VOLUME 100 NUMBER 7
NISSAN 28, 5782
APRIL 29, 2022
PARSHAS ACHAREI-MOS
CANDLELIGHTING TIME 7:34 PM
WE ARE PROHIBITED FROM CONSUMING THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS AND HASHEM’S DISGUST FOR SUCH BEHAVIOR IS MENTIONED BY STATING THAT HE WILL SEVERELY PUNISH ONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN SUCH CONDUCT. THIS ACUTENESS OF PUNISHMENT IS ONLY MENTIONED IN REGARD TO IDOL WORSHIP. WHY, THEN IS THE CONSUMPTION OF BLOOD VIEWED AS HIDEOUS AS THAT SIN?
MAIMONIDES IN HIS SEMINAL GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED EXPLAINS THAT THE EARLIER GENERATIONS CONSUMED BLOOD AS AN AVENUE TO CONNECT WITH THE POWERS OF IMPURITY THAT EXIST IN THIS WORLD. OHR HACHAMAH FURTHERS THE ELUCIDATION OF MAIMONIDES THAT HASHEM’S ‘INVOLVEMENT’ IN THE WORLD IS TO PROMOTE THAT WE SANCTIFY OUR LIVES AND COMMIT THEM TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF DEMEANOR THAT EXHIBITS A PASSION TO COME CLOSE TO HASHEM. HOWEVER, THIS INDIVIDUAL WHO IS DISPLAYING AN OPPOSITIONAL WAY OF LIFE DIRECTLY CONFLICTS WITH THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORLD. THEREFORE, HASHEM FOCUSES UPON THIS SINNER IN AN EXTREME MANNER VERGING UPON HIM WITH THE SAME RIGIDITY SHOWN FOR THOSE WHO WORSHIP IDOLS.
WE FIND THAT HASHEM IS FAVORABLE TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE BECAUSE WE ARE STRICT AND RECITE THE GRACE AFTER MEALS OR BENTCHING ON EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF BREAD. THEREFORE, CHASAM SOFER ADDS, WHEN WE REJECT OUR ROLE WITHIN HASHEM’S DIMENSION OF CREATION, WE ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT ACTING FAVORABLY IN HIS EYES, BUT ON THE CONTRARY WE ARE REPULSIVE AND DUE FOR REPRIMAND. POSSIBLY THAT’S WHY THE TORAH STATES THAT THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE-GIVING SOUL OF THE ANIMAL AND THEREFORE WE MUST NOT CONSUME IT. HASHEM PROVIDES LIFE IN THIS WORLD TO BE UTILIZED FOR OUR SAKE WHICH IS TO SERVE HIM. HOWEVER, IF WE ABUSE THAT PRIVILEGE AND SEEK TO EXPLOIT OUR RESOURCES, THEN WE HAVE DEGRADED OUR LIVES AND WE ARE NOT DESERVING TO CONTINUE SUCH A PRESENCE.
FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE BUT IN A CORRESPONDING MANNER, NACHMONIDES APPROACHES THIS PARSHA IN THE FOLLOWING MEANS. EVEN THOUGH THE SOUL OF THE ANIMAL IS NOT AS SOPHISTICATED AS THAT OF MAN, HOWEVER, THERE IS A DEGREE OF UNDERSTANDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. AT THE BEGINNING OF CREATION, WE WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO EAT PLANT GROWTH, NOT ANIMAL FLESH DUE TO THIS REASON. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ALLOWED TO USE ANIMALS FOR OUR BENEFIT, BUT WE WERE PROHIBITED FROM EATING THEIR FLESH. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME OF THE FLOOD SINCE THE ENTIRE WORLD WAS SAVED ON ACCOUNT OF MAN, NOACH AND HIS FAMILY, THEREFORE WE BECAME ENTITLED TO USE ANIMALS IN ANY WAY THAT WOULD BENEFIT US, INCLUDING CONSUMING THEM. BUT THAT ONLY PERMITTED US TO EAT THEIR FLESH, NOT THEIR SOUL, THEIR BLOOD. HENCE, THE CONCEPT OF THE SACRIFICIAL ORDER BECAME A REALITY. WE ARE ALLOWED AND COMMANDED TO OFFER THEIR VERY SOUL TO HASHEM, AS AN ATONEMENT FOR OUR CORRUPTION OF OUR SOUL. BUT AGAIN, WE SEE THIS THEME THAT UTILIZATION OF THE WORLD FOR OUR BENEFIT WHICH IS TO SERVE HASHEM IN THE CORRECT FASHION IS NOT ONLY CONDONED BUT PROMOTED. HOWEVER, THAT WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE THEME OF THIS WORLD ORDER IS FROWNED UPON AND SEVERELY CASTIGATED SINCE IT RUNS COUNTER TO THE PURPOSE OF CREATION AND OUR PRESENCE IN THIS WORLD.
K’SAV V’KABALAH ADDS THAT THE SAGES EXPLAIN THAT HASHEM TURNS AWAY FROM HIS OTHER ‘CONCERNS’ TO PUNISH THE ONE WHO EATS THE BLOOD OF THE ANIMAL. HOWEVER, THE LANGUAGE USED DOES NOT CONVEY THAT HASHEM ‘TURNS TO’ THE PERSON TO PUNISH HIM BECAUSE ONLY GOOD EMANATES FROM HASHEM, NOT EVIL. IT IS THE PERPETRATOR WHO CREATES THE EVILNESS THAT ENCOMPASSES HIM.
BYTE FOR SHABBOS
ALTHOUGH WE MAY PERCEIVE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SEVERITY OF CERTAIN TORAH PROHIBITIONS, WE MUST REALIZE THAT IT IS OUR LACK OF TRUE DISCERNMENT THAT CAUSES SUCH A DISPARITY. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS ALL OF THE TORAH WORDS STEM FROM HASHEM AND HAVE THE SAME DEGREE OF SUBSTANCE AND ESSENCE. CHAFETZ CHAIM
GOOD SHABBOS
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