וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־בָּנָ֗יו וְאֶל֙ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, as the upcoming passage is somewhat related to the Tabernacle but most of it applies to the entire nation, and say to them: This is the matter that the Lord has commanded, saying:

אִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁחַ֜ט שׁ֥וֹר אוֹ־כֶ֛שֶׂב אוֹ־עֵ֖ז בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה א֚וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁחַ֔ט מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

Any man from the house of Israel who shall slaughter a bull or a sheep or a goat in the camp, as the Israelite camp in the wilderness was large and it is reasonable to assume that those who lived in the inner part of the camp did not wish to trouble themselves with leaving the camp to slaughter animals, or who slaughters it, such an animal, outside the camp, e.g., in a field used as pasture for the flock,

וְאֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵד֮ לֹ֣א הֱבִיאוֹ֒ לְהַקְרִ֤יב קָרְבָּן֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י מִשְׁכַּ֣ן יְהוָ֑ה דָּ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֞ב לָאִ֤ישׁ הַהוּא֙ דָּ֣ם שָׁפָ֔ךְ וְנִכְרַ֛ת הָאִ֥ישׁ הַה֖וּא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמּֽוֹ׃

and to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting he did not bring it, to present an offering to the Lord before the Tabernacle of the Lord, it will be accounted as blood for that man; he has shed blood, and that man shall be excised from among his people. All animals must be slaughtered in the Tabernacle courtyard as offerings. One who slaughters an animal in the wilderness, outside the Tabernacle area, is punished with excision. Excision is a punishment that is administered by God rather than an earthly court. There are various opinions regarding the precise meaning of the word “excision,” including untimely death or the cutting off of the soul in the World to Come.

לְמַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבִ֜יאוּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶֽת־זִבְחֵיהֶם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵ֣ם זֹבְחִים֮ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶה֒ וֶֽהֱבִיאֻ֣ם לַֽיהוָ֗ה אֶל־פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְזָ֨בְח֜וּ זִבְחֵ֧י שְׁלָמִ֛ים לַֽיהוָ֖ה אוֹתָֽם׃

So that the children of Israel shall bring their slaughtered animals that they currently slaughter in the open field, and they shall bring them to the Lord, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and they shall slaughter peace offerings to the Lord. They may no longer slaughter animals wherever they wish.

וְזָרַ֨ק הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַדָּם֙ עַל־מִזְבַּ֣ח יְהוָ֔ה פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַחֵ֔לֶב לְרֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃

The priest shall cast the blood on the altar of the Lord that is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. During their time in the wilderness, the children of Israel were not permitted to slaughter unconsecrated animals for their meat, as explained above. Instead, they were required to consecrate the animals whose meat they wanted to consume as a peace offering. The blood and fats of a peace offering, which may not be eaten even in the case of a non-sacred animal, are burned on the altar. The breast and thigh are given to the priest, and the rest of the animal is eaten by the individual who has brought the offering (see 7:28–36).

וְלֹא־יִזְבְּח֥וּ עוֹד֙ אֶת־זִבְחֵיהֶ֔ם לַשְּׂעִירִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם תִּֽהְיֶה־זֹּ֥את לָהֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃

That they shall no longer slaughter their offerings to the satyrs, after whom they go astray. This phrase constitutes an independent commandment and provides the reason for the prohibition against slaughtering animals outside the Tabernacle. This prohibition against bringing offerings to satyrs shall be an eternal statute for them, for their generations.

וַאֲלֵהֶ֣ם תֹּאמַ֔ר אִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִן־הַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־יָג֣וּר בְּתוֹכָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עֹלָ֖ה אוֹ־זָֽבַח׃

Following the commandment that in the wilderness animals may be slaughtered only for the purpose of bringing offerings, the verse adds a detail that applies for all generations: And to them, the children of Israel, you shall also say the following: Any man from the house of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, who offers up a burnt offering, which is entirely consumed on the altar, or a feast offering, much of which is eaten by people,

וְאֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ לֹ֣א יְבִיאֶ֔נּוּ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹת֖וֹ לַיהוָ֑ה וְנִכְרַ֛ת הָאִ֥ישׁ הַה֖וּא מֵעַמָּֽיו׃

and to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting does not bring it to present it to the Lord, that man shall be excised from his people. Presenting an offering outside the Tabernacle or the Temple is a serious transgression that renders one liable to the severe punishment of excision.

וְאִ֨ישׁ אִ֜ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּמִן־הַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֹאכַ֖ל כָּל־דָּ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֣י פָנַ֗י בַּנֶּ֙פֶשׁ֙ הָאֹכֶ֣לֶת אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י אֹתָ֖הּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽהּ׃

This verse provides an additional prohibition concerning the slaughter of animals for food. Any man from the house of Israel, or from the stranger who resides among them, who eats any blood, I will direct My attention to the person who eats the blood, in the form of retribution, and I will excise him from the midst of his people.

