The Command to Not Eat Blood

[muman613]

This weeks Torah portion of Re'eh contains a repetition of the commandment to not eat blood. The Torah clearly explains why we don't eat blood. What is so perplexing is that the antisemites have always made accusations against the Jews that we drink the blood of non-Jews. And what is even more perplexing is that some religions have rituals in which they pretend to drink blood and yet they think that it is normal... There is no sanity for a Jew hater...


http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?AID=36235&p=2

Dueteronomy 12

15. However, in every desire of your soul, you may slaughter and eat meat in all your cities, according to the blessing of the Lord, your G-d, which He gave you; the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the deer, and as of the gazelle.
16. However, you shall not eat the blood; you shall spill it on the ground like water.

22. But as the deer and the gazelle are eaten, so may you eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat of them.
23. However, be strong not to eat the blood, for the blood is the soul; and you shall not eat the soul with the flesh.
24. You shall not eat it, you shall spill it on the ground, like water.
25. You shall not eat it, in order that it be good for you, and for your children after you, when you do what is proper in the eyes of the Lord.

http://www.torah.org/learning/drasha/5762/reeh.html

Nefesh has various meanings, simply stated it is the life force of the animal — perhaps what we would call “the soul of the matter.” Clearly, the consumption of blood is a despicable act in the Torah view (a fact conveniently overlooked by the centuries of libelers who had us drinking, mixing, baking and cooking with it.) In addition, the process of extricating all blood from the animal is clearly and intricately defined through the Talmud and Shulchan Aruch. However, delineating the prohibition as one of combining the consumption of the nefesh with the meat surely goes beyond the prohibition of eating or drinking blood.

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Some of us like meat: whether it is the actual beef or the proverbial materialistic affairs in which we indulge. And that’s OK to a point. After all, we are only human.

But the Torah tells us to be careful to separate the soul from the meat. The holy from the mundane. It wants us to understand that other than the quest for the prime rib, which we wish to consume, there are more noble pursuits that should consume us. Therefore, the Torah tells us to clearly delineate the difference and tells us that although we may indulge in worldly pleasure we should be careful not to allow the soul to become devoured with the meat. Thus, it clearly commands, “Do not eat the nefesh with the meat.” A good meal is totally permissible. It even lifts the spirit. However, materialistic indulgences as such should surely never become our obsession or sole desire. For then, it will become part of our nefesh. It will become tantamount to our soul desire.

Good Shabbos

http://www.shortvort.com/reeh-parasha/11900-parashas-reeh-seeing-is-believing