Derasha 3 on Vayikra 3:3

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 4 · Passuk 3 · Unit 3 of 4

The Complete Passuk

וְהִקְרִ֨יב מִזֶּ֣בַח הַשְְּׁלָמִים֮ אִשֶּׁ֣ה לַיהֹוָה֒ אֶת־הַחֵ֙לֶב֙ הַֽמְכַסֶּ֣ה אֶת־הַקֶּ֔רֶב וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־הַחֵ֔לֶב אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַקֶּֽרֶב׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Chullin 49b.

E-Daf.com — Chullin 49b
HebrewBooks / Shas PDF

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Chullin 49b
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: ״וְאֵת כׇּל הַחֵלֶב אֲשֶׁר עַל הַקֶּרֶב״ — מַה חֵלֶב הַמְּכַסֶּה תּוֹתַב קְרוּם וְנִקְלָף אַף כׇּל תּוֹתַב קְרוּם וְנִקְלָף.

English: Rabbi Akiva says: “and all the fat that is on the innards” — just as the covering fat is under a membrane and peels, so all that is under a membrane and peels.

In the sugya: Rabbi Akiva supplies a formal definition of the fat that falls under the verse’s language.

Type of Learning

Definition by membrane and peelability — forbidden chelev is identified by being membrane-covered and peelable.

What Is Learned

Forbidden chelev is identified by being membrane-covered and peelable. Rabbi Akiva analogizes from the covering fat (which is known to lie under a membrane and to peel away) to every deposit of fat that shares those two physical traits. The result is a practical criterion for distinguishing the biblical chelev of the innards from ordinary fat.