By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Shochtim are truly the unsung heroes of Klal Yisroel.  They work hard, all day, to ensure that the Jewish nation will not stumble.  They ensure that the Jewish nation has sustenance.  They ensure that we grow – and continue to strictly follow our yerushah – our heritage – our birthright of Sinai. And perhaps we do not appreciate what it is that they do. They are the shochtim that ensure the top-quality kashrus of our meats, and of our chickens.   They work hard and they leave their families – for us.  Let’s take a look.  But before we do so, we should consider the following thoughts: Let’s recall the gas lines of Hurricane Sandy – when the supply did not meet the demand of gasoline.  Let’s recall the fate of ancestors and relatives in Poland.  One of my Rebbeim, Rav Dovid Kviat zt”l, told me that in his home town in Poland, only the gvirim, the wealthy, could afford to give out kichel at their son’s Bar Mitzvah. THEY ENSURE THE MEAT SUPPLY The Shochtim of Klal Yisroel ensure, on a regular basis, that there is enough of a meat supply – so that we can properly honor the Shabbos – so that we can properly honor the Yomim Tovim, and so that we can have a hot cholent at a kiddush.  They make sure that people enjoy the food at our chasunos, at our bar Mitzvah celebrations, and at our Yeshiva dinners. Many of them start their shift at 4:00 AM.  That is correct – 4:00 AM. EMULATING HASHEM The Gemorah in Shabbos (133b) tells us that we must emulate Hashem.  Mah Hu Rachum, af attah Rachum.  Just as He is merciful and kind, so too must you be merciful and kind.  Rav Yitzchok Blahzer zt”l explained that Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l would apply this admonition across the board.  Hashem brought the Slav, the quail, to Klal Yisroel in the Midbar to feed a hungry nation. The Shochtim do the same. PERSONAL SACRIFICE They do so at great personal sacrifice.  They leave their wives, their children, their entire families – and travel hundreds of miles to the shlochthaus.  Some live in a dormitory.  Some live in off-factory housing.  There they stay all week long – performing the same tedious repetition work. Others commute daily – travelling hundreds of miles each day.  They must all be very alert and careful.  Every thirty days they re-study the Sefer entitled the Simla Chadasha written by Rav Alechsander Sender Schorr zt”l (1673-1737).  It is one of the only Seforim that has replaced the Shulchan Aruch as the most authoritative work on its subject matter – in Ashkenzaic and Chassidishe circles.  It must be carefully reviewed because the Shulchan Aruch states (YD 23:1):  “Any shochet who does not know the laws of shechita – one may not eat of his slaughter.” They are also subjected to regular testing.  The Simla Chadasha even goes so far as to write (1:17): “If he knows all the laws of proper slaughter – just in one law he errs and says that something is permitted when it is actually prohibited, it appears to me that, whether he received written authorization or not, we should prohibit his slaughter for a few days previously, […]

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