יורה דעה נ״אYoreh De'ah 51

Se’if 1א׳

קוֹץ אוֹ מַחַט שֶׁנִּקַּב לַחֲלַל הַבְּהֵמָה אוֹ הָעוֹף, חַיְשִׁינָן שֶׁמָּא נִקַּב אֶחָד מֵהַמְּקוֹמוֹת שֶׁנְּקוּבָתָן בְּמַשֶּׁהוּ וּטְרֵפָה. וּלְפִיכָךְ, כָּל הָאֵבָרִים שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בָּהֶם שֶׁאִם נִקַּב מִצַּד אֶחָד כָּשֵׁר, כְּלֵב וָעֳבִי בֵּית הַכּוֹסוֹת וְקֻרְקְבָן אִם הַנֶּקֶב מִצַּד חוּץ, דַּוְקָא כְּשֶׁנִּקַּב מֵחֲמַת חֹלִי, אֲבָל אִם הוּא מֵחֲמַת מַחַט אוֹ קוֹץ, טְרֵפָה. הַגָּה: וְאִם הוּא סָפֵק אִם נַעֲשָׂה עַל יְדֵי חֹלִי אוֹ קוֹץ וּמַחַט, כָּשֵׁר (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד) וְעַיֵּן לְעֵיל סי' מ"ט. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהַכְשִׁיר כְּהַאי גַּוְנָא בְּנִקַּב הָעוֹר וְהַבָּשָׂר עַד הֶחָלָל. וּמִיהוּ, אִם נִקַּב בְּקוֹץ לְפָנֵינוּ וְנִשְׁחֲטָה הַבְּהֵמָה וְנִמְצָא הַקּוֹץ תָּחוּב לְפָנֵינוּ מִדֹּפֶן הַבְּהֵמָה לְאֶחָד מֵהָאֵבָרִים, נִרְאִין הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁלֹּא נִקַּב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, לְפִיכָךְ, אִם פָּגַע בַּלֵּב וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ וְלֹא נִקַּב לְבֵית חֲלָלוֹ, כְּשֵׁרָה.

A thorn or a needle that perforated into the cavity of the animal or of the bird — we are concerned lest it perforated one of the places whose perforation is by the least amount at all, and it is a tereifah (an animal with a fatal defect). And therefore, all the limbs of which we learned that if they were perforated on one side it is fit — such as the heart, and the thickness of the reticulum, and the gizzard, where the hole is on the outer side — that is specifically where it was perforated on account of illness; but if it is on account of a needle or a thorn, it is a tereifah. Hagah [Rema]: And if it is a doubt whether it came about by way of illness or by a thorn and a needle, it is fit (Beit Yosef in the name of Ohel Moed), and see above, siman 49. And all the more so is there ground to declare it fit in such a case, where the skin and the flesh were perforated as far as the cavity. However, if it was perforated by a thorn before us, and the animal was slaughtered, and the thorn was found thrust before us from the flank of the animal into one of the limbs, it appears that it did not perforate in another place; therefore, if it struck the heart or the like and did not perforate into its cavity, it is fit.

Se’if 2ב׳

הָא דְּמַטְרְפִינָן (דַּוְקָא) בְּקוֹץ אוֹ מַחַט שֶׁהֵם דַּקִּים וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִבְדֹּק אַחַר נֶקֶב מַשֶּׁהוּ אֲבָל בְּקָנֶה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, כָּשֵׁר עַל יְדֵי בְּדִיקַת הָאֵבָרִים שֶׁנְּקוּבָתָן בְּמַשֶּׁהוּ.

That which we declare a tereifah (specifically) is in the case of a thorn or a needle, which are thin and it is impossible to examine for a hole of the least amount at all; but with a reed and the like, it is fit by means of an examination of the limbs whose perforation is by the least amount at all.

Se’if 3ג׳

אִם הַקּוֹץ אוֹ הַמַּחַט לֹא נִקְּבוּ לֶחָלָל, אֲפִלּוּ כֻּלּוֹ טָמוּן בַּבָּשָׂר כְּגוֹן בַּיָּרֵךְ שֶׁהִיא עָבָה, כְּשֵׁרָה אֲפִלּוּ צַד הֶעָבֶה שֶׁל מַחַט כְּלַפֵּי פְּנִים.

If the thorn or the needle did not perforate into the cavity, then even if the whole of it is buried in the flesh — such as in the thigh, which is thick — it is fit, even if the thick side of the needle is towards the inside.