שחיטה שאינה ראויה

The Book of Breishit seems to be mainly the history of the Avot. However, sometimes, incidental Halachic matters are learned.

One such example comes from three words in פרשת מקץ describing Yosef’s instructions to prepare a lavish meal for his brothers. The Torah uses the words, וטבוח טבח והכן, which means to slaughter and to prepare.

Surprisingly, we learn a law related to שחיטה, ritual slaughtering from these words. The Halacha is that a שחיטה שאינה ראויה לא הוי שחיטה, that an unfit slaughtering is not considered שחיטה. Therefore, if an animal was found diseased ( טריפה ), or slaughtered for the sake of עבודה זרה, or another procedural defect, it would not count as שחיטה. And once it’s been nullified, there is no longer an obligation to do כיסוי הדם, cover the blood.

This is kind of a technical law, but it is learned from the words, וטבוח טבח והכן.