כִּ֣י נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַבָּשָׂר֮ בַּדָּ֣ם הִוא֒ וַאֲנִ֞י נְתַתִּ֤יו לָכֶם֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ לְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־הַדָּ֥ם ה֖וּא בַּנֶּ֥פֶשׁ יְכַפֵּֽר׃

For the life, the life force, of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you only to sacrifice on the altar to atone for your souls, as it is the blood that shall atone for the life. The blood, upon which life depends, may be used only to atone for the soul of the individual who slaughters the animal as an offering to God. One is permitted to eat meat, the dead flesh of the animal; however, blood, which represents the life force of that creature, is for God only and may not be consumed.

עַל־כֵּ֤ן אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כָּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ מִכֶּ֖ם לֹא־תֹ֣אכַל דָּ֑ם וְהַגֵּ֛ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם לֹא־יֹ֥אכַל דָּֽם׃ (ס)

Therefore I said to the children of Israel: Every person among you shall not eat blood, and the stranger who resides among you shall not eat blood. This broad prohibition applies to all the children of Israel, including gentiles who join them. The Sages interpret the phrase “every person among you” as including even minors, thereby indicating that adults are required to ensure that children do not eat blood.

וְאִ֨ישׁ אִ֜ישׁ מִבְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּמִן־הַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצ֜וּד צֵ֥יד חַיָּ֛ה אוֹ־ע֖וֹף אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵאָכֵ֑ל וְשָׁפַךְ֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ וְכִסָּ֖הוּ בֶּעָפָֽר׃

A related commandment: Any man from the children of Israel, or from the strangers that reside among them, who shall hunt game of a beast or a bird that may be eaten, according to the criteria specified elsewhere, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dirt. Not only is blood prohibited from being eaten, but it may not be left exposed. Beasts, meaning undomesticated animals, and most birds may not be brought as offerings. This commandment to cover the blood applies to undomesticated animals and birds, which are generally hunted; it does not apply to domesticated animals.

כִּֽי־נֶ֣פֶשׁ כָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר דָּמ֣וֹ בְנַפְשׁוֹ֮ הוּא֒ וָֽאֹמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל דַּ֥ם כָּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑לוּ כִּ֣י נֶ֤פֶשׁ כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ דָּמ֣וֹ הִ֔וא כָּל־אֹכְלָ֖יו יִכָּרֵֽת׃

For the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life; therefore I said to the children of Israel: The blood of all flesh you shall not eat, because the life of all flesh is its blood. To symbolize the limits of human power over life, anyone who eats it shall be excised.

וְכָל־נֶ֗פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאכַ֤ל נְבֵלָה֙ וּטְרֵפָ֔ה בָּאֶזְרָ֖ח וּבַגֵּ֑ר וְכִבֶּ֨ס בְּגָדָ֜יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעֶ֖רֶב וְטָהֵֽר׃

Up to this point, the verses have introduced various commandments pertaining to the killing of animals. These include the prohibition against eating meat from an animal that was not brought as an offering, which applied only while the children of Israel were in the wilderness; the prohibition against bringing offerings outside the Tabernacle or Temple; the prohibition against eating blood; and the obligation to cover the blood of an undomesticated animal or bird that has been slaughtered. The next commandment refers to animals that were not necessarily killed by human beings: Any person who shall eat an unslaughtered carcass or a mauled animal that has suffered a fatal injury, whether he is native or stranger, he shall wash his garments and bathe in water, and he is impure until the evening, and he shall be purified. Not only is it prohibited to eat such animals, but having direct physical contact with their carcasses, or even moving their carcasses indirectly, renders a person impure (see 11:27–28, 39–40). However, since this verse specifically refers to eating the carcass, the Sages explain that it refers to a unique type of impurity, contracted specifically from the carcass of a kosher bird, and not through contact or by being moved, but only when it is swallowed.

וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א יְכַבֵּ֔ס וּבְשָׂר֖וֹ לֹ֣א יִרְחָ֑ץ וְנָשָׂ֖א עֲוֺנֽוֹ׃ (פ)

But if he does not wash and he does not bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity. An impure person is not required to purify himself immediately, as there is no prohibition against being ritually impure. He violates a prohibition only if he touches consecrated food items or enters the Temple. Priests generally did not own land and could not grow their own produce, and so this prohibition was undoubtedly an important concern of theirs, since consecrated food items comprised a significant portion of their diet. The same prohibition also applied to the entire nation while they were in the wilderness, during which time they were permitted to eat meat only if the animal had been brought as an offering; however, even after it became permissible to eat unconsecrated meat, one who was impure could still come into contact with consecrated food. Because this is a severe prohibition, the verse emphasizes the importance of maintaining ritual purity.