השוחט אחד בעוף – Because in that ab initio, it was necessary to slaughter two organs (i.e, both the windpipe and the esophagus) even with fowl, the Mishnah teaches "השוחט" –” he who ritually slaughters”, which implies that [only] one organ, for fowl [is required] de facto, but not ab initio. But two [organs are required] for cattle, ab initio, for how far does one go to slaughter [ritually]. Alternatively, because it was necessary to teach most of one [organ must be ritually slaughtered] like it, specifically de facto, for ab initio one must intend to slaughter the entire organ. And one [organ] in regard to fowl, fulfills one’s duty that it is fit, is from a Biblical verse, as it is written (Leviticus chapter 11, verse 46): “These are the instruction concerning animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water [and all creatures that swarm on the earth],” the Bible attached [the category of] fowl between cattle and fish, to obligate [the ritual slaughter of] two organs, it is impossible that there was [already] an analogy made with fish; to exempt him [from doing any slaughtering] was impossible, since it was already compared to cattle. How was this accomplished? They (the Rabbis) made it ritually valid (for fowl) with one organ. And the act of ritual slaughter from the neck and and with two organs. Five things invalidate the act of ritual slaughter: שהייה–pausing during the act of slaughtering, דרסה–pressing the knife (adding muscular force to the cutting capacity of the knife, instead of passing the latter to and back (Hullin 20b), חלדה–pressing the life under cover; הגרמה–cutting the animal’s throat in a slanting direction (letting the knife slide beyond the space ritually designated for cutting); and עיקור–tearing loose the windpipe and esophagus before cutting, all of them are derived in the Gemara, regarding the esophagus and the windpipe and on the majority of one organ for fowl and on the majority of two organs for cattle.

עד שישחוט את הוורידים – like kinds of sinews upon the two sides of the windpipe, and regarding the foul alone, Rabbi Yehuda speaks, in order to remove its blood, since he roasted it entirely as one. And ritual slaughter, as stated by Rabbi Yehuda, not exactly, but rather that he should perforate the jugular vein prior to a skin–cover–membrane forms over the blood. For further blood will not come out, even though salting; but the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Yehuda.

רוב איד בעוף וכו' – And even though it is taught at the beginning of the Mishnah that most of one organ is like it, the Mishnah retracted here by teaching that one organ [is required] for fowl, etc., whether one is speaking about non-sacred meat or with meat dedicated for sacrificial purposes., for if we would teach only about non-sacred meat, I might say that it is enough for most [of one organ] because it was not for the blood that he needed it, but for the Holy Things (i.e. Sacrifices) for which the blood was necessary, it would not suffice to slaughter most of the organ; hence it comes to teach us that this was not the case.

שנים אוחזין בסכין ושוחטין – one animal

אפילו אחד למעלה ואחד למטה – that one is holding at one edge of the knife and his fellow is holding at the other side.

התיז את הראש – like a person who decapitates a reed or a gourd, when he pushes the [slaughtering] knife with force and divides it. And this is דרסה–cutting the throat of an animal by pressing (adding muscular force to the cutting capacity of the knife, instead of passing the latter to and back).

היה שוחט – through pulling [the slaughtering knife] and he decapitated the head with [either] the drawing home [of the slaughtering knife] or the drawing of the slaughterer’s knife in a forward direction alone. But for the slaughter of the [two] organs in the appropriate measure, it is called severing the head.

אם יש בסכין מלא צואר – other than neck of the animal or fowl that he is ritually slaughtering.

כשרה – if there is on the knife [the ability to slaughter] through pulling and not through cutting the throat through the use of muscular force, . But if the length of the knife is only as long as thickness of the neck, or just beyond the neck a bit, it is considered [as if] one had used muscular force, for the organs (i.e., the windpipe and esophagus) are not just through just this pulling, if not for the use of muscular force.

אם יש בסכין מלוא צואר אחד – outside of these two necks, that is the measurement of three necks.

איזמל – a very small, thin razor. And we don’t enact a prohibition regarding one that lacks hornlike projections as an ornament for the sake of a knife which does have hornlike projections as an ornament. For an איזמל–knife which has hornlike projections, for it normally [customary] to make hornlike projections as an ornaments on its back bending towards its head, and since it [the knife] is very small, it was detached from the neck, and when [the knife is] passed towards and back, there is a fear lest the hornlike projections will pass the slaughtering knife under cover (i.e. חלדה ) [which is forbidden].

