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Thursday

י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Thursday
י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

Mitzvah 187) The mitzvah of covering the blood

Torah Portion: Acharei Mos

ואיש איש… אשר יצוד ציד חיה או עוף אשר יאכל, ושפך את דמו וכסהו בעפר” (ויקרא יז יג) 

It is a positive commandment to cover the blood after ritually slaughtering a kosher beast or bird, as it is written, Any man… who will trap a beast or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth (Vayikra 17:13).

Among the roots of the mitzvah is the idea that the soul is dependent on the blood, therefore it is proper that we cover the “soul” and that we conceal it before we eat the meat. For if we do not do so, we will acquire a measure of cruelty in our souls—to eat the meat while the soul is being spilled before us. But one who slaughters domesticated animals [such as cows and sheep] does not need to cover its blood because the blood of domesticated animals is used in offerings to effect atonement for our souls, and so it is impossible to cover it. Since this is so, the Torah did  not make any distinction between animals used as an offering and mundane animals. And although there some types of birds that are offered on the Altar, since they are only a small minority, the Torah did not reckon them and required that we cover the blood of non-consecrated birds.

This mitzvah applies in all places and at all times, to both men and women. One who transgressed this and did not cover the blood of a slaughtered beast and bird, violated a positive commandment.