The Surrounding Meat the Gid Ha’nasheh

Q. Why is it that I have never seen a cut of meat that had the gid ha’nasheh removed?

A. Due to the complexities in removing cheilev (forbidden fats), there was a custom in many communities in Europe not to eat the hindquarters of an animal, since that is primarily where cheilev is found. Instead, the entire back section, including the legs, would be sold to a non-Jew. Today in America, among Ashkenazim, this has been adopted as the universal standard. Therefore, one will not find cuts of meat in a butcher shop that have been treibered (trimmed) to remove the gid ha’nasheh, which is located in the hindquarters. However, there is one exception. The cheilev in venison (deer meat) is permitted. The Torah only forbids cheilev from a cow, sheep, or goat, but the cheilev of a wild animal such as a deer is permissible. Rav Belsky zt”l noted that there never was a minhag not to eat the hindquarters of deer. Of course, the gid ha’nasheh, including the fat surrounding the gid ha’nasheh, must be completely removed.

Rav Belsky would point out that it is important that we maintain an expertise in removing the gid ha’nasheh, since when the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt (speedily in our days), we will be required to remove the gid ha’nasheh from korbanos, and we will not have the option of selling it to a non-Jew.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.