נפלה סכין ושחטה – The reason that it [i.e., the knife] fell (then, the slaughtering is invalid); but if he threw it down [and it slaughtered the animal in an appropriate manner], it is valid, even though he did not intend to perform the act of ritual slaughtering, for we don’t require spiritual intention in the act of ritual slaughtering. And since it is necessary for the mentioning of the Biblical verse, regarding the ritual slaughtering of animals for the sacrificial purposes [of the Temple] (Leviticus 22:29): “[When you sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to the LORD, sacrifice it so that] it may be acceptable in your favor,” with your knowledge you shall sacrifice it, that is to say, with knowledge and spiritual intention (for purposes of the ritual sacrifices in the Temple). We learn from this that for חולין–non-consecrated animals (profane things), we do not require spiritual intentionality.

נפלה סכין והגביהה – and he paused during the act of slaughtering [which makes the animal so cut unfit to eat) while it was lifted up.

כליו – his clothing

או שהשחיז את הסכין – prior to [engaging in] the act of slaughtering.

ועף – he became tired and weary as a result of the sharpening–whetting of the knife, and when he began to ritually slaughter [the animal], he did not have the strength and stopped his slaughter, and his fellow came and slaughtered.

כדי שחיטה אחרת – in order that he would slaughter most of the two [organs] in another animal like it, while it is lying down, a large animal next to a large animal and a small animal next to a small animal. and it is also necessary that he lift it up and lie it down, and they did not practice in such a manner.

כדי בקור – For the interval that the ritual slaughterer checks and examines his knife (to determine its fitness). But the Halakha does not follow [the opinion] of Rabbi Shimon.

ופסק את הגרגרת – that is עיקור–tearing loose the windpipe before cutting; and we are referring to cattle.

תחת השני – under the second organ. When he inserted the knife between the organ and the neck.

החליד – he covered, which is the language of חלדה– passing the knife under cover (Hullin 27a); like a weasel–mole who lives in the foundations of the house in a concealed location].

ופסקו – from below to above

נבלה – and which defiles through carrying it.

טריפה – which does not defile

ודבר אחר גרם לה להפסל – such as one of the animals torn by a beast of prey (or an animal afflicted with a fatal organic disease) which is taught in the [Mishnah of chapter 3} “Which are those who are considered torn?”

בידים מסואבות – without the ritual washing of the hands, for the Rabbis decreed that “hands” are [naturally considered] “second” degree of Levitical uncleanness and we are dealing with unconsecrated food that was made on the purification of food dedicated for sacred purposes for something that is “second” degree of Levitical uncleanness makes something else “third” degree of Levitical uncleanness, for had we been dealing with unconsecrated meat alone, if they had been made fit [ for Levitical uncleanness] by contact with blood, something that is second degree of Levitical uncleanness does not make something else third degree of Levitical uncleanness.

לפי שלא הוכשרו בדם – since food does not receive susceptibility for ritual uncleanness until water comes upon it, or one of the seven liquids which are: water, wine, olive oil, milk and bees’ honey, blood and dew (see also Leviticus 11:34: “ As to any food that may be eaten, it shall become impure if it came in contact with water; as to any liquid that may be drunk, it shall become impure if it was inside any vessel.”).

הוכשרו בשחיטה – for since ritual slaughter is permissible for this meat, anything like a limb from a living animal is also compared to food regarding defilement, but the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Shimon.

השוחט את המסוכנת – All the while that we stand it [the animal] up and she cannot stand as a result of her illness, she is considered מסוכנת–to be in danger; and even if she has strength in her teeth to eat the terminal buds of a palm (cabbage tree) or to bite wood from trees (Hullin 37b).

עד שתפרכס – [See Mishnah Ohalot 1:6 for parallel about this situation.] if it [the animal] did not move convulsively, we suspect that its soul was taken before the completion of the ritual slaughtering.

אם זינקה – in the manner that animals’ throats become swollen and (its) blood gushes forth and squirts with force (when its jugular arteries were cut – see Hullin 38a).

השוחט בלילה – it is necessary for an endangered animal to move convulsively, and he [the ritual slaughterer] does not know if it convulsed, and on the morrow when he arose early, he found that the walls of the cavity of the ritual slaughter of throat were filled with blood, it is fit (i.e., kosher) because the blood had squirted out, according to the approach of Rabbi Eliezer who validates blood squirting out (which proves that the animal did not expire prior to the ritual slaughtering); Rabbi Shimon said [that he who performs ritual slaughter at night – and in on the morrow rises early and finds that the walls of the throat are filled with blood, it is valid], and the Halakha is not like [the opinion of] Rabbi Eliezer.

