[Avodah] schechtworthy

[Zev Sero]

Jacob Farkas wrote:

> I can't disagree more with Shehitah though. The number of chickens that
> are slaughtered per minute does not afford the Shoheit the opportunity
> to treat each individual Shehitah as thoroughly as in the past. Fewer
> tasks and responsibilities are performed by the modern Shoheit, and his
> ne'emanus alone does not suffice for the community to eat from his
> Shehitah. (He is most often anonymous). Rather it is the reputation of
> the certifying agency that is trusted.

That just shifts the responsibility for picking shochtim, and ensuring
that they are yirei shomayim, from each community to the certifiers.
They have to keep an eye on the behaviour of their shochtim.

Recently a web site posted a letter from R Weissmandl to Rubashkin
when they were negotiating for him to take over as lead machshir, and
he goes into great detail about the contract that must be signed with
each shochet regulating his personal behaviour and that of his whole
family.  For instance, he demands that shochtim not have any kind of
internet connection in their homes (television man d'char sh'meih!),
they must be seen regularly learning in the beis hamedrash, not just
at home, etc.

In some matters he specifically acknowledges the difference between
community standards.  For instance, a shochet's wife must cover her hair
to the standards that are accepted in their community.  (He also goes
into the mandatory rest periods for shochtim - they are to work 40
minutes on and 40 minutes off, with a break room provided where they
can rest, snack, and restore themselves for the next 40 minute shift.)

This is all necessary precisely because, as you say, the consumer
doesn't know the shochtim, or who shechted which piece of meat, and
can't form his own judgment about the shochet's reliability.  In
smaller communities that is possible.  For instance my father will
only eat meat from one specific shochet whom he knows personally;
he doesn't need any contract and he doesn't need to specify niggling
details, because he can see for himself what sort of person he is.
If the shochet deviates in some way from community norms, my father
can judge for himself whether this speaks of some character flaw or
can be safely ignored.  With a huge operation such as Rubashkin, Alle,
etc., that sort of thing is just not possible to arrange, so we must
rely on the certifiers, who must have written rules and go into all
these details.

 
> I didn't say the Shoheit can be an avaryan, but I did suggest that it is
> fair to consider that his role is diminished and perhaps so should his
> prerequisites. His job is at stake if he doesn't follow guidelines, and
> his actions on the floor are not without other supervision, he is no
> longer 100% bein adam lamaqom.

How will the mashgiach on the floor know if the shochet felt the knife
catch against something, or if he hesitated or pressed too hard, etc?
Only he can ever know this, and it would be so easy to keep his mouth
shut and just let it go.  Admitting that he made a mistake and wasted
an animal is always going to be difficult, and the only thing we can
ever rely on is his own yiras shomayim.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas