Parashat Tzav covers details on the prohibition against consuming blood, which is equivalent to life. He quotes Arbarbanel, stating that “eating blood is a show of contempt for the animal’s life.” Kook states that in a perfect world, everyone would be vegetarian, but the world is not perfect. The prohibition against the blood requires us to acknowledge the living animal with respect.
The principle of ritual sacrifice seems incomprehensible, irrelevant to our contemporary lives. Yet, Rabbi Sacks informs us that “we love what we are willing to make sacrifices for”. The sacrificial offerings in Biblical agrarian society consisted of the beloved output of our work, offerings of love for God. It is the element of love that makes sacrifice relevant today.
Sunrise Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof) | Cantor Marcus Feldman and Ty Woodward
The Maccabeats – Mah Nishtanah – Passover – מה נשתנה