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Nevelah

NEVELAH (Heb. נְבֵלָה; "carcass"), descriptive noun for any animal, bird, or creature which has died as a result of any process other than valid ritual slaughter ( *sheḥitah ).

The Pentateuch forbids the consumption of such meat, which can be given to a resident alien, or sold to a non-Jew (Deut. 14:21; see also Pes. 21b). Punishment for eating nevelah applies only to "clean" animals (Meil. 16a; Maim. Yad, Ma'akhalot Asurot, 4:17) and is not added to the normal punishment for eating "unclean" animals. The nevelah is also one of the principal categories of ritual impurity (tumah), and touching or carrying it causes ritual impurity (Lev. 11:39–40; Maim. Yad, She'ar Avot ha-Tumah, 1–3).

See *Dietary Laws ; *Purity and Impurity, Ritual ; Animals.


BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Eisenstein, Dinim, 254.


Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.