{"id":12399,"date":"2026-07-19T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T21:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=12399"},"modified":"2026-08-09T11:05:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T08:05:03","slug":"17-19-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/17-19-01\/","title":{"rendered":"01. The Foreleg, Cheeks, and Maw"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Torah requires anyone who slaughters a kosher domesticated animal to give three gifts to the kohanim: the foreleg, the cheeks, and the maw, as it is stated: \u201cThis shall be the due of the kohanim from the people, from those who slaughter an animal, whether ox or sheep: he shall give the kohen the foreleg, the cheeks, and the maw\u201d (Devarim 18:3). The purpose of the mitzva is to provide for the kohanim so they can devote themselves to studying Torah and teaching it to Israel.[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The foreleg is the two upper sections of the animal\u2019s right front leg. The cheeks are both cheeks together with the tongue down to where the windpipe begins. The maw includes its contents and the fat attached to it. Altogether, these gifts amount to about eight percent of the animal\u2019s kosher meat.<\/p>\n

The obligation applies only to kosher domesticated animals \u2014 cattle, sheep, and goats \u2014 not to kosher wild animals such as deer and gazelles, and not to birds. If the animal is found to be a tereifa<\/em>, the mitzva no longer applies (SA YD 61:6).<\/p>\n

Since these gifts are meant to support the kohanim in their Torah study and teaching, they should be given to a kohen who is a Torah scholar. When no such kohen is available, the gifts are given to an unlearned kohen (\u1e24ullin<\/em> 130b; Tosafot, \u1e24ullin<\/em> 130b; SA YD 61:7). If the Torah-scholar kohen is well-off while the unlearned kohen is poor and in need of tzedaka, one may give the gifts to the unlearned kohen (Tosafot, \u1e24ullin<\/em> 104b; Yam Shel Shlomo<\/em>, \u1e24ullin<\/em> 104b).<\/p>\n

The obligation to give the gifts rests on Yisraelim. A kohen who slaughters his own animal is exempt, as is a Yisrael married to the daughter of a kohen (SA YD 61:22). Moreover, the gifts may be given to a bat kohen<\/em> who married a Yisrael, or to her Yisrael husband, since through marriage the two are treated as one; they may receive the gifts even when a kohen is present (SA YD 61:8). If the bat kohen<\/em> is married to a Torah scholar, it is preferable to give the gifts to them rather than to an unlearned kohen (\u1e24ullin<\/em> 132a; Yam Shel Shlomo<\/em>, \u1e24ullin<\/em> 132a; AHS 61:35).<\/p>\n

A kohen is exempt only when slaughtering for his own household. If he earns his livelihood by slaughtering animals and selling their meat, he must give the gifts to another kohen; the Sages would penalize a kohen who worked as a butcher if he failed to do so (\u1e24ullin<\/em> 132b; according to Rashi, this obligation is by Torah law; according to Tosafot, it is rabbinic; SA YD 61:24).<\/p>\n

The Sages were uncertain about the status of levi\u2019im in this regard. The Torah places the obligation on \u201cthe people\u201d (ha-am<\/em>), and it is unclear whether this includes levi\u2019im or refers only to Yisraelim. Since the question involves a monetary claim, and the kohanim cannot prove that levi\u2019im are obligated, levi\u2019im are not required to give the gifts (\u1e24ullin<\/em> 131a; SA YD 61:23).<\/p>\n

Some authorities hold that this mitzva is not land-dependent, and therefore applies by Torah law in both Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora, whether the Temple stands or not. Others hold that it is land-dependent, like terumot<\/em> and ma\u2019asrot<\/em>, and is obligatory only in Eretz Yisrael. The widespread custom follows this latter view, though the meticulous give the gifts even in the Diaspora. All poskim agree, however, that wherever Jews exercise sovereignty, the mitzva applies by Torah law.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Because these gifts have no sanctity, kohanim may eat them even in a state of tum\u2019a<\/em>. A kohen may prepare and eat them in whatever way he finds pleasing; ideally, he eats them in the manner most dignified for him. If he has no particular preference, it is best to eat them roasted with mustard, in royal fashion (\u1e24ullin<\/em> 132b; Tosafot, \u1e24ullin<\/em> 132b, s.v. ein<\/em>; SA YD 61:12). If he does not wish to eat the meat, he may give it or sell it to a Jew or to a non-Jew (SA YD 61:13).<\/p>\n

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[1]<\/a>.Some maintain that the person giving the gifts recites the berakha \u201cconcerning the giving of the gifts\u201d (Roke\u02bca\u1e25<\/em> \u00a7366; Dammesek Eliezer<\/em>). Some maintain that he also recites She-he\u1e25eyanu<\/em> (Pe\u02bcat ha-Shul\u1e25an<\/em> 3:20:39). Others maintain that no berakha is recited, because by Torah law these gifts inherently belong to the kohanim from the outset, so separating them is not a new act of mitzva (Peri \u1e24adash<\/em> 61:1, based on Responsa Rashba 1:18 and Ramban; Knesset ha-Gedola<\/em>; Kaf ha-\u1e24ayim<\/em> 61:3\u20134). The halakha follows the majority of poskim: no berakha is recited.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a>.According to Rif, Rambam (MT, Laws of Bikkurim 9:1), and Sefer ha-\u1e24inukh<\/em>, the Torah mitzva of giving these gifts remains in force even after the destruction of the Temple and even in the Diaspora. This is also the straightforward reading of the Gemara: since animals do not grow from the ground, the mitzva is not dependent on the Land. Many Rishonim, however, maintain that the halakha follows R. Ilai (\u1e24ullin<\/em> 136a), who equates these gifts with terumot<\/em> and ma\u02bcasrot<\/em>: just as terumot<\/em> and ma\u02bcasrot<\/em> are not separated in the Diaspora, so too these gifts need not be given in the Diaspora (Rashi, Tosafot, Ha-Ma\u02bcor, Rashba, and Ran). In practice, the widespread custom is not to give these gifts from animals slaughtered in the Diaspora (SA YD 61:21). Nevertheless, some great Torah authorities were meticulous in this mitzva and gave the gifts even in the Diaspora; this was the practice of R. Moshe Sofer, the \u1e24atam Sofer<\/em> (YD \u00a7301). In Eretz Yisrael, however, all agree today that the gifts must be given by Torah law, as explained above, 12:16, notes 18\u201319.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Torah requires anyone who slaughters a kosher domesticated animal to give three gifts to the kohanim: the foreleg, the cheeks, and the maw, as it is stated: \u201cThis shall be the due of the kohanim from the people, from those who slaughter an animal, whether ox or sheep: he shall give the kohen the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[240],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-17-19"],"yoast_head":"\n01. 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