Shemot 29:22

22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the chelev and the tail, and the fat that covereth the innards, and the diaphragm with the liver, and the two kidneys, and the chelev that is on them, and the right thigh; for it is an ayil millu’im (ram of ordination);

Shemot 29:22 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 29:22

Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump
The fat which was upon it: the sheep in Arabia and about Judea were remarkable for their large tails; according to Rauwolff ^F26, they were half a span thick, and one and a half broad, and very fat; and so in Africa and Egypt were rams of large tails often and twenty pounds weight ^F1; and Aristotle ^F2 speaks of sheep in Syria that had tails a cubit broad; and Herodotus ^F3 makes mention of two sorts in Arabia, one sort have tails three cubits long, which if drawn upon the ground would ulcerate, wherefore the shepherds make little carts to bear them upon ^F4, and the other sort have tails a cubit broad; and Vartomanus

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 relates, how in Arabia are fat sheep whose tails weigh eleven, twelve, seventeen, nay, forty four pounds, and of a cubit long:

and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and
the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them:
(See Gill on Exodus 29:13)

and the right shoulder;
what was to be done with it is afterwards observed as well as with the rest:

for it is a ram of consecration;
or "of fillings" ^F6; Jarchi says, the Scripture declares these fillings to be peace offerings, for they minister peace to the altar, and to him that does the service, and to the owners; wherefore the breast was necessarily his that did the service for his portion, and this was Moses, for he ministered in the fillings, and the rest Aaron and his sons ate, for they were the owners.

F26 Travels, p. 221.
F1 Leo. African. Descript. Africae, l. 9. p. 753.
F2 Hist. Animal. l. 8, c. 28.
F3 Thalia sive, l. 3. c. 113.
F4 The same is observed in T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 54. 2. & Gloss. in. ib.
F5 Navigat. l. 2. c. 5, 9, 15.
F6 (Myalm) "impletionum", Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator.

Shemot 29:22 In-Context

20 Then shalt thou slaughter (shachat) the ayil, and take of his dahm, and put it upon the lobe of the right ear of Aharon, and upon the lobe of the right ear of his banim, and upon the thumb of their right yad, and upon the bohen of their right foot, and sprinkle the dahm upon the Mizbe’ach, all around.

21 And thou shalt take of the dahm that is upon the Mizbe’ach, and of the shemen hamishchah, and sprinkle it upon Aharon, upon his garments, upon his banim, upon the garments of his banim with him; he shall be set apart as kodesh, and his garments, his banim, his banim’s garments with him.

22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the chelev and the tail, and the fat that covereth the innards, and the diaphragm with the liver, and the two kidneys, and the chelev that is on them, and the right thigh; for it is an ayil millu’im (ram of ordination);

23 And one kekar lechem (loaf of bread), and one challah of lechem shemen (oily loaf of bread), and one wafer out of the basket of the matzot that is before Hashem;

24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aharon, and in the hands of his banim; and shalt wave them for a tenufah before Hashem.