Sifra Nedavah Chapter 20

¹1) (Vayikra 3:12): "And if a goat (is his offering"): This is a hiatus (in the section of "lamb" [a goat being a type of lamb]) to indicate that a goat does not require the sacrifice of a fat-tail. ²2) (Vayikra 3:14): "And he shall offer from it (his offering"): while it is still attached (i.e., he shall remove the devoted portions while they are still attached to the goat, before he cuts the flesh). "his offering, a fire-offering to the L–rd, the fat that covers the innards and all the fat upon the innards.": Why mention this (again if it has already been stated above in respect to the flock?) For I might think that it (a goat) is excluded from all of these. And, indeed, it would follow (that it is excluded, viz.: Just as we find that a sheep (offering), which is augmented by (the sacrifice of) a fat-tail, is augmented by all of these (the above), so, (conversely), a goat, which is excluded from (the sacrifice of) a fat-tail, should be excluded from all of these, (so that an explicit inclusion clause is needed.) — This is refuted by cattle, which are excluded from fat-tail, yet included in all of these. ³3) — No, this may be so with cattle (offerings), which are (accompanied by) larger libations, as opposed to goats, which are (accompanied by) smaller libations. And since they are excluded from (larger) libations, they should be excluded from all (of the above). It is, therefore, written: "the fat that covers the innards and all the fat on the innards, and the two kidneys, etc.", to include all of them. ⁴4) (Vayikra 3:16): "And the Cohein shall smoke them": all at once. "the bread of a fire-offering for a sweet savor, all the fat for the L–rd": to include fat in me'ilah (the interdict against abuse of sacred objects). ⁵5) It was said in the name of R. Yishmael: It is written (Bamidbar 18:17): But the bechor (the first-born) of an ox, or the bechor of a sheep, or the bechor of a goat, you shall not redeem. They are consecrated. Their blood shall you sprinkle upon the altar and their fat shall you smoke.": This teaches us that a bechor requires blood and fats upon the altar. Whence do we derive the same for ma'aser and pesach? From (Devarim 12:27): "And the blood of your sacrifices shall be spilled on the altar of your G d (first), and (then) the flesh shall you eat." This tells me only of their blood. Whence do I derive (the same for) their fat? From (Vayikra 3:16): "all the fat for the L–rd." ⁶6) (Vayikra 3:17): "an eternal statute": for the eternal house (i.e., the Temple). "for your generations": the thing (i.e., the interdict) obtains for all generations." "in all of your dwellings": both in Eretz Yisrael and outside it — "all fat and all blood you shall not eat." R. Yehudah says: Blood is being likened to fat. Just as fat comes under two interdicts (here and Vayikra 7:23: "All fat of ox or sheep or goat you shall not eat"), so, blood. And the sages say it falls only under one exhortation. ⁷7 (a reversion to R. Yehudah:) I might think that the blood of consecrated animals which have been rendered pasul (by a permanent blemish) also comes under two interdicts (that of eating blood and that of a non-Cohein eating consecrated food); it is, therefore, written (in relation to such animals, Devarim 12:16): "Only the blood you shall not eat." It comes only under one exhortation (that against eating fat, but not that against a non-Cohein eating consecrated food). This tells me only of their blood. Whence do I derive (the same for) their fat? From: "all fat and all blood you shall not eat." Just as the blood comes under one interdict, so the fat comes under one interdict (as above). ⁸8) Since bechor is outside the category of consecrated animals which have been rendered pasul, (in that it is eaten in its blemished state and is not redeemed), I might think that eating its blood comes under two interdicts (that of eating blood and that of a non-Cohein eating consecrated food). It is, therefore, written (of such an instance, Devarim 15:23): "Only its blood you shall not eat." It falls only under one exhortation (that against eating blood, but not that against a non-Cohein eating consecrated food). This tells me only of its blood. Whence do I derive (the same for) its fat? From: "all fat and all blood." Just as the blood comes under one interdict, so, the fat.