[Avodah] Reasons for Shechitah

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Aug 09, 2012 at 04:06:24PM -0400, cantorwolberg at cox.net wrote:
: R' Micha wrote:
:> Besides, if shechitah were really in order to cause little or no pain, to 
:> the exclusion of other meanings in the mitzvah, there would be permission 
:> to kill in other painless ways. 

: So then why isn't there permission to kill in other painless ways? Or
: I should ask, is there any other reasons given other than it is a mitzva.

Not that I know of. But then, every mitzvah has some element of choq.
In fact, the Ramban says that notion of the value of simply obeying the
law (detached from reasons) is itself part of the reason for shechitah.
He mentions the minimization of pain, but also adds that part of the
point of shechitah is to remember the concept of law when killing,
an act so primal it triggers a different part of our selves.

Taamei hamitzvos are usually things we derive post-facto from the law. The
number of cases where they're given, such as in tzitzis (ure'isem osam,
velo sasuru) or Shabbos (ki sheishes yamim asah H'...) are the vast
minority.

:-)BBii!
-Micha