Rabbi Gil
Student brings one of the Kuzari (and Duran) arguments regarding forbidden
fats. His claim is :
“5.
Furthermore, when the Torah [Lev. 3:17] says "It is a law for all time
throughout the ages, in all your settlements: you must not eat any fat or any
blood", what exactly is fat? Are there different types of animal
fat, some which are permitted and some which are forbidden? How are these
fats differentiated? [Kuzari, ibid; Rashbatz, ibid.] “
Now a complete
demolition of this argument has been provided by Ami Hertz here:
However, I will
summarize this argument by citing the relevant verses.
The Kuzari as
asking “what is fat”, and how is this defined? The torah describes
it in clinical detail.
Thus:
Lev 3:
6 And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD be of the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. 7 If he bring a lamb for his offering, then shall he present it before the LORD. 8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall dash the blood thereof against the altar round about. 9 And he shall present of the sacrifice of peace-offerings an offering made by fire unto the LORD: the fat thereof, the fat tail entire, which he shall take away hard by the rump-bone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, 10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the loins, and the lobe above the liver, which he shall take away by the kidneys. 11 And the priest shall make it smoke upon the altar; it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.
12 And if his offering be a goat, then he shall present it before the LORD. 13 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tent of meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall dash the blood thereof against the altar round about. 14 And he shall present thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD: the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, 15 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the loins, and the lobe above the liver, which he shall take away by the kidneys. 16 And the priest shall make them smoke upon the altar; it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a sweet savour; all the fat is the LORD'S. 17 It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that ye shall eat neither fat nor blood.
Lev 4:
8 And all the fat of the
bullock of the sin-offering he shall take off from it; the fat that covereth
the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, 9 and the two
kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the loins, and the lobe
above the liver, which he shall take away by the kidneys, 10 as it is
taken off from the ox of the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall
make them smoke upon the altar of burnt-offering. 11 But the skin of the
bullock, and all its flesh, with its head, and with its legs, and its inwards,
and its dung, 12 even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the
camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood
with fire; where the ashes are poured out shall it be burnt
26
And all the fat thereof shall he make smoke upon the altar, as the fat of the
sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him as
concerning his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
31
And all the fat thereof shall he take away, as the fat is taken away from off
the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall make it smoke upon the
altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make atonement for
him, and he shall be forgiven.
Lev
7:
1 And this is the law of
the guilt-offering: it is most holy. 2 In the place where they kill the
burnt-offering shall they kill the guilt-offering: and the blood thereof shall
be dashed against the altar round about. 3 And he shall offer of it all
the fat thereof: the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards, 4
and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and
the lobe above the liver, which he shall take away by the kidneys. 5 And
the priest shall make them smoke upon the altar for an offering made by fire
unto the LORD; it is a guilt-offering
22 And the LORD spoke unto
Moses, saying: 23 Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying: Ye shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. 24
And the fat of that which dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of
beasts, may be used for any other service; but ye shall in no wise eat of it. 25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men
present an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it
shall be cut off from his people. 26 And ye shall eat no manner of
blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.
Thus there are
comprehensive definitions of where the forbidden fat is, and also how this
differs for sheep and other sacrificial animals.
The Kuzari is
simply committing a fraud, relying on the ignorance of his readers (or of
himself).
Incidentally, we
see from Lev 6:3 that the Priests would wear pure linen, as opposed to the
rabbinic claim of shaatnez.
"And
the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put
upon his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes whereto the fire hath consumed
the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar".
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