Simla chadasha
Encyclopedia
The Simla Chadasha is a compendium on the Jewish laws
of ritual slaughter. It was written by Rabbi Alexander Sender Schorr in the 18th century. Rabbi Schorr was the son of Rabbi Ephraim Zalman Schorr, the son of Rabbi Shmuel Shorr, the son of Rabbi Naftali Hirsch Schorr, the son of Rabbi Moshe Ephraim Schorr. They were direct descendents of Rabbi Yoseph Bechor Schorr
of Orleans, one of the most famous of the French Tosafists
.
Even in his youth, Rabbi Alexander Sender Schorr was the Chief Justice of the Rabbinic Court
in the town of Hovniv directly outside of Lvov. While his work was published he lived in the town of Zelkava.
Use of the Simla Chadasha has become so ubiquitous that it has replaced the Shulchan Aruch
as the definitive work on ritual slaughter. Any candidate who wishes to become a ritual slaughterer is no longer tested by Rabbis on the laws found in the Shulchan Aruch—he is tested instead on his knowledge of the Simla Chadasha. The famed Rabbi Moshe Sopher also known as the Chassam Sofer
describes the Simla Chadasha with the following words, "His words are the words of the Living G-d". The work was published well over one hundred times.
Rabbi Schorr died on Tuesday, January 29, 1737, or the 27th of Shevat
in the Hebrew year
5497. His tombstone is still extant in the Jewish cemetery in Zelkava.
Muslims as well as Jews have a dietary code where they are proscribed from eating meat that was not ritually slaughtered by either a fellow Muslim or a Jew.
The Simla Chadasha is in essence a restatement of the Yoreh De'ah
section of the Shulchan Aruch that deals with the laws of ritual slaughter and some of the laws of defective animal lungs.
Chapters six through ten deal with the laws of the slaughtering knife.
Chapters eleven and twelve deal with the place and time of ritual slaughter.
Chapters thirteen through seventeen deal with the animal that was slaughtered.
Chapters eighteen through twenty five deal with the procedure of slaughter.
Chapters twenty six through twenty eight deal with various other laws.
The Simla Chadasha then skips to the section of Shulchan Aruch that deals with defects in the lungs and proceeds with a restatements of chapters thirty-five through thirty nine.
It is of great interest to note that the Simla Chadasha has only been received universally by Hasidic and Ashkenazic Jewry. The Sephardic world has not embraced its use. Shechita historians have pointed out two possible reasons for this difference. The first reason is that the author of the Simla Chadasha has taken an extremely strong stand against the author of the Pri Chadash, a Sephardic luminary, stating that the work is filled with errors in that the author had only spent two years writing it. The second reason is that the Simla Chadasha is a proponent of the idea of peeling the Sirchos (lung adhesions). This is sheer anathema in the eyes of Sephardic codifiers. Perhaps the confluence of both reasons was responsible for the non-acceptance of the Simla Chadasha in the Sephardic world.
Overview of hilchot shechitta with English translation of Simla Chadasha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
of ritual slaughter. It was written by Rabbi Alexander Sender Schorr in the 18th century. Rabbi Schorr was the son of Rabbi Ephraim Zalman Schorr, the son of Rabbi Shmuel Shorr, the son of Rabbi Naftali Hirsch Schorr, the son of Rabbi Moshe Ephraim Schorr. They were direct descendents of Rabbi Yoseph Bechor Schorr
Joseph ben Isaac Bekhor Shor
Joseph ben Isaac Bekhor Shor of Orleans was a French tosafist, exegete, and poet who flourished in the 2nd half of the 12th century.- Biography :...
of Orleans, one of the most famous of the French Tosafists
Tosafot
The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes...
.
Even in his youth, Rabbi Alexander Sender Schorr was the Chief Justice of the Rabbinic Court
Beth din
A beth din, bet din, beit din or beis din is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel...
in the town of Hovniv directly outside of Lvov. While his work was published he lived in the town of Zelkava.
Use of the Simla Chadasha has become so ubiquitous that it has replaced the Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
as the definitive work on ritual slaughter. Any candidate who wishes to become a ritual slaughterer is no longer tested by Rabbis on the laws found in the Shulchan Aruch—he is tested instead on his knowledge of the Simla Chadasha. The famed Rabbi Moshe Sopher also known as the Chassam Sofer
Moses Sofer
Moses Schreiber, known to his own community and Jewish posterity as Moshe Sofer, also known by his main work Chasam Sofer, , , was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century...
describes the Simla Chadasha with the following words, "His words are the words of the Living G-d". The work was published well over one hundred times.
Rabbi Schorr died on Tuesday, January 29, 1737, or the 27th of Shevat
Shevat
Shevat is the fifth month of the civil year and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 30 days...
in the Hebrew year
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
5497. His tombstone is still extant in the Jewish cemetery in Zelkava.
Muslims as well as Jews have a dietary code where they are proscribed from eating meat that was not ritually slaughtered by either a fellow Muslim or a Jew.
The Simla Chadasha is in essence a restatement of the Yoreh De'ah
Yoreh De'ah
Yoreh De'ah is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of halakha , Arba'ah Turim around 1300. This section treats all aspects of Jewish law not pertinent to the Hebrew calendar, finance, torts, marriage, divorce, or sexual conduct....
section of the Shulchan Aruch that deals with the laws of ritual slaughter and some of the laws of defective animal lungs.
Contents
Chapters one through five deal with the laws of the ritual slaughterer himself and his intentions.Chapters six through ten deal with the laws of the slaughtering knife.
Chapters eleven and twelve deal with the place and time of ritual slaughter.
Chapters thirteen through seventeen deal with the animal that was slaughtered.
Chapters eighteen through twenty five deal with the procedure of slaughter.
Chapters twenty six through twenty eight deal with various other laws.
The Simla Chadasha then skips to the section of Shulchan Aruch that deals with defects in the lungs and proceeds with a restatements of chapters thirty-five through thirty nine.
It is of great interest to note that the Simla Chadasha has only been received universally by Hasidic and Ashkenazic Jewry. The Sephardic world has not embraced its use. Shechita historians have pointed out two possible reasons for this difference. The first reason is that the author of the Simla Chadasha has taken an extremely strong stand against the author of the Pri Chadash, a Sephardic luminary, stating that the work is filled with errors in that the author had only spent two years writing it. The second reason is that the Simla Chadasha is a proponent of the idea of peeling the Sirchos (lung adhesions). This is sheer anathema in the eyes of Sephardic codifiers. Perhaps the confluence of both reasons was responsible for the non-acceptance of the Simla Chadasha in the Sephardic world.
Overview of hilchot shechitta with English translation of Simla Chadasha