The Torah states in Parashat Re’eh (Debarim 12:21), “Ve’zabahta Mi’berakrecha U’mi’sonecha…Ka’asher Siviticha” – “You shall slaughter from your cattle and your sheep…as I commanded you.” This verse indicates that G-d had previously presented the commands for how to slaughter animals. However, no such commands appear anywhere in the Humash. The Sages explain that these laws were transmitted orally to Moshe (“Halacha Le’Moshe Mi’Sinai”), and were then conveyed to us. G-d taught Moshe the rule that in order for the meat of a kosher species of animal to be permissible for consumption, the animal must be slaughtered with a perfectly smooth knife, that severs at least the majority of the animal’s “Kaneh” (windpipe) and “Veshet” (esophagus). This requirement applies to kosher species of domesticated and non-domesticated animals, and birds. Fish, however, do not require Shehita (slaughtering). A verse in the Book of Bamidbar (11:22) speaks of fish being “collected” for food (“Im Et Kol Degeh Ha’yam Ye’asef Lahem”), implying that fish may be eaten without Shehita, even if they were already dead when they were drawn from the water. This applies to grasshoppers, as well. A verse in the Book of Yeshayahu (33:4) speaks of grasshoppers being “collected” (“Osef He’hasil”), indicating that grasshoppers, like fish, can be eaten regardless of how they died, even without slaughtering. In explaining the reason behind the requirement to slaughter animals before eating their meat, the Sefer Ha’hinuch points to the severity of the prohibition against consuming an animal’s blood. He writes that consuming such blood has the effect of bringing the animal’s nature into our beings. Therefore, in order to ensure that we avoid the consumption of blood when partaking of animal meat, the Torah required killing the animal in the manner that drains the blood the swiftest – slaughtering the neck. The knife must be perfectly smooth and bereft of any nicks, the Sefer Ha’hinuch explains, in order to minimize the pain inflicted on the animal during the act of slaughtering. The Sefer Ha’hinuch writes that the Torah does not want us to cause pain to the animal “Yoter Mi’dai” – excessively, or “Hinam” – for no reason, and so the knife must be smooth. There are four ways in which a Shohet (slaughterer) can render the Shehita invalid. The first is through Shehiya – a pause during the process of slaughtering. If, for example, the Shohet began slaughtering the esophagus, but before completely severing it, he stopped, and then went back to complete the process, the Shehita is invalid, and the animal is considered a Nebela – an animal that died without Shehita. If, however, the knife was dull, and the Shohet thus needed to move the knife back and forth for an extended period of time in order to sever the windpipe and the esophagus, the Shehita is valid, because no pause was made. The second disqualifying method of Shehita is “Hadrasa,” which means pressing the knife downward. The severing must be achieved by moving the knife back and forth, and not by applying pressure against the two pipes as though one cuts vegetables. If the Shohet pushes the knife downward to sever the two pipes, the Shehita is invalid. The third disqualification is “Halada” – concealing the knife during the act of slaughtering. The blade must be exposed and visible at the time of the severing of the windpipe and esophagus. The fourth disqualifying factor, “Hagrama,” involves the spot where the incision is made. The Shehita must be performed at a specific area of the neck, and if it is done higher or lower, then the Shehita is invalid. Additionally, the Sefer Ha’hinuch writes, the Shohet must ensure when slaughtering that the windpipe and esophagus are intact. If they are “Akur” (“uprooted”), not in place, when the slaughtering took place, then the animal is considered to have died without slaughtering, and it is thus forbidden for consumption. The Sefer Ha’hinuch warns that a slaughterer who is not awa