אחד בהמה דקה ואחד בהמה גסה – which requires the convulsion of the animal if it was endangered.

שפשטה ידה – at the conclusion of the ritual slaughtering

ולא החזירה פסולה – if it (i.e., the animal) was endangered. For this is not considered moving convulsively but such is its manner at the time when its soul leaves it. But this is not the manner for large animal. But whether it extended its paw but did not bend it [back] or bent it back but did not extend it, it is [considered] valid–kosher [to be eaten].

ורבי אליעזר פוסל – if the animal belongs to a heathen. For even though it is a Jew who is performing the slaughtering, it benefits the thought-processes of the heathen, since the unexpressed thought of the heathen is directed to idolatry.

חצר כבד – the large lobe of the liver

אמר רבי יוסי קל וחומר – Since there is no benefit for the thought-processes of its owner, since a Jew performs the slaughter.

ומה במקום שמחשבה פוסלת – that is, with regard to Holy things, as it states (Leviticus 7:18): “[If any of the flesh of his sacrifice of well-being is eaten on the third day, it shall not be acceptable;] it shall not count for him who offered it. It is an offensive thing [and the person who eats of it shall bear his guilt”]. It [the Biblical verse] is read “he shall not think” -that is to say, he should not think about eating it outside of the appropriate time since it will be a rejected sacrifice in consequence of an improper intention in the mind of the officiating priest.

אין הכל הולך אלא אחר העובד – as it is written (Leviticus 7:18) “it shall not count for him who offered it” – but the owners are not invalidated by their thoughts for the individual who offers it is the priest.

מקום שאין המחשבה פוסלת – The Gemara (Hullin 39b) explains our Mishnah in that it should [understood] in this manner: just as thought-processes invalidate [something offered] in Holy matters through four forms of service, everything follows only [the thought-patterns of] the individual worshipper. Whereas concerning Hullin–ordinary meat, thought-processes only invalidate in two areas, does it not follow that everything follows after [the thought-processes of] the ritual slaughterer? In the place where thought-processes invalidate those sacrifices offered in the realm of the holy things with regard to four acts of divine worship: ritual slaughter, reception of the blood, sprinkling of the blood and the carrying of the portions of the sacrifice to the altar ascent, on which of these that he thought that on the condition that he would eat from the sacrifice at an inappropriate time, does it make the sacrifice rejected in consequence of an improper intention in the mind of the officiating priest? But even though there is this stringency, the thought-processes only follow after the individual worshipper. Regarding Hullin–ordinary meat, in the matter of idolatry, thought-processes do not invalidate in four aspects of worship but rather in only two: in slaughter and in sprinkling [of the blood]. And regarding these, it is written [in these verses] (Exodus chapter 22, verse 19): “Whoever sacrifices to a god [other than the LORD alone shall be proscribed]” [and] (Psalms 16 verse 4): “I will have no part of their bloody libations; [their names will not pass my lips].” But reception of the blood and the carrying of the portions of the sacrifice to the altar ascent are not written–mentioned in these verses. But burning on the altar, even though it is connected to idolatry, it is, however, not worship to lose an animal because of the burning of its fats on the altar for idolatrous worship where it is not slaughtered and where its blood is not sprinkled for idolatrous purposes, for even inside, the sacrifice is not invalidated if he thought about the eating of meat at the time of the burning of the fats, and since we found a leniency in thought-processes outside [the altar], it is the law that we can be lenient in this and that the matter will not be dependent upon anyone other than the actual slaughterer. And the Halakha follows [the opinion] of Rabbi Yosi.

השוחט לשם הרים וכו' שחיטתו פסולה – an idolatrous offering does not prohibit one from deriving benefit from it, since all of these [things] are not done for idolatrous [purposes], as it is written (Deuteronomy chapter 12, verse 2): “[You must destroy all the sites at which the nations you are to dispossess worshiped] their gods, whether on lofty mountains [and on hills or under any luxuriant tree],” and not on the mountains of their gods. But however, it is prohibited to eat it, because it is similar to slaughter for the sake of idolatrous [purposes] by exchanging something [of their own in its place]. And specifically if he said: לשם הרים, לשם גבעות–in honor of mountains, in honor of hills (which is the language used in the Mishnah), but if he [the person making the offering] said: to the angel appointed on the mountains and on the hills, this is considered the sacrifices of the dead and it is prohibited to derive benefit [from them].

