Prohibition of Blood/2

Prohibition of Blood

Exegetical Approaches

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Blood is the Soul

Blood is prohibited from consumption since blood represents the animal's soul and life force. This position subdivides regarding why this is problematic:

Sacredness of Life

Refraining from eating blood, the source or symbol of an animal's vitality and soul, reminds one of the sanctity of all life. Eating it would be repugnant and both demonstrates and invites cruelty.

Sources:Jubilees6:1-217:24-4511:1-321:1-25About Jubilees, JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1:3:8Antiquities of the Jews 3:11:2About Josephus, RambanVayikra 17:11About R. Moshe b. Nachman #2,¹ Sefer HaChinukh148About Sefer HaChinukh,² AbarbanelVayikra 17Devarim 12:20About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel #3,³  Keli Yekar, ShadalDevarim 12:23About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto,⁴ R. D"Z HoffmannVayikra 3:17Vayikra 17:11-14Devarim 12:23-25About R. David Zvi Hoffmann,⁵ R. Kook

Mixing of Animal and Human Nature

Ingesting an animal's blood/soul introduces animal-like characteristics into the human soul.

Sources:Ibn EzraVayikra 3:17Devarim 12:25Bereshit First Commentary 9:4About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,⁶ RambanVayikra 17:11About R. Moshe b. Nachman #3, Sefer Hachinukh148About Sefer HaChinukh,⁷ RalbagVayikra 3:16-17Vayikra 17:11-14Vayikra Toalot 3:17About R. Levi b. Gershom #3,⁸ Abarbanel Vayikra 17Devarim 12:20About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel#2,⁹ SefornoVayikra 17:14Vayikra 19:26Devarim 12:23About R. Ovadyah Seforno,¹⁰ Or HaChayyimVayikra 17:10Vayikra 17:11Vayikra 17:13About R. Chayyim b. Atar, R. HirschVayikra 3:17Vayikra 7:26Vayikra 17:10-12Devarim 12:23About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, NetzivVayikra 17:11-14Devarim 12:23About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin¹¹

Sanctified to Hashem

Since the blood of animals is thrown on the altar and sanctified to Hashem, it is not fit for human consumption.

Sources:Ibn EzraVayikra 3:17Devarim 12:25Bereshit First Commentary 9:4About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorVayikra 7:23Vayikra 17:11Vayikra 19:19About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor,¹² RambanVayikra 17:11About R. Moshe b. Nachman, RalbagVayikra 3:16-17Vayikra 17:11-14Vayikra Toalot 3:17About R. Levi b. Gershom, AbarbanelBereshit 9:1Vayikra 3Vayikra 17Devarim 12:20About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel #1, R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Vayikra 17:3About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor), NetzivVayikra 17:11-14Devarim 12:23About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, R. David Zvi HoffmannVayikra 3:17Vayikra 17:11-14Devarim 12:23-25About R. David Zvi Hoffmann

"וַאֲנִי נְתַתִּיו לָכֶם עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְכַפֵּר עַל נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם" – This verse forms the basis for this approach, but commentators focus on different aspects of it, leading to two related, but somewhat distinct understandings of the prohibition:

• Apportioned to Hashem – According to Ibn Ezra, R"Y Bekhor Shor, and Ramban, the crucial point of the verse is that the blood is dedicated to the altar.¹³ In other words, the blood is Hashem's portion of the sacrifice (חלק גבוה) and, as such, it is off limits to man.
• Role in atonement – Ralbag, Abarbanel and R. Hoffmann, instead, focus on the blood's role in atonement.
• R. Hoffmann explains that if the animal's blood is supposed to represent and substitute for the sinner's soul, being sacrificed in the sinner's stead, it is inappropriate for it to be consumed.¹⁴
• Ralbag adds that Hashem wanted to ensure that man recognize the atoning powers of blood, so that he feel that his sacrifice was effective in achieving penance. As such, Hashem prohibited its consumption, highlighting its unique role.¹⁵

"כִּי הַדָּם הוּא הַנָּפֶשׁ" – This phrase comes to explain not why it is prohibited to eat the blood, but why blood was chosen to serve as atonement and is sprinkled on the altar. Since blood represents or is the source of the animal's soul, it can represent man's soul and act as its substitute on the altar.

Why is blood of non-sacrificial meat prohibited?

Spilling vs. covering blood

Prohibition to Noach

Similarity to other forbidden foods / items

Distancing from Idolatry

Consuming blood is prohibited since it is related to idolatrous practices.

Sources:RambamMoreh Nevukhim 3:46About R. Moshe b. Maimon, RalbagVayikra 3:16-17Vayikra 17:11-14Vayikra Toalot 3:17About R. Levi b. Gershom, SefornoVayikra 17:14Vayikra 19:26Devarim 12:23About R. Ovadyah Seforno, ShadalVayikra 7:26Vayikra 17:13Devarim 12:23About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto¹⁶

¹ Ramban also speaks of the blood's detrimental effects on human nature and its being allocated to Hashem as reasons for the prohibition.

² He also cites the Ramban regarding how eating of the animal's soul introduces animalistic traits into the human soul.

³ Abarbanel brings many reasons for the prohibition; this is the third possibility he raises in his commentary on Vayikra 17 and Devarim 12.

⁴ He also connects aspects of the prohibition to idolatrous practices.

⁵ R. Hoffmann also suggests that the prohibition relates to the fact that the blood is sanctified to Hashem.

⁶ In his comments to Vayikra 3 he, instead, explains that blood is prohibited since it Hashem's portion.  It is possible that he differentiates between the reason for the prohibition with regards to domesticated animals (which are fit for sacrificing) and non-domesticated animals (which are not fit for sacrificing).  Since the blood of the latter is not allocated to Hashem, there must be a different reason for the prohibition.

⁷ He assumes that blood is detrimental on both the spiritual and physical level.

⁸ Ralbag is somewhat exceptional in this category in that he maintains that eating animal blood affects one's physical health rather than a person's spiritual health.

⁹ Abarbanel brings many reasons for the prohibition; this is the second possibility he raises in his commentary on Vayikra 17 and Devarim 12.

¹⁰ He also relates the prohibition to idolatrous practices.

¹¹ Netziv distinguishes between the reason for the prohibition of eating the blood of domesticated and non-domesticated animals and maintains that only the latter is related to the negative effects it will have on man's nature.

¹² He maintains that  this only relates to animals which are fit for sacrifices.  The blood of such domesticated animals is prohibited for two reasons - its being apportioned to Hashem as atonement and the fact that it is the animal's soul.  Non domesticated animals and birds are prohibited only for the second reason.

¹³ The verse's mention of the blood's role in atonement is somewhat secondary, mentioned only to explain why specifically the blood was chosen to be Hashem's portion.

¹⁴ He elaborates that the animal's blood, standing in for the human soul, takes on a somewhat spiritual status. As such, it cannot simply be absorbed by the body, for the physical and spiritual must remain distinct.

¹⁵ See Purpose of the Sacrifices that Ralbag asserts that people need an active process through which they can feel that their sins are forgiven to enable them to start afresh.  Had a person simply confessed his sins or repented in his heart, he would not think that this sufficed to achieve penance, so therefore Hashem provided an active ritual for him to partake in.  The sprinkling of blood, and accompanying prohibition of its consumption, is an important part of this process.

¹⁶ This is his first explanation for the command to cover the blood of birds and non-domesticated animals.  Though he does not explicitly state that it is also the reason for the initial prohibition of blood, the two would seem to be connected.