Not Eating Blood

Question

Hi Rabbi,

Why does Judaism require meat to be salted before it may be eaten?

Thanks

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    The reason for salting meat is to remove the blood before eating it. This salting, done in a way that Judaism teaches, is not done at the dinner table but is part of the “behind-the-scenes” procedure for making meat kosher to eat.

    The verse states: “Do not consume any blood of birds or animals… refrain from consuming blood, for the blood is the soul, and do not consume the blood along with the meat.” (Deut. 12:23)

    A number of reasons are offered to explain not eating blood, and here are three of them:

    IMPURITY
    The Torah describes the blood as the animal’s “soul” in the sense that it is something hidden within the body that provides life. An animal’s blood is coarse and impure like its nature, and if a person would consume it, it would join his own blood and he would adopt some of the animal’s nature. This would ruin his compassionate human nature and elevated intellect that are necessary in order to grasp and fulfill the Torah.

    NO RIGHT OVER THE ANIMAL’S SOUL
    God initially allowed mankind to eat only grains, vegetables and fruits. When the animals were spared from the Flood in Noah’s merit, God allotted also many animals for consumption. However, He prohibited us from consuming their blood since it is considered their “soul,” and a soul has no right to consume another soul.

    CRUELTY
    Since the blood keeps the animal alive and its soul depends on it, its consumption would breed within us insensitivity and cruelty.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team