Rashi on daf 28a writes that it is better to cut the Veshet of a bird than the Kaneh, since the former carries "more of the life" of the creature.
Why is that? Would not the wind pipe logically be more life treating that the food pipe?
Even though Rashi says that the food pipe is more life-giving since even a mashehu makes it into a trefa, that is because it is soft versus the wind pipe, which has cartilage.
What is the sevura behind this haloacha ?
Chaim Mermerstein
It might be true that the reason the foodpipe makes a Tereifah with less damage than the windpipe is because of the material that it is made of. But in the end, for whatever reason it may be, the foodpipe takes the Chiyus (life-spirit) of the animal more readily. Therefore, by cutting the foodpipe, the bird will be weakened more than by cutting the windpipe.
Best wishes,
Mordecai Kornfeld
Kollel Iyun Hadaf
I was thinking about the question I asked. Here are some my thought's.
The windpipe even if it is cut the animal would still be able to breathe thru it.
The food pipe as food enters it is causes the cut to enlarge until it will not be able to swallow any food .
Chaim Mermerstein
Brooklyn , NY