2,593. A Stolen Lung

Hilchos Shechita 11:12

The aforementioned stringencies aren’t the law per se; they’re matters of accepted local practice, as has already been discussed. The Rambam says he doesn’t know of anyone who inspected a bird’s lungs without something first creating a concern.

Hilchos Shechita 11:13

Let’s say that someone slaughtered an animal and cut it open. A non-Jew or a dog came along and took the lung before the one who slaughtered could check it. In such a case, the animal is permitted. We are not concerned that the lung might have been punctured or impermissibly attached because we don’t presume such prohibitions without cause. Rather, we assume that the animal is kosher until we know what condition rendered it a treifa. Just as we don’t assume the membrane of the brain to be punctured or the spine, etc., we don’t cast aspersions on a lung that was lost. There’s no practice to the contrary because practices aren’t instituted for things that are uncommon.