04_explanation Of Rashi Reah

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In this week’s Torah Portion in Chapter 12 it says:

23. However, be strong not to eat the blood, for the blood is the soul; and you shall not eat the soul with the flesh.

Rashi quotes two different opinions from the Midrash to explain this:

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However, be strong not to eat the blood: Since it is stated “be strong” [i.e., resist temptation], you learn that the [Israelites] were inclined to eating blood. Therefore, it is Rabbi Simeon the son strong.” of Azzai, necessary to state,“be however, says: Scripture [These are] the words of Rabbi comes only to caution you and Judah.

to instruct you as to what extent you must be steadfast in [fulfilling] the commandments: If regarding blood, which is easy to watch out for, since a person has no desire for it, [the Torah] needed to strengthen you with its admonition, how much more so [must one strengthen oneself] for all other

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Looking at the verse on a simple level, it would seem to be pretty obvious what is bothering Rashi here. We do not find the Torah telling us to “be strong” regarding other Mitzvot! We find this term used regarding Mitzvot in general, but not for an individual Mitzvah. Rashi is explaining why the Torah uses this word only regarding the prohibition against eating blood.

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This leaves us with a number of questions, as is to be expected. 1. We have already discussed the reason that Rashi sometimes gives two answers to a question is because the first answer is close to answering the question, but it has some difficulty. The second answer takes care of that problem, but isn’t as good as the first. (Continued)

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This leaves us with a number of questions, as is to be expected. We need to understand what is lacking from the first answer. We also need to understand why the first answer is better than the second.

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2. The argument between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai regards the facts. We always try to avoid such arguments, especially here where they both Rabbi Yehudah says that the say the exact opposite! Jews were inclined to eat blood, and according to Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai no one was interested in drinking blood!

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3. Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai says that no one desired blood, while Rabbi Yehudah says that they were inclined to eat blood.

Why does Rashi change the expression from one to the other?

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4. A little further on (Verse 25) says that, “You shall not eat it, in order that it be good for you.”

Rashi explains that “If [in the case of] blood, which disgusts a person, he who abstains from it earns merit [both] for himself and for his children after him.” To say that blood disgusts a person is not in accordance with either opinion!

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5. We know that Rashi only quotes a teaching in someone’s name if it adds something to the understanding!

What do we gain from knowing what Rabbi Yehudah said and what Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai said?

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We know that Rashi brings his explanation from the Sifri – which is a Midrash. Nevertheless, Rashi makes a number of noteworthy changes in the version presented by the Sifri!

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Change # 1: In the Sifri Rabbi Yehudah’s words are “that we were inclined to eat blood before the Giving of the Torah.” According to this both versions of Rabbi Yehudah are totally different.

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Change # 2: The Sifri quotes Rabbi Yehudah’s words in brief – “this teaches that they were inclined to drink blood.” Rashi, on the other hand, goes on at length – “From the word ‘be strong’ you learn…

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Change # 3: In the Sifri it explains the opinion of Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai that there is no Mitzvah that is easier than not eating blood, while Rashi says that no one desires blood.

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It is possible that Rashi had a different version of the Sifri than what we have. The question remains why Rashi chose that version rather than the more common version!

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We finally come to the answer! Rashi could not quote the Sifri’s version of Rabbi Yehudah, because the prohibition against eating blood was always stated a number of times. If the Jews were inclined to eat blood before the giving of the Torah (because of the

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There are a number of answers to this question! The Torah should have said to be strong the first time the prohibition against blood was stated. Why wait until the end of the 40th year?

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That’s why Rashi gives a long explanation of Rabbi Yehudah’s opinion: Because it says to be strong here, we see that the Jews were still inclined to eat blood at the time this commandment was given.

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Nevertheless, Rabbi Yehudah is not arguing a fact with Shimon ItRabbi is possible thatBen one Azzai! should not desire blood, or even be disgusted by it, and still be inclined to drink it because they think it has a medicinal benefit or some other sort of benefit. This is because they became accustomed to it in

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However, this is not enough of a reason to say “be strong” here only! 1. Since they were inclined to eat blood, the Torah should have said to be strong earlier, in Vayikrah. That was even closer to the time that we left Egypt! Why wait until the 40th year?

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Moreover

2. Since the Torah already warned us a number of times not to eat blood before the 40th year, why should we still be inclined to eat it?

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Finally:

The Jews who were entering Israel were not even the generation that lived in Egypt. After all of the prohibitions against eating blood, they certainly should not have been so inclined!

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This explains why Rashi needs another answer! But this cannot be the only answer. Because it implies that the “be strong” has nothing to do with blood per se. Especially because of the way it fits in.

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First the Torah gives us permission to eat meat when we desire it. It continues and says “just be strong and don’t eat the blood.” This implies that there is a connection between desiring to eat, and the prohibition against blood.

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Why does Rashi name both Rabbis? A very sharp student will ask why there is such a great difference between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai! The reason is because each follows his own opinion as we find elsewhere.

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When the Torah says that an animal carcass should be “given to a stranger or sold to a gentile,” Rabbi Yehudah takes it literally. The same applies here – we take the fact that the Torah is discussing blood literally, and don’t look at the possibility that it refers to teaching us about other Mitzvot.

Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai is quite different. We find in Pirkei Avot that he teaches that we must fulfill an easy Mitzvah the same way as a difficult one. He means even an easy

The deeper teaching of Rashi here is: The prohibition against eating blood is because “the blood is the soul.” Even though the soul of an animal is contained within its flesh as well, the blood is the soul.

Whatever a person eats becomes his own blood and flesh. Meat doesn’t have quite the strength to make such a big difference, and needs to be digested, etc. before it becomes a part of the person. Blood doesn’t need any process. It goes straight to the