 Two pieces of flank steak. The left one is covered with a sheet of real chelev, the right one has only some non-kosher tendons (Krumim). | |
| Halakhic texts relating to this article | |
|---|---|
| Torah: | Leviticus 7:23–25 |
| Mishneh Torah: | Maachalot Assurot 7:5 |
| Other rabbinic codes: | Sefer ha-Chinuch mitzvah 147 |
Chelev (Hebrew: חֵלֶב, ḥēleḇ), "suet", is the animal fats that the Torah prohibits Jews and Israelites from eating.[1] Only the chelev of animals that are of the sort from which offerings can be brought in the Tabernacle or Temple are prohibited (Leviticus 7:25). The prohibition of eating chelev is also, in addition to the Torah, one of the 613 commandments that, according to the Talmud,[2] were given to Moses on Mount Sinai.[3]