Vayikra / Leviticus 7:1 ‘Now this is the law of the guilt
offering; it is most holy. (NASB) In the Torah, the five major korbanot
(offerings) are described as being “most holy” as we see here in
Vayikra / Leviticus 7:1 and the detailing of the guilt offering.
There are two major components of the guilt offering, (i) slaying of the animal taking its
blood and sprinkling it upon the altar (7:2)
and (ii) offering all its fat upon the altar, including the fat on the tail, the fat that
covers the entrails (7:3) and the fat that is
upon the kidneys and the liver. It is interesting that in Hebrew the word for “fat”
is khelev meaning “fat, grease, fatness” whereas the Hebrew bible
uses kh-l-v “khelev” meaning “ tallow, fat, lard;” in addition to this,
the Hebrew root of khelev also means “milk.” What is the significance of the
commandment to offer the fat upon the altar? Why is the Hebrew word khelev used for “fat”
commanded to be offered upon the altar above the other types of meat in the body? Could
it be that “fat” has a certain spiritual significance that is important for our lives?
Read More here.
