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Shochtim
In the Talmudic Era, beginning in 200 CE with the Jerusalem Talmud and 300 CE with the Babylonian Talmud, and extending through the medieval ages, rabbis started to debate and define kosher laws. As the laws increased in number and complexity, following ritual slaughter laws became difficult for Jews who were not trained in ritual slaughter laws. This resulted in the need for a shochet, someone who has studied shechita extensively, to perform the slaughtering in the communities.

The shochtim study which animals are kosher, what disqualifies them from being kosher, and how to prepare animals according to the laws of shechita. Subjects of study include the preparation of slaughtering tools, ways to interpret which foods follow the laws of shechita, and types of terefah.

Shochtim studied under rabbi to learn the laws of shechita. Rabbis were the academics who, among themselves, debated how to apply laws from the Torah to the preparation of animals. Rabbis also conducted experiments to determine under which terefot animals were no-longer kosher. Shochtim studied under these rabbis, as rabbis were the ones who first interpret, debate, and determine the laws of shechita.

Shochtim are essential to every Jewish community that follows Kosher laws. In medieval ages, the shochtim were treated as second in status, just underneath rabbis. Due to the need for learning from the rabbis and the Talmuds, not everyone knew the laws of shechita. Thus, in order to follow the laws of shechita, shochtim enabled untrained Jews to maintain a kosher diet.

Biblical source
The Torah states that sheep and cattle should be slaughtered “as I have instructed you” but nowhere in the Five books of Moses are any of the practices of shechita described. Instead, they have been handed down in Judaism's traditional Oral Torah, and codified in halakha.