מִי שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ עָפָר מוּכָן אוֹ אֵפֶר מוּכָן שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְטַלְטְלוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה שׁוֹחֵט חַיָּה וָעוֹף וּמְכַסֶּה דָּמָם. וְאִם אֵין לוֹ עָפָר מוּכָן אוֹ אֵפֶר הָרָאוּי לְטַלְטְלוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִשְׁחֹט וְאִם עָבַר וְשָׁחַט לֹא יְכַסֶּה דָּמָם עַד לָעֶרֶב. וְכֵן בְּרִיָּה שֶׁהוּא סָפֵק אִם חַיָּה הִיא אִם בְּהֵמָה אֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין אוֹתָהּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב וְאִם שָׁחַט לֹא יְכַסֶּה דָּמָהּ עַד לָעֶרֶב. אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה לוֹ עָפָר מוּכָן אוֹ אֵפֶר. שֶׁמָּא יֹאמַר הָרוֹאֶה חַיָּה וַדָּאִית הִיא וּלְפִיכָךְ כִּסָּה דָּמוֹ בְּיוֹם טוֹב וְיָבוֹא הָרוֹאֶה לְהַתִּיר חֶלְבּוֹ:
A person who has earth that has been prepared or ash that has been prepared and that may be carried may slaughter a fowl or a beast and cover their blood [on a holiday]. If he does not have earth that is prepared or ash that may be carried, he should not slaughter [a fowl or a beast on a holiday]. If he transgresses and does in fact slaughter [a fowl or a beast on a holiday], he should not cover its blood until the evening. Similarly, on a holiday one should not slaughter an animal concerning which there is a doubt whether it is a wild beast or a domestic animal. If a person does slaughter [such an animal on a holiday], he should not cover the blood until the evening. [This applies] even when one had earth that was prepared or ash [available], lest an observer conclude, "This animal is definitively categorized as a beast, and its blood was therefore covered on the holiday." The observer might then [err] and consider the fat of [this animal] to be permitted.
