Cohn, Jacob. The Royal Table - VWC: Faculty/Staff Web

WHEN IS AN ANIMAL OR FOWL TREFAH 69
organs, but when the viscera are subjected to hot water
the abnormal colors appear, in which case the fowl is
trejah** Sometimes color changes in the organs are noticed
in a fowl of whose past history nothing is known, and
it is impossible to say whether or not they are due to the
fowl having been subjected
to fire. In such an event the
best authorities hold that it should not be eaten.* 4 But
when following this rigid opinion would entail a great
hardship or pecuniary loss, (as when the defective fowl
had been cooked together with a large number of other
fowl, but not sufficient to "annul" the troublesome one),
a lenient opinion, which holds that when it is not definitely
known that the color changes are due to fire the fowl is
kosher, may be trusted. 45
A fracture of the skull, no matter how minute, renders
a fowl unfit for use. 46 A very common occurrence is a
blood-smeared neck, which gives rise to suspicion that the
oesophagus has been pierced. An examination to establish
whether or not the trejah condition has arisen is impossible
in this case, because it could only be proved that the oesophagus
has been punctured if a blood clot were to be found
on its inner side. Insomuch as the inner lining of the
oesophagus is red, a blood clot, even if there should be
one, would escape detection. Hence the fowl is in all
cases declared trefah.^ Thorns are often found lodged in
the oesophagus. The fowl is kosher if the thorn is not
implanted in the wall, but is merely lying in place, and
no blood clot which would indicate a laceration is found.
48 Hullin 56; see Yad, Shechitak VH and Yoreh Deah 52 for
details.
44
Yad, ibid.; Y. D. ibid. 6.
45 Shack to Y. D. ad loc. who quotes Rabbenu Nissim and
Mordecai.
48 Yoreh Deah 30, 2, Ramah.
4T Yoreh Deah 33, 8, Ramah.