יורה דעה ש״טYoreh De'ah 309

Se’if 1א׳

בְּכוֹר, בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה, אֵין בּוֹ הֶתֵּר אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי מוּם. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִרְצוּ הַבְּעָלִים אוֹ הַכֹּהֵן לְכָנְסוֹ לְכִפָּה עַד שֶׁיָּמוּת מֵעַצְמוֹ, אֵינָם רַשָּׁאִים, אֶלָּא צָרִיךְ הַכֹּהֵן לְגַדְּלוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּפֹּל בּוֹ מוּם.

The firstborn, in our time, has no way to be permitted except through a blemish. And even if the owners or the priest wish to shut it into a vaulted cell until it dies of itself, they are not permitted to; rather the priest must rear it until a blemish falls in it.

Se’if 2ב׳

אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁיִּפֹּל בּוֹ מוּם בְּגָלוּי וְנִכָּר לַכֹּל, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּקְטְעָה יָדוֹ אוֹ רַגְלוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְשָׁחֲטוֹ אֶלָּא עַל פִּי מֻמְחֶה, שֶׁיּוֹרֶה לוֹ שֶׁהוּא מוּם הָרָאוּי לִשָּׁחֵט עָלָיו. וְאִם אֵין חָכָם מֻמְחֶה, נִתָּר עַל פִּי ג' בְּנֵי הַכְּנֶסֶת, דְּהַיְנוּ חֲכָמִים קְצָת וְאֵינָם בְּקִיאִים כָּל כָּךְ. וְהָאִדָּנָא דְּלֵיכָּא מֻמְחִין, אֵינוֹ נִשְׁחָט עַל פִּי ג' בְּנֵי הַכְּנֶסֶת אֶלָּא בְּמוּמִין מֻבְהָקִים, כְּגוֹן נִסְמֵית עֵינוֹ וְנִקְטְעָה יָדוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. וּצְרִימַת הָאֹזֶן הוּא מוּם מֻבְהָק הֵיכָא דְּמִנְכָּר שַׁפִּיר וְנִרְאֶה לָעֵינַיִם שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר מֵחֲגִירַת הַצִּפֹּרֶן. וְכֵיצַד צְרִימַת הָאֹזֶן, שֶׁנִּפְגְּמָה בְּחִסָרוֹן מִן הַתְּנוּךְ, וְלֹא הָעוֹר שֶׁבִּשְׂפַת הָאֹזֶן, בֵּין שֶׁנִּפְגְּמָה בִּידֵי אָדָם בֵּין שֶׁנִּפְגְּמָה בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם. הַגָּה: נֶחְתַּךְ הַזָּנָב לְמַעְלָה מִן הַחוּלְיָא, הָוֵי מוּם (פִּסְקֵי מהרא"י סי' רמ"ו). וְעוֹד מָנָה בַּעַל הַטּוּר כַּמָּה מוּמִין שֶׁשּׁוֹחֲטִין עֲלֵיהֶן בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה, וְהָרַב שֶׁחִבֵּר סֵפֶר הַזֶּה נִמְשַׁךְ אַחַר דִּבְרֵי הַרַמְבַּ"ם; וְלִי נִרְאֶה דְּהַסּוֹמֵךְ עַל דִּבְרֵי הַטּוּר הַבְּנוּיִין עַל דַּעַת הָרֹא"שׁ לֹא הִפְסִיד.

Even when a blemish falls in it openly and is recognisable to all, such as that its foreleg or its hind leg was cut off and the like, he is not permitted to slaughter it except on the word of an expert, who instructs him that it is a blemish fit for slaughtering on account of it. And if there is no expert sage, it is permitted on the word of three members of the synagogue, that is, men somewhat learned who are not so very expert. And nowadays, when there are no experts, it is not slaughtered on the word of three members of the synagogue except for conspicuous blemishes, such as where its eye was blinded or its foreleg was cut off and the like. And the notching of the ear is a conspicuous blemish where it is well recognisable and visible to the eyes that it is more than the catch of a fingernail. And what is the notching of the ear? That it was notched with a loss from the cartilage, and not the skin at the edge of the ear — whether it was notched by the hand of man or by the hand of Heaven. Hagah [Rema]: If the tail was cut off above the joint, it is a blemish (Piskei Maharai, siman 246). And the author of the Tur listed several more blemishes on account of which one slaughters in our time, and the Rav who composed this book followed the words of the Rambam; and it seems to me that one who relies on the words of the Tur, which are built on the opinion of the Rosh, has not lost thereby.