DEUT577 Perform ritual slaughter as commanded. As to why the site of the slaughter is the throat, it is known that a cut there causes blood to flow out faster and more freely, compared to when the cut is made elsewhere on the body. Therefore, the Torah commands that the slaughter be performed there, because from there all of the creature’s prohibited blood will flow out, so we can fulfill the Torah’s command, “Do not eat the soul with the meat.” Another reason involves pain. Because of man's lofty status in the grand design of creation, the Torah permits him to eat the meat of animals, and use them for his other needs, but the Torah forbids him to cause them undue pain. By means of perfectly sharp knife and slaughter at the neck, we do not cause the creature any unnecessary pain.