Day 3 (Part 1): Leviticus 17:8-16 (Study Notes)
Double Parsha: Achrei Mot-Kedoshim
Day 3 (Part 1): Leviticus 17:8-16
(Leviticus 17:8-9)
The prohibition against offering sacrifices anywhere that is outside the designated area in the Tent of Meeting complex (and later, the Temple) is repeated. Hashem declares that anyone who
offers a sacrifice outside the designated area AND/OR
Does not bring the offering to Tent of Meeting (or later, the Temple) will be cut off from the house of Israel and the Jewish people.
This prohibition is one of the reasons we Jews cannot make offerings now. Since the Temple is destroyed, some want to replace chickens for other sacrifices (esp on Holy Days like Yom Kippur). But this practice is strictly prohibited. Performing such acts calls for the cutting off of the one who brings the offering from the Jewish community, not the atonement thereof.
This prohibition is also a reason why Jews can say with certainty that the sacrifices of other religions cannot fulfill the Torah. Certain of these sacrifices, we know, were offered outside the walls of Jerusalem. They were not offered in the designated place of offering in the Temple complex. The sacrifice was also not brought to the Temple after death. The corpse of the dead Jew was simply placed in a tomb and a stone set in place. These actions alone break Torah and debunk the claims of messiahship and being god, like Hashem. Hashem will never break His own laws, especially not when bringing about redemption—salvation will come to those in Jacob who repent of there sin, not those who break Torah and call it salvation.
(Leviticus 17:10-12)
Hashem provides another prohibition against the eating or consuming of blood. Hashem declares that anyone who eats blood or who drinks blood, “will be cut off from the community” AND Hashem promises to turn His face away from such a person.
Hashem is adamant about the prohibition against consuming blood because the life of any creature is in the blood. This truth harkens Genesis 1-2, when the spirit of life—ruach—moved on the face of the earth and brought everything into being. This spirit of life is also the spirit of wisdom—of Torah, by which we all can have life. This spirit is also called the breath of Hashem—so literally the life of Hashem, the One True and Living God.
Ruach, however, is not the same as the nephesh that Hashem breathed into Adam’s nostrils which made Adam (and Havah) nephesh chayim—living souls. But, however Hashem actually constructed all of creation, a spark of Himself (of life) was placed inside every living souls—animals, humans, and plants alike. For animals and humans (who have blood), that life that makes up each living soul—nephesh chayim—courses through us in our blood. Indeed if our heart stopped, and blood stopped circulating, we will die (G-d forbid).
At the microscopic cellular level, the spark of Hashem lives, which gives us life. That is why we say in Judaism that without Hashem there is no existence. We are one with His oneness in that His oneness is in everything. Without Hashem, there is literally nothing.
So, to eat blood is to (in a way) eat Hashem, since His spark is the life that resides in the blood. This idea is so sacrilegious that to speak such a thing is almost blasphemous.
But, there are religions that practice consuming the blood and body of their god regularly. The leader of one such religion told his disciples to eat the bread and wine of a Passover Seder as if it were his own blood and body in remembrance of his death that would occur that night.
Not only does this defile the Pesach Seder (which has nothing to do with sin) it also violates the Torah prohibitions set in place by Hashem above. Thus, it is no wonder that Hashem turned His face away from said religious leader and allowed him to hang on a tree—a mark and sign of the person’s abomination in the eyes of Hashem.
Furthermore, when blood is shed, life is lost. In the sacrificial system, Hashem set the animals as the “rams in the bush” for the Jewish people—the animal’s lives are taken in place of the humans when we transgress Torah. The blood is placed on the altar to cleanse the altar with the remnants of life that remain in the blood. Like the blood on the doorpost on Pesach, for burnt offerings and well-being offerings, the blood is placed on all for sides, creating Chai—life, living—the pleasing offering to Hashem.
