Halachicly, a live animal is defined by whether or not it has been untethered from its source of life (see also Matmonim 27b) 

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We encounter further examples of how halachik definition is a world of its own separate from scientific definition.

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There are different types of rabbinic legislation, but all of them are designed to raise our consciousness of Yirat Shamayim.

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Apprenticeship to a great talmid chacham is an irreplaceable connection to source.

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The Torah distinguishes between kosher dead animals and dead animals that are not kosher. Both are called neveillah, both are tamei and cause contamination, but there is a nuanced difference between them.

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On daf 27b we learned that an animal’s source of vitality is the oxygen it enhales and the food it eats. When it is untethered from that source it is no longer a nefesh chaya even if biologically it continues to function. Shechita is the act of untethering an animal from its source of chayut, vitality. 

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We must serve both with yir’ah (awe of Hashem) and ahava (love of Hashem). The outer expression is yir’ah; ahava resides more deeply inside of the individual.

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Adventure is dynamic but dangerous. Security is safe but static. The wonder of Torah lies in its balance of security and adventure.

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Although pesak is not decided solely on scientific criteria especially when these contradict chazal in the Talmud, nevertheless the Gemara shows great respect for scientific expertise and at times uses it for the purpose of input into halachik decisions.

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When something is physically repulsive it has elements of spiritual repulsiveness as well. 

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