(י) וְאִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן הַגֵּר הַגָּבְּתוֹכָם אֲשֶׁר יֹאכַל כָּל דָּם וְנָתַתִּי פָנַי בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֹכֶלֶת אֶת הַדָּם וְהִכְרַתִּי אֹתָהּ מִקֶּרֶב עַמָּהּ.
א) כִּי נֶפֶשׁ הַבָּשָׂר בַּדָּם הִוא וַאֲנִי נְתַתִּיו לָכֶ
עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְכַפֵּר עַל נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם כִּי הַדָּם הוּא בַּנֶּפֶשׁ יְכַפֵּר. (יב) עַל כֵּן אָמַרְתִּי לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל נֶפֶשׁ מִכֶּם לֹא תֹאכַל דָּם וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם לֹא יֹאכַל דָּם.
יג) וְאִישׁ אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן הַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכָם אֲשֶׁר יָצוּד צֵיד חַיָּה אוֹ עוֹף אֲשֶׁר יֵאָכֵל וְשָׁפַךְ אֶת דָּמוֹ וְכִסָּהוּ בֶּעָפָר.
(יד) כִּי נֶפֶשׁ כָּל בָּשָׂר דָּמוֹ בְנַפְשׁוֹ הוּא וָאֹמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּם כָּל בָּשָׂר לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ כִּי נֶפֶשׁ כָּל בָּשָׂר דָּמוֹ הִוא כָּל אֹכְלָיו יִכָּרֵת.
(10) If there be a man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that eateth any manner of blood, I will set My face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
1. A severe Punishment is decreed by G_D for eating Blood. The reason for this punishment is than given in the next verse. This is not always the case, in the Chumash most mitzvoth in the Torah do not have a clear reason attached to them.
(11) Because the NEFESH of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your NAFSHOTECHEM ; for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the NEFESH. (12) Therefore I said unto the children of Israel: No NEFESH of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.
2. Several translations introduce the idea of the soul in this section of the Parsha. Every translation is an interpretation by its very nature.
The concept introduced in these verses is the idea of NEFESH or translated - Spirit . This is the acknowledgment that physical reality has an aspect of depth that can not be accessed through the senses.
A less mystical translation of Neshamah could be “life force”. The first time in the Chumash we see this “life force is in Berashis when G_D blows in to Adam to give him life”..
(13) And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that taketh in hunting any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
(14) For as to the NEFESH of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof; therefore I said unto the children of Israel: Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh; for the NEFESH of all flesh is the blood thereof; whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
The Nefesh is not limited to human beings alone, all animals have blood which is prohibited to eat because it contains "life force".
Questions for further discussion.
1. In light of the direct command we see here in Vayikra prohibiting consumption of blood, and blood libels that still exist today, how does this frame your understanding of Antisemitism?
2. If the soul is in the blood, what are the metaphysical ramifications of blood donation? Are you mixing souls? Are all souls mixed?
3. We have other translations of the word Nefesh in the text , they mean body or person and have no spiritual implication whatsoever, could we use these translations in the text above?