Translation:Shulchan Aruch/Yoreh Deah/68

Laws of Scalding the Head and Fowl

One who buries the head to roast it must position it so that the site of slaughter is facing downward, so that the blood drains out through that spot. If he places it on its sides — the brain and its membrane are forbidden, unless the skull bone was punctured and the hole was facing downward, since the blood would then drain through there.

Rema: And ideally, the custom is to be stringent not to roast any whole head at all, even if he intends to place it with the site of slaughter downward, for we are concerned it may flip onto its side (Responsa of the Rosh, Klal 20, cited in Beit Yosef, Siman 71).

If he placed it on its nostrils — if he inserted a reed or some other object, it is permitted. But if not — the brain and its membrane are forbidden.

There is one who wrote that for the purpose of removing the hair only, even if he places it on its sides — it is permitted. But there is one who forbids it (Rashba in the name of some authorities).

Rema: The first opinion is primary. And thus, the custom is to singe the head to remove the hair. The same applies to fowl, to remove the remaining feathers upon them — since it is not placed in one spot but moved around back and forth, we are not concerned that the blood will be absorbed, and it is only prohibited when it is buried and left constantly in one place (Ran, Rabbeinu Yerucham, and the Aruch, Klal 16). The custom is to singe using straw and hay, which do not have enough heat to cook the blood (Ba’al HaAruch, extended version). Nonetheless, one should always pass it over the fire and not leave it in one place for too long.

If one cooked a whole head — everything is forbidden unless there is sixty [times its volume] against the brain and its membrane (Ra’avad in the name of Rambam, Ramban, Rabbeinu Yerucham, and others).

Rema: And if one roasted it whole and did not place it with the site of slaughter or the nostrils downward, and did not insert anything — the membrane and the brain are forbidden, but the rest is permitted (Maggid Mishneh in the name of Ramban). Ideally, the custom is to remove the brain before salting from within the skull, and to cut the skull in a criss-cross pattern, so the membrane is well-sliced. Some remove the membrane. And after the fact, if one sliced it criss-cross even without removing the brain before salting — and even if he cooked it this way — (see later Siman 71, Siman 72, and Siman 92) — whether the head becomes forbidden, and whether we say the piece becomes like a neveilah [non-kosher carcass], as it is with other prohibitions (Gloss of Sha’arei Dura).

One who comes to scald the head must first cut the sinews in the jaw before scalding. Similarly, he must rinse the site of slaughter so that there is no blood there, and the same applies when scalding a fowl (Ran).

Rema: And even if he singes only to remove the hair, this law still applies (Aruch, Klal 17). Nonetheless, after the fact, it is not prohibited through mere singeing, even if he did not cut the sinews and did not rinse them.

When scalding a head or feet, there is no need to salt them first (Mordechai, beginning of the 5th chapter).

Rema: They are salted afterward. But if he wants to salt them before scalding, that is sufficient, and the hairs do not prevent the blood from being drawn out (Tur, Siman 71 in the name of the Rashba), and there is no need to salt them again after scalding, and this is the custom. See also below Siman 71.

Those who place the legs of the animal over fire to remove the hooves and singe the hair, without salting them first, it is permitted. But some are stringent and cut a bit off the tips of the hooves and place the cut side downward so the blood drains out — and this is the custom.

If the hooves of the leg were salted with their outer skin and the tips were not cut — they are not forbidden.

Rema: But there are those who forbid what is within the outer layer, i.e., the hooves themselves, though the rest is permitted (Gloss of Mahari Yehudah in the name of Sefer Mitzvot Katan, and the glosses of Sha’arei Dura, and the Aruch). And this is the custom. The same applies if they were buried in ashes. But in mere singeing — where it is passed over fire and constantly moved — all is permitted (Aruch and Maharil).

It is permitted to scald a chicken in hot ashes (i.e., warm embers) or to pass it over flame — provided he rinses the site of slaughter thoroughly first (and likewise if other visible blood is stuck to it) (Beit Yosef in the name of Rabbeinu Yerucham). If it is intended for a pot, he must take care not to leave it over the fire long enough for the heart and liver to warm up and discharge their blood (Rashba in Chiddushei HaAglonim p. 75, and the Ran).

Rema: Nowadays the practice is not to scald at all in embers — not even a chicken (Terumat HaDeshen Siman 148). However, if one transgressed and did so with a chicken — the entire head is forbidden, but the rest is permitted (Mordechai, Perek Gid HaNasheh; Aruch, Klal 16; Rashba there; Sha’arei Dura). For an animal, the whole head is not forbidden, only the membrane and the brain — if he did not place it with the site of slaughter or the nostrils downward, and did not insert anything. And if he did not rinse the site of slaughter or other visible blood — that area must be removed or scraped, and the rest is permitted.

One may not scald young goats, lambs, or fowl in a kli rishon (primary vessel that was over the fire) unless the fat was removed and they were salted. Likewise, one may not pour from a kli rishon over them. But if he did pour, peeling the outer layer suffices. And if the chicken's head was facing upward when the water was poured over it, no peeling is necessary.

Rema: It is only called iruy (pouring) if the stream did not break before reaching the food. But if it broke before that, it is no longer considered pouring and does not prohibit (Ran and other poskim). See also below Siman 105, se’if katan 4.

Even in a kli sheni (a vessel that received food from a kli rishon), some say not to scald, but if one did, it is permitted.

Rema: For we hold that a kli sheni does not cook — even if it is so hot that one’s hand recoils (Mordechai, Perek HaSocher). So after the fact, it is permitted, but ideally it is forbidden (Sha’arei Dura, Sha’ar 14). Therefore, in these countries, the custom is not to scald anything at all before salting. However, in honor of guests or for the needs of Shabbat, it is permitted even ideally to place a piece full of ice and frost into a kli sheni to accelerate the salting. It is preferable ideally to place it only into water that is not so hot that one’s hand recoils. There is no difference between an earthenware vessel, copper vessel, or other vessels regarding the laws of a kli sheni (this seems implied by the words of the poskim).

If a gentile or a maidservant in a Jewish home scalded fowl, and a Jew did not see whether it was in a kli rishon or kli sheni, if the non-Jew knows the customs of Jews, and there is a boy or girl present who understands the matter — it is permitted. See below Siman 69 for this law.

If chickens were scalded together in a kli sheni and one of them was later found to be a tereifah, the others are not forbidden.

Water that was used for scalding must not be returned to a boil for further scalding or for washing dishes. (The custom is not to use scalding water at all, even if it’s cold) (Glosses of Mordechai, Sha’arei Dura, and the Aruch).

If a chicken was scalded in a kli sheni in a dairy frying pan — even if the pan is ben yomo (used for dairy within the last 24 hours) — both the utensil and the chicken are permitted, provided the water was poured in first. But if the water was poured over the chicken, and the head was facing downward — there is one who prohibits and one who permits.