There is a theory, seen in many examples, that the beginning of each Masechet in Shas presents a basic understanding of the topic going to be discussed. Sometimes it even seems that the Mishnah presents the central new idea,chiddush, of the topic.
Masechet Chulin, which Daf Yomi is now beginning, opens with a powerful statement in the first sentence:
הכל שוחטין ושחיטתן כשרה
"Hakol Shochtin…"
Anyone can perform shechita (halakhic slaughter) of an animal.
Let’s analyze it. It teaches two things:
A. An animal may be slaughtered and eaten as chulin (non-sacred meat, i.e. not brought for an offering in the Temple)
B. Anyone can slaughter.
We must ask: What would we have thought without this? In the language of learning-what is the hava amina (initial assumption)? And beyond that, what is the relationship between 'chulin')meat not from an offering) and 'kodshim' (meat from an offering)?
The answer may be the following:
If we weren’t told that we are allowed to eat meat as "Chulin," we would have thought that only meat brought as an offering (korban) is permissible in the Mikdash (Temple). Who says that an ordinary person may slaughter an animal for personal consumption?
Interestingly, the Gemara teaches (Chulin 17a) that when Am Yisrael were in the Midbar, they did not shecht animals for their meat, unless they were brought to the Mikdash as a korban (offering).
Regarding the second point-that "everyone" can shecht-the Gemara discusses who is included. We might have thought that only a Kohen can perform shechita, or perhaps only someone who is tahor (ritually pure).
The Sifrei (Devarim, Re’eh 75) brings several such suggestions, that in order to shecht, it must be in the Mikdash, or perhaps only done by someone who is tahor.
Based on this Sifrei, the Ramban (Devarim, 12:21) explains that the laws of shechting were learned from the laws of slaughtering a korban shlamim:
"כאשר צויתיך, מה קדשים בשחיטה אף חולין בשחיטה"
Back to the first line of the Masechet.
This opening line throws us into the deep end of the basic, fundamental question of Masechet Chulin:
Can a chulin animal be slaughtered and eaten?
Is there a connection between chulin meat and korban meat? Why do they share similar laws of slaughtering?
To what extent do we apply the laws of sacrifices in the Mikdash to the chulin field?
We can now begin to understand why Masechet Chulin is placed in Seder Kodshim.
Can it be that a person’s private table and meal can resemble the holy Mizbeach (altar) in the Mikdash?