Translation:Shulchan Aruch/Yoreh Deah/71

דין מליחת הראש והטלפים והמוח

Contains three Seif.

ובו שלושה סעיפים:

1
[1] The head (1) is cut into two pieces and salted well on the inner side, [2] and is salted on its hair, for the hair is not a blockage from allowing blood to be released by the salt.

Shach

[1]            According to the strict letter of the law, one need not cut it into two pieces, for it is considered as a thick piece of meat. However those who would like to be stringent and perform the mitzvah in the most meticulous fashion may do so and salt the head and brain by cutting it in two pieces and salting the inside.

[2]            The reason is because ideally one must salt both sides.

Taz

(1) We follow the Rashba who rules that the hair is not considered a problem for the purposes of salting. The cutting stated here is for those who want to be more meticulous, however the halacha does not require it for the head is as any other thick piece of meat. Regarding the brain, it suffices to make a hole in the bottom of the skull to allow the blood to flow out.

2
(2) [3] The hooves are slightly slit at the bottom, salted, and laid out so the slit is face down. The hair is also salted. [4j See earlier section 68.

Shach

[3]            If this is not done it will be as if salted in a vessel without holes for the hooves don’t provide for the blood to flow anywhere. Even if they were salted and the salt got absorbed, nevertheless the blood can not leave the hooves. This is not so by other bones, where the salting is efficient for the marrow since the blood can escape through the bones.

[4]            See earlier in section 68, sub-section 8 where it is explained that if a cut was not made it is customary to forbid anything within a klipahs worth.

Taz

(2) The Rashal writes that after the hooves have been cut open, it is a meticulous act for one to burn the hair, and salt it after that, however the custom is not to do so, See earlier in section 68, sub-section 7.

3
The membrane surrounding the brain has many veins, and the brain itself has much blood which will not come out through simply salting the head, because the skull is blocking it, not allowing for the blood to flow. Therefore, one who wants to salt it must cut the skull and remove the brain, cut the surrounding membrane and salt it. [5] If one wants to salt the head with the brain inside, then a hole must be pierced throughout the skull and membrane, salt it, and place the hole face down as to allow the blood to flow. It is then permitted even to be cooked. Rema: [6] And see earlier in section 68 how one should act initially. If one salted the whole head without making a hole in the skull then the [7] membrane and skull are forbidden, (3) [8] but the head is permitted along with any other meat that is with it. The thigh bone, as well as other bones that have marrow inside of them [9] must be salted [10] and the salting of the bone suffices for the marrow as well. The bone need not be pierced. [11] Nevertheless, ideally one should not salt it along with other meat, only alone. Post facto it is permitted.

Shach

[5]            Meaning that it will help only in this way, and not by placing it down on the place of the slaughter or on its nostrils so that the blood should flow from there.

[6]            See earlier on in section 68, sub-section 4 in the Rema where it is written that it is customary to remove the brain from the skull prior to salting, and to cut the skull through its length and width so that the membrane will be sliced well.

[7]            The reason is that it would be as meat salted in a vessel without holes.

[8]            There are two reasons for this. a) Because the skull Is a barrier between the blood and the meat and b) For even if blood would be absorbed into the meat, even then the meat would still be permitted for “as it absorbed, so will it release”. The practical difference is that if the head was salted with meat after It had released all its blood and tzir, thereby not allowing for us to say “as it absorbed, so will it release”, even so it is permitted for it did not absorb since the bone is acting as a barrier. This is only if the outside meat on the head was removed from the skull, for if not then all other meat is forbidden since it received blood from the meat of the head. The first of the two reasons is the main reason.

[9]            If it was cooked without having been salted, the marrow is forbidden because a lot of blood is found in the marrow. However, there is not an excess amount of blood, therefore if there is sixty in the pot then even the marrow is permitted.

[10]        It is not comparable to the brain in which salting the head does not suffice. Over there, there are many veins that are full of blood, and it is as if the blood is gathered. The blood in the arteries, however, is released even after a minor salting.

[11]        For there is not so much blood over there, so we try not to salt it with other meat which has much more blood. However, with their type of meat alone, one may salt it together even initially. The Pri Chadash writes that it is customary to salt its meat with all other meat, for we say that its blood is as all other blood of meat.

Taz

(3) It should not be forbidden for not having been salted inside as we said in section 69, sub-section 4. Here it is different because the head is whole, similar to a thick piece of meat, if it was cut in two during its salting period, it must now be salted on both sides. Post-facto it may be permitted in a case of great loss if it was not yet cooked, as is explained earlier in section 69. sub-section 4.

סעיף א
הראש חותכו לשנים ומולחו יפה לצד פנים, וחוזר ומולח על השיער; שאין השיער מעכב על ידי המלח להפליט דם.

סעיף ב
הטלפים מחתך אותם מעט למטה ומולחו ויניח מקום החתך למטה וימלח גם על השיער. (ועיין לעיל ( סימן סח ))

סעיף ג
הקרום שעל המוח יש בו חוטין והמוח עצמו יש בו דם ואינו יוצא מידי דמו במליחת הראש לפי שעצם הראש מקיפו ועומד לפניו ואין מקום לדם לזוב. לפיכך הבא למולחו קורעו ומוציא המוח וקורע הקרום ומולחו. ואם רצה למלוח הראש והמוח בתוכו -- ינקוב העצם כנגד הקרום וינקוב גם הקרום וימלח ויניח הנקב למטה ומותר אפילו לקדרה.


 * הגה: ועיין לעיל ( סימן סח ) כיצד נוהגין לכתחלה (ש"ד בשם מ"ה).
 * ואם נמלח הראש שלם בלא נקיבת העצם -- הקרום והמוח אסורים ושאר הראש מותר. וכל שכן שאר בשר שעמו (ארוך כלל י"ז וש"ד).
 * הקולית ושאר עצמות שיש בהן מוח צריכין מליחה ומליחת העצם מועיל למוח שבקרבו ואין צריך לנקוב העצם (טור בשם הרשב"א). מיהו לכתחלה לא ימלחנו עם שאר בשר רק לבד ובדיעבד שרי. (ארוך כלל לח)


 * }