[Avodah] I've Been Vindicated

[micha at aishdas.org]

I don't like to beat a dead horse (pardon the pun), but I felt recently
like I was a lone voice. Obviously, Dr. Tali Lowenthal is a recognized
authority and has a PhD in Chassidism. I just received the following
article from Chabad.org and it uses the word "PAINLESS"! (Emphasis
is mine).

    Why Shechitah Is Important
    By Tali Loewenthal

    The Jewish people today are facing many conflicts. One of these
    concerns shechitah, the ritual slaughter of fowls, lambs and beef
    so that Jews are permitted to eat the meat. A number of groups are
    applying pressure in an attempt to ban shechitah, or to impose
    government laws which would prevent it from being carried out
    effectively.

    Why is it important to protect our right to perform shechitah?

    In practical terms, shechitah is virtually painless for the
    animal. The special shechitah knife is honed razor sharp: if it
    sliced a person's finger he would not feel it. The act of shechitah
    generally cuts the carotid arteries, causing immediate cessation
    of the blood supply to the brain. This is an effective, swift and
    pain-free stunning procedure. Many contrast this with the fixed bolt
    form of stunning used in non-kosher slaughter which anti-meat-eating
    groups describe in very negative terms.

    In terms of life in modern society, there is another issue:
    religious tolerance. We live in a pluralist society where freedom
    for religious practice can be claimed so long that it does no harm
    to other human beings. As mature human beings in the 21st century,
    we can claim acceptance of shechitah as a human right. Further,
    attacks on shechitah are often a disguised form of anti-Semitism:
    during World War II, shechitah was banned in all countries under
    Nazi control.

    The real issue, however, is the spiritual question. The Torah commands
    the Jew to use the method of shechitah in order to eat meat.

    The Torah does not regard meat-eating as something to be taken
    for granted. Before Noah, human beings were not permitted to eat
    meat. Then, in a law given by G-d to Noah after the Flood, meat
    eating became permitted as long as the animal is killed first. We
    generally understand this law, applying to all humanity, as demanding
    avoidance of wanton cruelty to animals.

    For the Jew, of course, there are further restrictions. Since we are a
    special people, with a special spiritual task in the world, additional
    rules apply to us. Only certain animals can be eaten: the kosher
    animals ("kosher" means fit, suitable). The rules for kosher animals,
    birds and fish are given in the Torah.1 If the animal is unhealthy,
    again it is forbidden. The word treif (which we use for non-kosher)
    literally means "torn": an animal which has been torn internally
    and is ill may not be eaten by a Jew.2 The Torah also tells us that
    blood may not be eaten, and meat and milk must be kept separate.3

    There is more. For the Jewish people in the time of Moses, meat
    could only be eaten when it was part of a sacrifice brought to
    the Sanctuary. In a sense, the meat was considered sacred. Then,
    shortly before entering the Land of Israel, the Jewish people were
    told that they could eat meat, but only if they slaughter it in a
    special way.4 This method was revealed to Moses at Sinai. It was
    the mode of slaughter used in the Sanctuary and Temple, and it is
    still used by the Jewish slaughterer (shochet) today.

    All food, including plants and animals, has within it a spiritual
    life-force. Chassidic teachings tell us that when a Jew eats permitted
    food and serves G-d with the energy it gives him or her, a crucial
    spiritual cycle is completed, helping to perfect the universe.5 This
    is our global task. The detailed laws and practice of shechitah help
    us to carry it out, for the ultimate benefit of all humanity.

    FOOTNOTES
    """""""""
    1. Deuteronomy 14:3-21
    2. Exodus 22:30
    3. Deuteronomy 12:23-25; 14:21 as explained by the Sages
    4. Deuteronomy 12:21. See Rashi
    5. See Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi's Tanya Part 1, chapters 7 and 37