The Sanctity of Blood

17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying: “Whatever man of the house of Israel who (A)kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be (B)imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be [a]cut off from among his people, to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices (C)which they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord. And the priest (D)shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and (E)burn the fat for a sweet aroma to the Lord. They shall no more offer their sacrifices (F)to [b]demons, after whom they (G)have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.” ’

“Also you shall say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, (H)who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not (I)bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be [c]cut off from among his people.

10 (J)‘And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, (K)I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the (L)life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar (M)to make atonement for your souls; for (N)it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ 12 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’

13 “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who (O)hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall (P)pour out its blood and (Q)cover it with dust; 14 (R)for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’

15 (S)“And every person who eats what died naturally or what was torn by beasts, whether he is a native of your own country or a stranger, (T)he shall both wash his clothes and (U)bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Then he shall be clean. 16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then (V)he shall bear his [d]guilt.”

Notas al pie

  1. Leviticus 17:4 Put to death
  2. Leviticus 17:7 Having the form of a goat or satyr
  3. Leviticus 17:9 Put to death
  4. Leviticus 17:16 iniquity

17 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

Speak unto Aharon, and unto his banim, and unto all the Bnei Yisroel, and say unto them: This is the thing which Hashem hath commanded, saying,

What man soever there be of Bais Yisroel, that sacrificeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the machaneh, or that sacrificeth it outside of the machaneh,

And bringeth it not unto the petach (entrance) of the Ohel Mo’ed, to offer a korban unto Hashem before the Mishkan of Hashem, [shefach] dahm (shedding of blood) shall be imputed unto that man; he hath committed shefach dahm; and that man shall be cut off [see Daniel 9:26 regarding Moshiach] from among his people;

To the end that the Bnei Yisroel may bring their zevakhim, which they offer in the open sadeh, even that they may bring them unto Hashem, unto the petach of the Ohel Mo’ed, unto the kohen, and offer them for zivkhei shelamim unto Hashem.

And the kohen shall sprinkle [see Yeshayah 52:15] the dahm upon the Mizbe’ach of Hashem at the petach of the Ohel Mo’ed, and burn the fat for a re’ach nichoach unto Hashem.

And they shall no more offer their zevakhim unto goat demons, after whom they have gone a-whoring. This shall be a chukkat olam unto them throughout their dorot (generations).

And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the Bais Yisroel, or of the ger which sojourn among them, that offereth an olah (burnt offering) or zevakh,

And bringeth it not unto the petach of the Ohel Mo’ed, to offer it unto Hashem; even that man shall be cut off [see Daniel 9:26 on Moshiach’s being cut off] from among his people.

10 And whatsoever man there be of Bais Yisroel, or of the ger that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of dahm; I will even set My face against that nefesh that eateth dahm, and will cut it off [see Daniel 9:26] from among its people.

11 For the nefesh of the basar is in the dahm: and I have given it to you upon the Mizbe’ach to make kapporah for your nefashot: for it is the dahm that maketh kapporah for the nefesh. [see Zecharyah 9:11; Tehillim 50:5]

12 Therefore I said unto the Bnei Yisroel, No nefesh of you shall eat dahm, neither shall any ger that sojourneth among you eat dahm.

13 And whatsoever ish there be of the Bnei Yisroel, or of the ger that sojourn among you, which hunteth down any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall even drain out the dahm thereof, and cover it with dust.

14 For as for the nefesh of all basar, the dahm of it is its nefesh; therefore I said unto the Bnei Yisroel, Ye shall eat the dahm of no manner of basar: for the nefesh of all basar is the dahm thereof; whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

15 And every nefesh that eateth nevelah (carcass), or terefah (that which was torn with beasts), whether native born or a ger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in mayim, and be tamei until erev; then shall he be tahor.

16 But if he wash them not, nor bathe his basar; then he shall bear his avon (iniquity). [See Yeshayah 53:6,11.]