אין שוחטין לתוך ימים – that he [who is performing the act of ritual slaughter] should not say, that to the Prince of the Sea he is performing the act of ritual slaughter.

ולא לתוך הכלים – that they should not say that he is sprinkling its blood for idolatrous purposes that he is worshiping.

עוגה של מים – and specifically murky waters, but not in clear waters, lest people say that he is performing the act of ritual slaughter to the full face that appears in the water.

ובספינה – He may perform the act of ritual slaughter on the utensils and the blood will flow gently and descend into the sea. For he who sees it would say that he did it, in order to not soil the ship.

אין שוחטין לגומא כל עיקר – and even in the house, and the reason that in a hole [it is not permitted], is because it is seen as an imitation of the sectarians.

אבל עושה גומא – The Gemara explains that this is how it should read: One does not perform an act of ritual slaughter in a hole at all. But if one desires to bore into his courtyard, how would he do it. He would create a space outside of the hole and he would perform the act of ritual slaughter and the blood would gently flow and descend into its hole.

יחקה את המינים – He would strengthen their hands in their customs; יחקה–imitate is from the word חק– custom

השוחט – [He who does ritual slaughter] on unconsecrated animals outside [of the Temple]

לשם עולה – because a burnt-offering comes from a vow and–or a voluntary donation, he who sees it states;: Now he is sanctifying [it] and performing ritual slaughter [on it] for a burnt offering, and sacred things outside [the Temple], are permitted [to do so]. Therefore, the Rabbis decreed on it that it is invalid, and similarly, peace-offerings, etc.

אשם תלוי – which comes on a doubtful liability for extirpation, such as two pieces [of meat] (one of which is forbidden and one allowed) – of abdominal fat of cattle (which is forbidden) and the permitted fat of animals (that is permitted to consume) and it is not known which of them ate or [the case] of his wife or his sister with him in bed and he has sexual relations with one of them and he doesn’t know which of them he had sexual relations, he brings a guilt-offering offered when in doubt [as to the commission of a sinful act] to protect [himself] against suffering until it becomes known to him if he committed an undoubtful offense [for which] he brings his sin-offering. And our Mishnah is [according to] Rabbi Eliezer who stated {Keritut 25a) that a person brings a guilt-offering when in doubt [as to the commission of a sinful act] every day, for every day, he stands in the doubt of sin and his heart smites him lest I sinned, and it is found that it relates to something he either vowed or voluntarily donated.

לשם פסח – The Passover sacrifice is also called something that is vowed or freely donated, since it can be separated out all the days of the year and set aside until its appropriate time; they say that he ritually slaughters peace-offerings outside of the Temple and consumes them.

ורבי שמעון מכשיר – And he is not concerned with avoiding the semblance of wrong-doing (i.e., appearance-sake).

אשם ודאי – such as the guilt-offering brought for theft, (or) someone who lied when taking an oath on denying money (owed), and the guilt-offering for misappropriation of sacred property and the guilt-offering for a maidservant designated to become the wife of one selected by her master (Gittin 43a), and on account that the guilt-offering for doubtful liability for having sexual relationships is referred to as the guilt offering for the undoubted commission of certain offenses.

לשם בכור לשם מעשר – people surely know that it is a lie, for the First born offerings and tithes have a voice and people know before this, for if that time is not appropriate for their being set aside, that one would say that now is the time sanctifies them..

זה הכלל – to include if a person said: Behold I am ritually slaughtering for the sake of burnt-offering of a Nazirite, which is invalid. For you might say that one should not be concerned for waste, for it is known that he did not make a vow, which comes to teach us that people will surely say that perhaps he made a vow in private [during] these thirty days which is the undefined [shortest period for being] a Nazirite, and on the thirtieth day, the matter is not known to his neighbors.

ושאינו נידר ונידב – including the burnt-offering of a woman who gave birth, for he said, [this offering is made] explicitly for the purpose of a woman who gave birth, it is valid, even if he said that it was for the sake of a woman is not obligated to bring a sacrifice after giving birth, For you might have thought since that particular woman was not liable [to bring] a sacrifice upon giving birth, it [the sacrifice] was only a free-will donation, it comes to teach us that lest she miscarried, for a miscarriage has no voice and it is found that this sacrifice is obligatory and not a donation, and therefore, his ritual slaughter is valid.