Bible references

Key NT Scriptures

• Acts 15:19-20
• Acts 15:28-29

Key OT Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 12:15-16
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 12:21-24
  Jewish Commentary
• Genesis 9:3-4
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 3:17
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 7:26-27
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 17:10-14
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:26
  Jewish Commentary

Supportive NT Scriptures

• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• John 6:48-58
  Click to retrieve John 6:48-58
• Luke 22:19-20
• Mark 14:22-24
• Matthew 26:26-28

Supportive OT Scriptures

• Psalms 22:15
  Jewish Commentary

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Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

This Mitzvah to not eat the blood of birds or animals is so important that it applies, not only to Israel (the Jewish people) under the Mosaic Covenant, but to Gentiles as well. Scripture states that the life is in the blood, and it is true in more ways than just biologically. This prohibition of eating blood dates all the way back to Genesis and, although we do not have many details of the animal sacrifices that far back, we can assume that the blood of the animals was poured out in the process of conducting the sacrifice, just as was commanded during the time of Moses. So, the "life in the blood" spoken of in Scripture was not only that of the sacrificed animal, but was also a reference to the life of the person that brought the sacrifice - his mortal life as well as his eternal life. The prohibition of our eating animal blood in the New Covenant is most interesting. Yeshua is our ultimate sacrifice and, according to Matthew 26:28 , His blood was shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven. Therefore, now that Yeshua has given his life's blood, it would be wrong for believers in Yeshua to continue to seek forgiveness for our sins and life with God through the blood of animals. That is why Yeshua directed his disciples in Mark 14:23-24 to drink His blood instead. 1 But "why," one may ask, "was the prohibition against eating animal blood begun as early as Genesis?" I believe that it was prophetic. In essence, it was saying that all blood must be respected and not treated as mere food because life is in blood, and one day the Messiah will come and His blood will be poured out for us (figuratively) to eat. In an attempt to extract blood from meat before it is cooked, Orthodox Judaism prescribes a procedure called " kashering " (also called " koshering ") that consists of first soaking the meat in cold water, and then salting the meat with medium-coarse crystals of salt. The procedure is not considered necessary if the meat is roasted on an open flame. Clearly, no procedure can remove all blood from meat, so what is God's expectation of us in complying with this Mitzvah ? My opinion is that God wants us to be conscious of blood when we decide what meat to eat, and that he expects us to refrain from eating or drinking whole blood and foods that are intentionally made with blood, or where blood is added (e.g. blood sausage). It is my personal belief that He also expects us to refrain from eating meat from an animal whose blood was not intentionally drained from it at the time of (or soon after) slaughtering it, or killing it in a hunt. Kashering is a noble effort to remove blood from meat, but I do not consider it necessary unless it is to comply with the standards of Jewish Orthodoxy. If that is the reason, there are other considerations as well, such as there being rabbinical supervision of the slaughtering and processing of the resulting meat product. 1. We do not drink Yeshua's blood literally, but figuratively through the Shulchan Adonai , as a way of participating in His blood sacrifice.

Classical commentators

Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch all wrote mitzvot prohibiting the eating of blood and quoted Leviticus 7:26 in support. Special Note Curiously, although Leviticus 19:26 is similar to Leviticus 7:26 in prohibiting the eating of blood, the commentators did not use it for that purpose and instead, used it to support an entirely different mitzvah . So in his RN195, for example, Maimonides interprets Leviticus 18:26 to mean that we must not eat or drink to excess and cause the death of a rebellious son by judicial sentence. In MN106, Meir speaks of blood as being the kind of food eaten by a stubborn and rebellious son, that we should not eat a live animal, and that we should pray before we eat. And in C248, HaChinuch speaks of not overeating, and uses many words in trying to show what Leviticus 19:26 has to do with having a rebellious son.

Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

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Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

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Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2

Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2