1 You, ๐, can [voluntarily, out of gratitude,] choose to gift [to YAH's servants] a donated male or female [cow or bull from your] herd as a โpeace offeringโ for [making] butcher-meat. [But] when you offer [anything] to the face of YHVH, it must be in perfect condition. [YAH's temple is not a junkyard nor a cheap restaurant.] We must give our best to YHWH. Grade-A steak (not pig-anus hot-dogs) at the church picnic.2 You, ๐, [the donor,] will lay your hand upon the head of [the animal] you're presenting. Then [you yourself will] slaughter it at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. [So you can't hide from the reality that when you eat meat, you kill an innocent living being.] Then Aaron's sons (the priests) will sprinkle [a bit of] the blood around [the top of] the altar, [to initiate the conversion of the ugly act of killing an animal into the holy act of feeding the poor and building a spiritual community through generous feasting].3 Then, ๐, from the butchered thanksgiving contribution, [the priests] will present to YHVH the choice-meat that covers the innards, and all the choice-meat inside [the animal's torso]; โChelebโ can mean โchoice partsโ or health-damaging animal fat (suet). Unhealthy fat may be burned to give heat and light, and/or to produce soil-enriching ash.4 Then the priest will remove the two kidneys and (with them) the fat on them by the flanks, plus the covering of the liver. Kidney and liver meat can be healthy or unhealthy, depending on the conditions under which the animal was raised. People generally assume that kidneys and livers were taken away and composted because they are unhealthy. If you interpret the words differently, it could mean that these are choice parts taken for a special culinary use.5 Then Aaron's sons will smoke [roast the meat] on the altar-stove, ๐, [sending smoke] rising above the wood on the fire. [This donation] cooked by fire [will fill the air with] a delicious aroma that [brings honor to] YHVH.6 Whenever you, ๐, [choose to] present a butchered thanksgiving/peace contribution to YHVH from [your] flock, [it can be] male or female. But present it in perfect condition.7 If you present a lamb as your donation, then always present it [in a solemn manner, ๐, conscious that you are under the watchful] eyes of YHVH. | Hebrew Sacred Meat Slaughtering Instructions | 8 [You, ๐,] the owner, will lay your own hands on the head of [the animal] you're donating. Then [you'll] slaughter it in front of the congregational tent. Then Aaron's sons will sprinkle [a bit of] its blood around the top of the altar, [to symbolically express remorse for killing an innocent animal, and to ask YAH to bring good from the bloodshed].
9 Then, ๐, from your butchered thanksgiving contribution, [the priest] will convert to [fertilizing] ash [the animal's] fat, the entire fat tail, (which he will remove close to the lower backbone,) the fat covering the inner organs, and all the fat above the inner organs. This [honors] YHVH's [command that you not eat unhealthy animal by-products]. Presumably converting the unhealthy animal parts to ash, heat, and/or light.10 Next, the priest will remove the 2 kidneys, together with the fat on them (by the flanks), and the covering of the liver. Presumably removing parts of the animal that are unhealthy to eat.11 Then the priest will smoke-roast [the animal] on the altar, ๐, cooking food on the fire [for a feast in honor of] YHVH. Clearly specified as preparing actual food, not burning up animal parts to "feed God," as is often ridiculously assumed.12 Same thing if your gift is a goat, ๐: you present it [in a merciful, solemn manner, conscious that you are under the watchful] eye of YHVH. Kill the animal painlessly, cleanly and quickly, in a ritual process that brings redemptive results out of the disgusting act of killing a living being.13 And you, ๐, [the owner,] will lay your hand on the head of your [donated animal]. Then [you'll] slaughter it in front of the congregational tent. Then the sons of Aaron will [attempt to elevate the carnage to spiritual significance by] sprinkling [a bit of the animal's] blood around the top of the altar.14 Then [the priest] will approach YHVH's [cooking-altar] fire, bringing the fat that covered the [animal's] innards, and all the fat on the innards.15 Then [the priest] will remove the two kidneys, plus the fat on them by the flanks, and the covering of the liver.16 Then the priest will smoke the [edible parts of the animal] on the altar as food, ๐, a gift cooked by fire, sending up a delicious aroma. [But] all the fat [gets composted in obedience to] YHVH. Cheleb=โfatโ or โchoiceโ, as today the slang โPHATโ implies โstrongโ while โFATโ implies โobeseโ.17 It will be a perpetual statute for your posterity, wherever you live, that you, ๐, never eat [nasty] fat nor blood.โ Here โChelebโ = โunhealthy fat, grease.โ Disease-causing parts of the animal were burned, or smoked but not eaten. Only context can tell you if cheleb = โfatโ or โchoice,โ and if โqatarโ means โsmoke-roastโ or โburn.โ If burning, the burning was not necessarily a waste. Burning fat can produce light, heat and/or soil enriching ash. | |