The Fat Upon the Stomach and a Dispute the Priests Followed

Rabbi Yitzchak bar Nachman said in the name of Rav Hoshaya: the fat upon the stomach, the priests treat it as permitted, following Rabbi Ishmael, who said it in the name of his forefathers. And your sign is: "a priest supports priests." What is "a priest supports priests"? As it was taught, "thus shall you bless the children of Israel," and so on. "Who said it in the name of his forefathers," what is this? As it was taught: "and all the fat that is upon the innards" comes to bring in the fat upon the small intestines, the words of Rabbi Ishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: it comes to bring in the fat upon the stomach. And they raised a contradiction: "and all the fat," Rabbi Ishmael says, just as the fat covering the innards is membrane and peels off, so all that is membrane and peels off; Rabbi Akiva says, just as the fat covering the innards is a spread-out membrane and peels off, so all that is a spread-out membrane and peels off. Rava sent in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: thus is the arrangement of the Mishnah, and reverse the first statement. And what did you see to reverse the first and not reverse the latter? Here it is different, since it teaches "just as," it teaches it precisely. If so, it is according to Rabbi Ishmael; rather it is according to Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Nachman bar Yitzchak said: he said it in the name of his forefathers, though he himself does not hold this view.