## Ibn Ezra on Leviticus Chapter 3

###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:1:1
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**שלמים.** מפורש:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
PEACE-OFFERINGS. The term *shelamim* (peace offerings) is self-explanatory.¹ (peace). Unlike other sacrifices, *shelamim* are not offered for sin but rather for the continued peaceful existence of the celebrant. See I.E.’s short commentary on Ex. 29:27.

footnotes:
¹ It is related to the word shalom


###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:4:1
[Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Leviticus/r/3:4:1)

**על הכסלים.** ידוע והוא מגזרת כוכבי השמים וכסיליהם:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
BY THE LOINS. The meaning of the term *kesalim* (loins) is known. It is related to the word *kesilehem*² is, their flanks. (constellations thereof) in *and the constellations thereof* (Is**. 13:10).³

footnotes:
² According to I.E. the literal meaning of kesilehem
³ According to I.E. the reference is to the stars that flank the heavenly north and south poles. This was the current knowledge of astronomy in those days. See I.E. on Is. 13:10.


###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:4:2
[Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Leviticus/r/3:4:2)

**על הכליות.** כמו ויבואו האנשים על הנשים וטעמו עם. ונקראו כליות בעבור כח תאות המשגל והיא מגזרת נכספה וגם כלתה נפשי:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
HARD BY THE KIDNEYS. The term *al* (hard by) means with,⁴ as in *And they came, both men with* (al) *women* (Ex. 35:22).⁵ *Kelayot* (kidneys) are so called because they are the source of lust and sex. The word *kelayot* is related to the word *kaletah* (pineth) in *My soul yearneth, yea, even pineth* (Ps. 84:3).

footnotes:
⁴ Its usual meaning is on. Hence I.E.’s comment.
⁵ Translated according to I.E.


###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:9:1
[Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Leviticus/r/3:9:1)

**חלבו האליה תמימה.** טעמו כאשר היא שהאליה תקרא חלב ותעו הצדוקים כאשר אפרש לך בפרשה השנית גם תעה הגאון שאמר כי הוא חלבו והאליה כי מדקדוק הלשון לא יתכן כי יהיה ראוי להיות חלבו ואליתו או החלב והאליה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THE FAT THEREOF, THE FAT TAIL ENTIRE. The meaning of *chelbo ha-alyah temimah* (the fat thereof, the fat tail entire) is, the fat as it is,⁶ for the tail is called fat.⁷ is, the fat thereof, that is, the tail. The Sadducees, as I will explain to you in the next Torah portion,⁸. Literally, in the second portion. err. The Gaon⁹ also errs, for he says that *chelbo haalyah* is to be interpreted as the fat thereof and the tail.¹⁰ The latter is contrary to the rules of grammar, for¹¹ the phrase should have read *chelbo ve-alyato* (its fat and its tail) or *hachelev ve-ha-alyah* (and its tail and its fat).

footnotes:
⁶ In its entirety.
⁷ In other words, the meaning of chelbo ha-alyah
⁸ The Torah portion Tzav
⁹ Rabbi Saadiah Gaon.
¹⁰ In other words, Scripture speaks of two organs.
¹¹ According to Rabbi Saadiah Gaon’s interpretation.


###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:9:2
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**העצה.** ידוע ממקומו ואין לו אח ויש שמי שהוציא מגזרת עץ בדרך רחוקה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THE RUMP-BONE. The meaning of *atzeh* (rump-bone) is known from its context. It has no brother.¹² There is a commentator who far-fetchedly connected it to the word *etz* (tree).¹³ (rump-bone) is as hard as wood.

footnotes:
¹² The word is not found again in Scripture.
¹³ For the atzeh


###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:11:1
[Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Leviticus/r/3:11:1)

**לחם אשה.** כבר פירשתי לחם שהוא מאכל וימצא על הפרי ועל הבשר:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THE FOOD¹⁴. OF THE OFFERING MADE BY FIRE. I have previously explained that the meaning of *lechem* is food.¹⁵ It is found in reference to fruit¹⁶ and meat.¹⁷

footnotes:
¹⁴ Hebrew, lechem
¹⁵ It does not refer only to bread. See I.E. on Ex.16:4 (Vol. 2, p. 316).
¹⁶ See Jer. 11:19.
¹⁷ In our verse.


###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:12:1
[Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Leviticus/r/3:12:1)

**ואם עז.** ממין העז זכר או נקבה כמשפט הכבש ובבן הבקר לא הזכיר האליה כי אם בכבש כי האליה בעז ובשור קטנה ועוד כי הכבשים שהן בארץ ישראל יש להם אליה גדולה וזה דבר ידוע:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND IF HIS OFFERING BE A GOAT. Any animal classified as a goat, be it male or female,¹⁸ (goat) takes in both males and females. as is the case with a sheep.¹⁹. The term *keves* applies to both males and females. See verse 7. Scripture does not mention the fat tail with regard to the herd. It only mentions it with regard to the lamb because the tail of a goat or a bull is small. Furthermore, the lambs in the Land of Israel have a large tail.²⁰ The latter is well known.²¹ 5:3.

footnotes:
¹⁸ In other words, the term ez
¹⁹ Hebrew, keves
²⁰ A large fat tail.
²¹ See Sabbath


###### Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:16:1
[Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 3:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Leviticus/r/3:16:1)

**כל חלב לה׳‎.** זה הכלל ואחר שהחלב והדם לגבוה הם אסורים לכם ובפרשה השניה אאריך לבאר חוקת עולם:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
ALL THE FAT IS THE LORD’S. This is a general statement. Now, since the fat and the blood belong to God, they are prohibited to you. I will expostulate at length on the phrase *a perpetual statute* in the next Torah portion.