Commentaire sur Houlin 8:6

שחחלב מועלין בו – and even offerings of lesser sanctity (I.e., individual peace offerings, the thanks-offering, the Nazirite’s ram, the male firstborn of a kosher animal, animal tithes, and the Paschal lamb) which are the money of their owners, there is no sacrilege during their lifetimes, [but] there is sacrilege with the portions of the offerings consumed on the altar (i.e., portions of sin-offerings, guilt-offerings and peace offerings consumed on the altar such as the fats, the kidneys and the fat-tail, etc.) after their blood has been sprinkled, as it is written regarding offerings of lesser sanctity (Leviticus 3:16): “All fat is the LORD’s,” and thus it is written for them “the LORD’s,” to state that we call them the holy things of God, regarding sacrilege–misappropriation.

Introduction The last mishnah in our chapter has nothing to do with the subject of milk and meat. It deals with the prohibitions of forbidden fat (helev) and blood and compares the applicability of the two.

וטמא – if he ate it with an impure body, he is liable for two sin-offerings; one because of fat and one because of impurity of an impure body.

In certain respects the prohibition of the fat is stricter than the prohibition of the blood, and in certain respects the prohibition of the blood is stricter than the prohibition of the fat. This section introduces the structure of the mishnah which compares the prohibition of forbidden fat with that of blood.

משא"כ בדם (see Tractate Meilah, Chapter 3, Mishnah 3) – for relating to blood, it is written (Leviticus 17:11): “[For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you] for making expiation for your lives upon the altar,” for expiation–atonement it was given, but not that it should be called, “mine” to make sacrilege–misappropriation, for it does not endure other than to atone for yourselves, but it does not have [anything] because of a sacrifice that is disqualified by improper intention [of the officiating Kohen] (i.e., “piggul”) for another thing permits it, such as the meat of holy things as the blood permits it to the Kohanim with his sprinkling of it, and like the example of the burnt offering whose blood permits it to the altar, for if its blood was not sprinkled, its limbs are not offered, as it is written (Leviticus 17:6): “That the priest may dash [the] blood against the altar of the LORD [at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting],” and afterwards, “and turn the fat into smoke as a pleasing odor [to the LORD].” These have in them [the possibility of] an offering disqualified by improper intention. But blood which in and of itself permits, they are not liable for regarding an offering disqualified by improper intention. But they don’t have an offering left over [after the time permitted for it to be eaten – punishable by extirpation] and impure also, as it is written, “with blood” twice to exclude. – “him” and “they” – one to exclude from an offering left over, and one to exclude from defilement.

The prohibition of the fat is stricter, in that the fat is subject to the law of sacrilege, and one is obligated over it for piggul, notar, and uncleanness which is not the case with the blood. One who eats the forbidden fat of a sacrificial animal is liable for sacrilege, meaning he has made illicit use of sacred property. The fat is supposed to be burned on the altar. Thus if one eats this fat he has transgressed twice: 1) sacrilege; 2) eating forbidden fat. He is also obligated for transgressing the other prohibitions associated with sacrificial animals. When a priest, while offering a sacrifice, intends to eat it after it may no longer be eaten, he makes it into piggul. Notar is remnant sacrificial meat that has been left over after it can no longer be eaten. One who eats forbidden fat from an animal that is piggul and notar is liable for transgressing piggul and notar and for eating forbidden fat. He is also liable if he eats the fat while he is unclean or while the meat is unclean. None of these prohibitions apply to blood. If one eats blood of a piggul or notar animal, or in a state of uncleanness he has only transgressed the prohibition of eating blood. The blood is not treated as if it were the flesh of the animal.

אלא בבהמה טמאה – as it is written (Leviticus 7:25): “[If anyone eats the fat of] animals from which offerings by fie may be made to the LORD [the person who eats it shall be cut of from his kin].”

And the prohibition of the blood is stricter, for it applies to cattle, wild animals and fowl, whether clean or unclean; but the prohibition of the fat applies to clean cattle only. The prohibition of forbidden fat applies only to clean (permitted) cattle: sheep, goats and cows (see Leviticus 7:23). It does not apply to wild animals or birds. In contrast, the blood prohibition applies to all living things: cattle, wild animals and birds.