Thus, the prohibition against consuming blood goes for Hashem as well. Though Hashem does not have a physical form nor body, He was present in the fire on the altar. Thus, all blood was removed from sacrifices so that Hashem would not consume blood when His fire consumed the sacrifices. The blood of the sacrifices did paint the sides or horns of the altar in order to cleanse the altar. But, the blood is not consumed in the fire along with the “food” offered to Hashem.
If we think of the altar as the globe in miniature, the four horns are the four corners of the globe. The altar is Jerusalem, where the presence of Hashem (the fire) dwells as a “ring of fire”, protecting Israel.
As sacrifices are made, the life in the blood marks either the four corners or the four sides of the globe—metaphors since we now know the globe is round. Like the ruach that moved on the earth at creation, so the remnants of ruach mark the altar (and the globe) for life.
When Jews perform enough teshuvah, the level of righteousness will be so immense, the land will be called “Hashem our righteousness.” The world will come to complete shalom because ruach will fill every soul with the wisdom and knowledge of Hashem. Everyone will willingly keep Torah. The only offerings necessary will (arguably) be thanksgiving, well-being, and other burnt offerings. These are the offerings whose blood paints the sides of the altar, and thus the world, with life.
(Leviticus 17:12)
In this verse Hashem specifies that no Israeli/Jew, nor a stranger shall partake of of blood—there is one law for all.
Here, it is interesting to note that the Jewish people are called “Yisrael cal-nephesh”—or “Israeli souls”. The strangers are “ger”—or converts or proselytes; people who have chosen to become Jewish and keep Torah. The fact that Hashem denotes the Israelites in this manner connects to the reasons outlined above for our prohibition of blood consumption. Souls, Israeli or otherwise, have a spark of Hashem, who is existent only as spirit. Ruach—the breathe or wind of life, somehow gives life to every soul.
Beyond hypothetical, Hashem’s spark is tangible in its manifestation—if science could go deep enough, I bet we’d find the proof. Somewhere on the microscopic, subatomic level, there we’d find Hashem—the common connection between every soul. In the end, we will all see and know the truth of Hashem—that He alone is King, LORD, and G-d. Hence the reason that there is now only one Law for ALL, despite the fact many on earth do not now respect His truth.
(Leviticus 17:13-14)
We learn that Hashem distinguishes between an animal killed for sacrifice and an animal killed for nourishment. Hashem declares that Jews are allowed to hunt down animals so long as they are kosher (Leviticus 11) and so long as we intend to use their meat for sustenance.
When an animal is hunted down for food, the animal’s blood must be poured on the ground and covered with dirt. This harkens Genesis 4 and killing of Abel by Cain. Abel’s blood cried out from the ground and Hashem heard. The similarities remind us that the death of animals only entered the earth when Adam and Havah first sinned in Genesis 3. Prior to that all humans were to be vegetarians and all animals herbivores—there was no flesh given as food until Genesis 9. It was at that time when Hashem gave the first provision of meat along with the prohibition against eating blood to Noah. (Genesis 9:3).
Hashem gives the reason we are to pour the animals’ blood on the ground: “the life of all flesh—its blood is its life.” Further, “the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone who partakes of it shall be cut off.” (Genesis 9:6; Leviticus 17:14).
(Leviticus 17:15-16)
Just like animals we hunt, Jews are also allowed to eat animals that have died naturally or that have been killed by beasts, so long as they are kosher (Leviticus 11). But, the one who touches the carcass of the dead animal is made unclean. He or she must wash his or her clothes and be unclean until evening. If the person who came in contact with the carcass does not wash, then he will bear the guilt of bloodshed and murder.
These above portions of scripture prove that the Yom Kippur live he-goat cannot be pushed of the cliff and left to die.
If the goat could not be brought to temple, nor consumed for food, then the congregation would face the guilt of murdering the sacrifice that was/is meant to bring complete forgiveness. Thus, respectfully, the sages’ commentaries that command the live goat to be pushed off a cliff need to be considered carefully and with these laws in mind.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis