RAMBAM AND THE RAV
(rambamrav.blogspot.com)
IDEAS ON THE PARSHA OF THE WEEK
RE’EH
RABBI MOSHE BEN MAIMON & RABBI YOSEPH B. SOLOVEITCHIK
COMPILED AND EDITED BY RABBI RICHARD BORAH
In the parsha of Re-eh, when Moshe relates the situations when a Jew may slaughter and eat meat, he
reconfirms the prohibition against consuming the blood of a slaughtered animal. He states:
“Only be sure that you eat not the blood; for the blood is the life (“hanefesh”), and you may not eat
the life with the meat. You shall not eat it, you shall pour it on the earth like water. You shall not eat
it, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right
in the sight of the Lord.” (Devarim, 12:23-25).
The Rambam explains this prohibition against consuming blood as one which was necessary to distance
the Jewish people from idolatrous practice. He states in the “Guide for the Perplexed”:
“The Law (the Torah), which is perfect in the eyes of those who know it, and seeks to cure mankind of
these lasting diseases, forbade the eating of blood, and emphasized the prohibition exactly in the same
terms as it emphasized idolatry: “I will set my face against that soul that eats blood” (VaYikra, 17:10).
The same language is employed in reference to him “who gives his seed to Molech”; “then I will set my
face against that man” (VaYikra, 20:5). There is, besides idolatry and eating blood, no other sin in
reference to which these words are used. For the eating of the blood leads to a kind of idolatry, to the
worship of spirits.” (Guide, Book 3: Chapter 46).
The Rambam goes on to explain that the Torah utilized blood for a different purpose: for the
purification of what it touches. He states:
“Our Law declared the blood as pure, and made it the means of purifying other objects by its touch.
“And thou shalt take of the blood… and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his
sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him. And he shall be made holy, and his garments and his
sons,” etc. (Shemot: 24,21). Furthermore, the blood was sprinkled upon the altar, and in the whole
service it was insisted upon pouring it out, and not upon collecting it. “And he shall pour out all the
blood at the bottom of the altar. (VaYikra 4,18); And the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out
upon the altar of the Lord your G…” (Devarim: 12:27). Also the blood of those beasts that were killed for
common use, and not for sacrifices, must be poured out, “You will pour it upon the earth as water”
(Devarim: 12:24). We are not allowed to gather and have a meal round the blood, “You shall not eat
round the blood” (YaYikra 19:26). And the Israelites were inclined to continue their rebellious conduct,
to follow the doctrines in which they had been brought up, and which were then general, and to
(see other side)
assemble round the blood in order to eat there and to meet the spirits. G… forbade the Israelites to eat
ordinary meat during their stay in the wilderness; they could only partake of the meat of the peace-
offering. The reason of this precept is distinctly stated, regarding that the blood shall be poured out
upon the altar and the people do not assemble round about.” (Guide: Book 3: Chapter 46).
The Rambam is focusing here on the utility of the mitzvah of refraining from consuming blood as a
preventive measure against a form of idolatry that utilized blood as a part of spirit worship. By not
consuming it and pouring it out on the ground, the blood would not be collected for gathering around as
part of this idolatrous ritual. One could ask how this explanation addresses the statement in the Torah
that the blood is the “nefesh” or life and therefore, should not be consumed. Is the Rambam’s
explanation addressing this aspect of the blood as the “life” or is he explaining the prohibition only
regarding its usefulness in avoiding idolatrous error?
“The Rav” (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik) in his essay “The Emergence of Ethical Man” (published post-
homously in 2005) presents, as the concept behind the prohibition of eating the animal’s blood, an
expression of the fundamental principal of refraining from taking any life, animal or human. The
restriction on consuming blood results from a Torah principal that to take any life is unjust and outside
of the realm of man’s rights as an ethical being. He too, like the Rambam, notes the fact that the unique
wording of the warning by G…stating, “I will set my face against that person” is only mentioned twice in
the Torah: once for the consuming of blood and a second time for the person who gives their child to
Molech. The Rav states:
“Obviously, the Torah looks upon blood-eating with so much horror and abomination that it is almost
placed on a par with the worship of Molech. What is the reason for such an attitude?...Because the
blood is the very essence of life and as such it must be consecrated as a sacrificial offering to G..”that is
why I enjoined the Israelites from eating blood.” The Torah’s expression in Leviticus is unique, and truly
remarkable: “Whoever…kills an ox, or lamb, or goat… and bring it not to the door of the Tent of Meeting
to offer an offering…blood shall be imputed to that man, he has shed blood, and that man shall be cut
off from among his people.” (VaYIkra 17:3-4). The implication is clear; whoever kills an animal for non-
sacramental purposes is guilty of bloodshed, of murder; the term shefkhut damim applies equally to the
slaughter of man and animal. Under a certain aspect, the life of the animal has been placed on an equal
plane with that of man. Why?” (“The Rise of Ethical Man” :Chapter 2, page 41). (There is a lengthy and
subtle development in the Rav’s essay at this point in the text. I will only be able to state a portion of the
conclusions here-RB). The Rav concludes:
“Hence, a new concept evolves. All life in considered by Judaism as belonging to G… He has absolute
ownership rights to all living creatures, to everything that has been redeemed from lifelessness and
dead matter, and raised to the plane of life….Each life must be surrendered to God; this is the only way
life shall be terminated. Destroying life because of selfish motives is forbidden. This applies to man and
animal alike. ..Only after the people entered the Land of Israel did the Torah make concession and begin
to tolerate the slaughtering of animals for non-sacral purposes. To this compromise, however many
conditions were attached that make the slaughtering of the animal and its consumption the most
complicated process. But even as the Torah came to terms with the lusty sensual human being
concerning the meat, it retained full possession and dominion over the blood. Blood is life, and as such
can never become the object of man’s desire or lust- hence the many prohibitions against blood
consumption.” ( “The Rise of Ethical Man: Chapter 2: 42-44)
(see other side)