Khullin 130 Why were the Zeroa, Lechayayim, and Keiva given to the kohanim?

The 10^th chapter of our massekhet discusses the gifts given to the kohanim, priests as commanded in the Torah. “MISHNA: The mitzva to give the foreleg (Zeroa), the jaw (Lechayayim), and the maw (Keiva) of slaughtered animals to the priests, known as the gifts of the priesthood, applies both in Eretz Yisrael and outside of Eretz Yisrael, in the presence of the Temple and not in the presence of the Temple, and it applies to non-sacred animals, but not to sacrificial animals.” (TB Khullin 130, Sefaria.org translation) Why were these three parts of the animal given to the kohanim?

The Sefer HaChinuch, written in the Middle Ages by and an anonymous author enumerates and explains the mitzvot as they appear in each of the weekly Torah portions. The positive commandment to give the Zeroa, Lechayayim, and Keivah to the priest originates from the biblical text in Deuteronomy 18:3 and is mitzvah number 506.

The Sefer HaChinuch explains the "root of the commandment" by linking these three specific body parts directly to the historical actions of Pinchas (the grandson of Aaron the High Priest.

When the Jewish people were sinning in the desert, Pinchas risked his life to stop a public act of defilement by killing Zimri (a prince of Israel) and Kozbi (a Midianite princess). Because he zealously stood up for God's honor, God rewarded him and his descendants (the priests) with these physical cuts of meat forever.

The physical cuts act as a measure-for-measure reminder of his actions:

·        The Front Leg/Shoulder (Zeroa): Represents the arm of Pinchas, which he used to take up a spear and execute judgment.

·        The Lower Jaw/Cheeks (Lechayayim): Represents the mouth of Pinchas, which he used to pray out loud to God to stop the plague ravaging the nation.

·        The Stomach (Keivah): Represents the stomach of the woman, which is the exact location where Pinchas thrust his spear to end the sinning.

The Psychological Lesson

The Sefer HaChinuch notes a deeper psychological lesson here. It teaches that publicly sanctifying God's name earns long-lasting, tangible rewards. By forcing Jews to give these physical gifts every time they slaughter a farm animal, God ensures the nation never forgets Pinchas's bravery and the eternal benefits of serving Him.

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Moses Maimonides in his masterpiece The Guide to the Perplexed provides a more philosophical reason why the Zeroa, Lechayayim, and Keivah were given to the priest. We should be liberal with our tzedakah and devotion to God and limit our appetite and desire for acquiring lots of possessions.

“The law concerning the fruit of a tree in its fourth year has some relation to idolatrous customs, as has been stated by us (chap. xxxvii.), and is connected with the law concerning the fruit of a tree in its first three years. But it has in addition the same object as the law concerning the heave-offering (Deut. 18:4), the dough-offering (ḥallah) (Num. 15:20), the first-fruit (Exod. 23:19), and the first of the shearing (Deut. 18:4). For the first of everything is to be devoted to the Lord; and by doing so man accustoms himself to be liberal, and to limit his appetite for eating and his desire for property. The same is the reason why the priest took the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the maw (Deut. 18:3); the cheek being the first part of the body of animals, the right shoulder the first of the extremities of the body, and the maw the first of all inwards.” Rambam Guide Part 3 39