ויקרא, פרק ג׳, פסוק ג׳

Bringing a peace offering involves separating the internal fats of the animal and burning them on the altar. This act carries deep symbolic meaning. Fat represents human wealth, excess, and material desires. By offering it, a person atones for sins born out of overindulgence and the relentless pursuit of luxury. The individual is essentially offering up their own excess, opening a heart that had become sealed off by material abundance [קיצור בעל הטורים, שפתי כהן, רש״ר הירש]. This dedicated portion is then given over entirely to the fire of the altar [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Unlike the burnt offering, there is no requirement here to wash the animal's entrails. Since the owners eat a portion of the peace offering meat, they take personal responsibility for cleaning and preparing their share however they see fit [חזקוני]. Furthermore, the offering remains completely valid even if it was not slaughtered with the specific intention of a peace offering, or even if the owner failed to lean their hands on the animal's head prior to the slaughter [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו].

A careful distinction is made regarding the type of fat that must be offered. Regular fat is naturally marbled into the meat itself. However, the required offering consists of a distinct, separate fatty tissue that is cold, solid, and covered by a membrane that peels off easily. Only this specific, separate fat is placed on the altar, and it is strictly forbidden for human consumption [מלבי״ם, ביאור יש״ר]. Symbolically, this distinct fat is considered the finest and most premium part of the animal [חזקוני, רש״ר הירש].

This required fat is specifically the large layer spread across the internal digestive organs in the lower abdomen [מלבי״ם, ברכת אשר]. A fundamental debate arises regarding the exact definition of this forbidden fat based on the requirement to include all the fat upon the entrails. The primary approach, led by Rabbi Akiva, maintains that for fat to fall under this category, it must meet two conditions: it must have a peelable membrane, and it must be spread over the flesh like a garment. Therefore, this applies only to the fat covering the small intestines. In contrast, Rabbi Yishmael argues that a peelable membrane alone is sufficient, meaning the requirement also includes fat attached to the stomach in separate pieces, even if it does not drape over the organ like clothing [רש״י, מזרחי, תורה תמימה, גור אריה, רד״צ הופמן]. Despite this debate, there is a general consensus that the requirement extends to the fat found on other digestive organs, as they are physically connected to the primary fat of the entrails [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם].