1) (Vayikra 17:10) ("And a man, a man, from the house of Israel and from the stranger that sojourns among them, that shall eat any blood — I shall set My face against the soul that eats the blood, and I shall cut it off from the midst of its people.") "Israel": (the congregation of) Israel; "the stranger": proselytes; "that sojourns": to include the wives of proselytes; "in their midst": to include women and bondsmen. 2) If so, (i.e., if all have been accounted for) why is it written "a man, a man"? R. Elazar b. R. Shimon said: To include the child of an Israelite (mother) by a gentile or by a bondsman. 3) "that shall eat any blood": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Vayikra 17:11) "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; (and I have given it to you upon the altar to atone for your souls"), I might think that one is liable only for blood of the soul (i.e., the blood of shechitah, by which the soul leaves) in consecrated animals. Whence do I derive (the same for) the blood of the soul in chullin (non-consecrated animals), and residual blood in chullin and residual blood in consecrated animals? From "that shall eat any blood." These are the words of R. Yehudah. The sages say: For all of these he is not liable (kareth) except for "blood of the soul" alone. 4) "I shall set My face (against the soul that eats the blood"): I shall free Myself from all of My other affairs and I shall deal with him alone. "against the soul": and not against the congregation. "that eats": and not that feeds others (i.e., he is not liable to kareth) "that eats … from the midst of its people": Its people will remain at peace. 5) "For the life of the flesh is in the blood": This is the reason (that it is forbidden). "and I have given it": If he makes (even) one application (of the blood) it atones. ("I have given it) to you": and not to others. (Gentiles do not bring sin-offerings and guilt-offerings.) "upon the altar": anywhere on the altar that it is applied (post factum), it atones. "upon the altar": and not upon the ground of the altar (in the azarah). (Vayikra 17:11) "for the blood in the soul (i.e., by which the soul lives) atones": so that if he applied residual blood, he has done nothing (towards atonement). 6) (Vayikra 17:12) "Therefore, I have said to the children of Israel: All souls of you shall not eat blood": to exhort the elders over the children. I might think that they would be cut off because of them (if they did not exhort them); it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 17:10) ("that soul which eats blood"): the eater (alone) will be cut off. 7) I might think that they would not be cut off because of (feeding) minors, for they themselves are not cut off (for eating blood), but that they would be cut off because of (feeding) adults, for they themselves are cut off (for eating it). It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 17:14) "All of its eaters will be cut off." They (the feeders) are not cut off for (feeding) either adults or minors.
Sifra Acharei Mot Section 7
Tap any verse to see what it echoes — and start a chain or echo from it.