; וּכְבָר אָסְרוּ חֲכָמִים כָּל הַבָּשָׂר הַנִּמְצָא, בֵּין בַּשּׁוּק בֵּין בְּיַד עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּל הַמּוֹכְרִים וְכָל הַשּׁוֹחֲטִים יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא הַלּוֹקֵחַ בָּשָׂר וְהִנִּיחוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ וְנֶעֱלַם מִן הָעַיִן, אָסוּר, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיָה לוֹ בּוֹ סִימָן אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בּוֹ טְבִיעוּת עַיִן, וְהוּא מַכִּירוֹ וַדַּאי שֶׁהוּא זֶה, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה צָרוּר וְחָתוּם.
1 Meat that was found spread out in the market, one goes after the majority, because a part goes after the majority of parts. If the majority of the sellers [of meat] are non-Jews, it is forbidden. And if the majority of the sellers are Jews, it is permitted. And this is the case with meat that was found in the hand of a non-Jew and it is not known from whom he purchased it. If the meat sellers are Jews, it is permitted. This is the law [according to] Torah. And the Sages already forbade all meat that is found, either at the market or in the hand of a non-Jew, even though all the sellers and all of the slaughterers are Jews. And furthermore, the one who buys meat and places it in his house and it disappears, it is forbidden [to eat it]. Rather, if there is a sign or there were recognizable rings [on the meat], and he definitely recognizes it that it is the [same meat] or it was bound and stamped, [then the meat is permitted].
ב תָּלָה כְּלִי מָלֵא חֲתִיכוֹת בָּשָׂר, וְנִשְׁבַּר הַכְּלִי וְנָפְלוּ הַחֲתִיכוֹת לָאָרֶץ, וּבָא וּמָצָא חֲתִיכוֹת, וְאֵין לוֹ בָּהֶם לֹא סִימָן וְלֹא טְבִיעוּת עַיִן, הֲרֵי זֶה אָסוּר, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹמַר: אוֹתוֹ בָּשָׂר שֶׁהָיָה בַּכְּלִי גְּרָרַתּוּ חַיָּה אוֹ שֶׁרֶץ, וְזֶה בָּשָׂר אַחֵר הוּא. וְאִם תְּלָאוֹ בְּמַסְמֵר וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְשֶׁרֶץ לִטֹּל וּלְהַנִּיחַ, מֻתָּר. וְיֵשׁ מַתִּירִין בָּשָׂר שֶׁנִּתְעַלֵּם מִן הָעַיִן אִם מְצָאוֹ בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁהִנִּיחוֹ. הַגָּה: וְהַמִּנְהָג לְהָקֵל כַּסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הָיָה בְּיַד עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים, בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁכָּל הַמּוֹכְרִים הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵלִים הַמּוֹכְרִים בָּשָׂר כָּשֵׁר. וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָּן סִימָן קי"ח.
2 If one hung up a container full of pieces of meat, and the container broke and the pieces fell to the earth, and one returned and found the pieces without any sign or recognizable features, it (the meat) is forbidden, because one might think that the meat that was in in the container was dragged away by a beast or vermin, and this is other meat. But if one hung it up on a nail or something like this, where it would be impossible for vermin to take it off and and put another one in its place, it is permitted. And some permit meat that was unobserved if it was found in the same place that it was left. [Comment of Rema: And the customary practice is to be lenient, in accordance with the last opinion, and even if it was in an idolater's possession, in a place where all the sellers are Israelites who sell kosher meat. And see below 118.]
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