A new EU bill which aims to lessen the suffering of animals taken to slaughter has European rabbis and Jewish communities worried that shechita (ritual slaughter) in European nations could be outlawed altogether.
It has also led the Conference of European Rabbis (COE) to launch a campaign to amend the legislation.
The bill, which will be discussed by the EU’s Council of Ministers in approximately two months, includes various clauses which seek to ensure more humane treatment of animals. One of these would allow member states to force cattle breeders to stun the animals before the slaughter – an act forbidden by Halacha.
This would create a situation in which shechita in the EU was not protected by law and could be declared illegal by any nation that chose to do so. These nations would also be free to forbid the importing of meat that did not comply with the standards of the new bill.
The bill has led Jewish leaders in Europe to mount a continent-wide effort to prevent the legislation from passing in its current form.
To #2 thank you for your concern to answer my questions and healthy assumption about my intention. To #3: what in the world are you barking at? I am asking a question because of my concern. I don’t appreciate you calling me a rosho or any of those terrible things…actually i am indeed a Crown Heights resident with a beard hat and rabbeinu tam tefillin. Is there no one else in the community reading this who has similar concerns!!?? To #2 and #3: Please tell me about the halachic provision to remove a trachea and esophagus in order to prevent… Read more »
the comment from nuumber one is a proffesional blogger who is part of those who have been trying to destroy shchita here in the us as well as europe. look out for those code words “aren’t “we”supposed to go beyond the letter of the law?” this rosho is worse than the rosho in the hagadah who at least says “you” so he is identified of his position. this rosho includes himself into the torah comunitty by saying “we” seemingli including himself in our community. and then he spewes his venom and apekursos. then for the next innocent remark that is… Read more »
The video that you saw was covertly filmed by PETA. It was of a common procedure performed after shechita (once the animal is halachakally deemed dead) to ensure that the meat isn’t drenched with blood and stained red. The point of the film was to sicken its viewers in the hopes of discouraging meat consumption. Re your Qs: Attaching reasons to the Mitzvois adds feeling and kavana for those who perform them, but the superimposed reason is not the cause for the Mizvah’s performance. God’s command is the cause. So although Shechita is a humane means for ending an animals… Read more »
of animals shechted in a shecht hoiz, where very shortly after the shechita the animals’ esophagi and tracheas were torn out by a co-worker (perhaps to take out the tongue?). Perhaps it is permissible according to the law because after the shechita and the exit of blood the animal is “technically” dead, but it certainly seems to be vicious treatment of the animal. Doesn’t God want us to be more humane – aren’t we supposed to go beyond the letter of the law – shouldn’t the mitzvois be kept in a way that are not habitual? – with feeling and… Read more »