This week’s Daf Yomi (Chullin 38–41) contains a powerful teaching that we can learn from how the Rambam paskens/rules on the laws of shechita that feels strikingly relevant to the broader condition of Jewish religious practice in our time.
The Gemara had already discussed shechita of chullin performed without kavanah. Examples include throwing a knife off a wall so that it bounces and slaughters a cow, or slaughtering while preoccupied or in a playful manner. The Rambam rules that the shechita is nevertheless kosher, provided it is executed properly in the correct location and according to the required measure.
In Hilchot Shechita, Perek 2, the Rambam writes:
אֵין שְׁחִיטַת הַחֻלִּין צְרִיכָה כַּוָּנָה; אֵלָא אַפִלּוּ שָׁחַט כְּמִתְעַסֵּק, אוֹ דֶּרֶךְ שְׂחוֹק, אוֹ שֶׁזָּרַק סַכִּין לְנָעְצָהּ בַּכּוֹתָל וְשָׁחֲטָה בַּהֲלִיכָתָהּ--הוֹאִיל וְהַשְּׁחִיטָה כָּרָאוּי בִּמְקוֹמָהּ וְשֵׁעוּרָהּ, הֲרֵי זוֹ כְּשֵׁרָה
Translation:
The slaughter of non-sacred animals does not require intention. Rather, even if one slaughtered while preoccupied with other matters, or in a playful manner, or if one threw a knife to embed it in the wall and it slaughtered the animal in its flight — since the slaughter was performed properly in its place and according to its measure, it is kosher.
The Gemara furtber on addresses a different scenario: a Jew slaughters an animal for a non-Jew (an idolater), and the non-Jew intends the act as a dedication to his god. The ruling is that the shechita remains fully kosher. Another person’s intention — even the owner’s — cannot invalidate the act of the shochet.
The Rambam states in the same perek:
יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁשָּׁחַט לְנָכְרִי--אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַנָּכְרִי מִתְכַּוֵּן לְכָל מַה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה, שְׁחִיטָתוֹ כְּשֵׁרָה: שְׁאֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין אֵלָא לְמַחְשֶׁבֶת הַזּוֹבֵחַ, לֹא לְמַחְשֶׁבֶת בַּעַל הַבְּהֵמָה
Translation:
A Jew who slaughters for a non-Jew — even though the non-Jew intends whatever he wishes, his slaughter is kosher. For we are only concerned with the intention of the slaughterer, not with the intention of the owner of the animal.
However, when the Jew performing the shechita himself harbors a corrupt intention, the result changes completely — even if every technical detail of the shechita is flawless. The Rambam draws a sharp distinction:
If one slaughters while invoking mountains, hills, seas, rivers, or deserts for healing or similar purposes drawn from the foolish beliefs of the nations (without intending to worship them as gods), the shechita is invalid (pasul).
But if one slaughters in the name of the mazal of the sea or the mountain, or for the stars, constellations, and the like, then the animal is prohibited for any benefit whatsoever, just like an offering to avodah zarah.
Here are the Rambam’s words:
הַשּׁוֹחֵט לְשֵׁם הָרִים, לְשֵׁם גְּבָעוֹת, לְשֵׁם יַמִּים, לְשֵׁם נְהָרוֹת, לְשֵׁם מִדְבָּרוֹת--אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְכַּוַּן לְעָבְדָן אֵלָא לִרְפוּאָה וְכַיּוֹצֶא בָּהּ מִדִּבְרֵי הֲבָאי שֶׁאוֹמְרִין הַגּוֹיִים, הֲרֵי שְׁחִיטָתוֹ פְּסוּלָה; אֲבָל אִם שָׁחַט לְשֵׁם מַזַּל הַיָּם, אוֹ מַזַּל הָהָר, אוֹ לַכּוֹכָבִים וְלַמַּזָּלוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֶא בָּהֶן--הֲרֵי זוֹ אֲסוּרָה בַּהֲנָיָה, כְּכָל תִּקְרֹבֶת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.
Translation:
One who slaughters in the name of mountains, hills, seas, rivers, or deserts — even though he did not intend to worship them but only for healing and similar things from the foolish words that the nations say — behold, his slaughter is invalid. But if he slaughtered in the name of the constellation of the sea, or the constellation of the mountain, or for the stars and constellations and the like — behold, this is prohibited for benefit, like any offering of idolatry.
To summarize the halachic principles:
No intention on the part of the shochet → still kosher.
Intention on the part of someone else (even the owner, even for idolatry) → still kosher.
Intention on the part of the shochet for superstitious “healing” through natural forces → pasul.
Intention on the part of the shochet for stars, constellations, or idolatrous entities → prohibited for any benefit.
These disqualifications apply even when the knife is perfectly sharpened, the beracha is recited correctly, and all the simanim are severed as required.
The deeper lesson is clear: merely performing the external actions of a mitzvah does not make the deed acceptable before Hashem. Reciting Tehillim while praying to the dead for healing — whether for oneself or for a relative or friend — remains prohibited. Even reciting Tehillim or the Shemoneh Esrei while directing prayers to the dead is problematic. Lighting bonfires while dancing in an ecstatic trance and singing words of Tehillim or of the Rashbi, with the intention that the Rashbi hear and answer one’s prayers, is likewise problematic.
All these acts may appear religious and part of Judaism on the surface, yet they are deeply flawed. This is the same phenomenon we see with the spies, who sincerely believed they were acting religiously by speaking negatively about the Land of Israel — when in reality their actions were evil. The same was true of Korach and his congregation.
That is why the prophet Isaiah declares in chapter 1:
שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהוָה, קְצִינֵי סְדֹם; הַאֲזִינוּ תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ, עַם עֲמֹרָה. יא לָמָּה־לִּי רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר יְהוָה, שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים; וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים, לֹא חָפָצְתִּי. יב כִּי תָבֹאוּ, לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי--מִי־בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם, רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי. יג לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ, הָבִיא מִנְחַת־שָׁוְא--קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא, לִי; חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא, לֹא־אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה. יד חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי, הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח; נִלְאֵיתִי, נְשֹׂא. טו וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם, אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם--גַּם כִּי־תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה, אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ: יְדֵיכֶם, דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ
Translation:
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” says the LORD. “I am sated with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I have no delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot bear iniquity together with solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hates; they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I will not hear — your hands are full of blood.”
Outwardly the jews were performing acts of worship and sacrifice, yet because the intentions were corrupt and the accompanying behaviors evil, Hashem declares them repulsive.
We see the identical dynamic with the Chareidim in Eretz Yisrael. On the outside their conduct looks religious — they learn Torah all day. Their leaders and rabbis look and act religious in their appearance, age and serious demeaner. Yet the chillul Hashem they cause is anything but religious. That they encourage and insist that healthy young men refuse to participate in the labor market and the defense of their country (and their fellow Jews), while instead consuming valuable national resources to sustain their lifestyle, is disgusting to Hashem. That they can justify hatred of Zionism and the Jewish state by building an entire movement on the basis of an aggadah is abhorrent to Him.
Anyone who supports these individuals may believe they are performing a great mitzvah by sustaining “Torah learners.” In truth, they are no different from the shochet who sharpens his knife according to halacha, recites the beracha, and severs all the proper simanim with precision — yet directs his intention toward the wrong “god.” Such a shechita is pasul, and it is prohibited to derive any benefit from it.
