יורה דעה מ׳Yoreh De'ah 40

Se’if 1א׳

הַלֵּב יֵשׁ לוֹ ג' חֲלָלִים, נִקַּב לְאַחַד מֵהֶם טְרֵפָה, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם חֵלֶב טַרְפָּשׁ הַלֵּב סוֹתְמוֹ, אֲבָל אִם שֻׁמָּן הַלֵּב עַצְמוֹ סוֹתְמוֹ, כָּשֵׁר. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּלֹא מֵהָנֵי סְתִימַת שֻׁמַּן הַלֵּב וּכְדְאִיתָא בְּסָמוּךְ סוֹף סי' זֶה (כָּךְ מַשְׁמָע מִמָּרְדְּכַי פא"ט וְהג' אֲשֵׁרִי), וְיֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ לְדִבְרֵיהֶם.

The heart has three cavities. If it was perforated into one of them, it is a tereifah (an animal with a fatal defect) — and even if the forbidden fat of the membrane of the heart stops it up; but if the fat of the heart itself stops it up, it is fit. Hagah [Rema]: And there are those who say that the stopping up by the fat of the heart is of no avail, as it is stated close by, at the end of this siman (so it is implied from the Mordechai, chapter "These are the tereifot", and Hagahot Asheri), and there is ground to be concerned for their words.

Se’if 2ב׳

נִקַּב וְלֹא הִגִּיעַ לֶחָלָל, אִם מֵחֲמַת חֹלִי, כְּשֵׁרָה; וְאִם בְּקוֹץ אוֹ בְּמַחַט, טְרֵפָה.

If it was perforated and the perforation did not reach the cavity: if it was on account of sickness, it is fit; and if by a thorn or by a needle, it is a tereifah.

Se’if 3ג׳

נִמְצָא מַחַט בַּלֵּב, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִכָּר בַּחוּץ, טְרֵפָה, וְהוּא הַדִּין אִם נִמְצָא בְּטַרְפֵּשָׁא דְּלִבָּא. הַגָּה: מִיהוּ, אִם לֹא נִמְצָא רַק בַּסִּמְפּוֹן הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבַּלֵּב וְקוּפָהּ לְבַר, דְּהַיְנוּ לְצַד חֲלַל הַלֵּב, אִם רֹאשׁ הַמַּחַט כְּגַרְעִין שֶׁל תְּמָרָה, כְּשֵׁרָה (ד"ע בְּפֵרוּשׁ בה"ג) דְתָלִינָן דְּנִכְנַס דֶּרֶךְ הַגַּרְגֶּרֶת לַסִּמְפּוֹן שֶׁבַּלֵּב, וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁרֹאשׁוֹ לְמַטָּה אֵין סוֹפוֹ לִנְקֹב, וְהַבְּהֵמָה תִּפְלֹט אוֹתוֹ עַל יְדֵי כִּיחָהּ וְנִיעָהּ.

If a needle was found in the heart, even though it is not evident on the outside, it is a tereifah; and the same law applies if it was found in the membrane of the heart. Hagah [Rema]: However, if it was found only in the great simpon (the duct that runs through the organ) that is in the heart, with its eye outwards — that is to say, towards the cavity of the heart — if the head of the needle is like the stone of a date, it is fit (his own opinion, in the explanation of the Behag), for we assume that it entered by way of the windpipe into the simpon that is in the heart; and since its head is downwards, it will not in the end perforate, and the animal will expel it by its coughing and its phlegm.