Don Isaac Abravanel, sometimes spelled Abarbanel (1437-1508) was a probing and penetrating Jewish thinker, as well as a prolific
Biblical commentator. Leviticus Chapter 17 focuses on the laws concerning slaughtering animals during the desert
years. Notwithstanding the importance of this particular commandment, Bible students will find an
answer to an intriguing, albeit unrelated, question: How did Moses transmit the Torah to the Children
of Israel?
“And God spoke unto Moses saying, speak unto Aaron, and unto his
sons, and unto all the Children of Israel and say to them. This is the
thing which God has commanded saying, what man soever there be of
the House of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp…”
“And God spoke unto Moses saying, speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the Children of
Israel…” The prophet, according to the verse, held three distinct Torah seminars, let us call them.
Abravanel asks: Of all the Torah commandments, why does it say here the method by which Moses
disseminated or transmitted the Torah?
Abravanel’s query continues. Yet, he writes, the prophet taught all the commandments precisely the
same way. That is, first Moses informed Aaron. Next, he edified Aaron’s sons. Later, he convened all of
the Hebrews, apprising them of all the divine commandments – one by one. Finally, Abravanel wraps up
his question. Since this method of distilling Torah from Moses down to Aaron, to Aaron’s sons, and to
the Children of Israel had been the modus operandi for each and every commandment, why was it
associated with the law concerning the Jews and slaughtering animals in the desert?
Here is the abbreviated answer, one that requires textual context. In the previous chapter (Leviticus 16),
the Torah described the Yom Kippur services in the Tabernacle. Among them were sacrifices, including
the high priest’s collecting sacrificial blood before dashing it.
This present chapter also writes about blood dashing: “And the priest shall dash the blood against God’s
altar, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and make the fat smoke for a sweet savour unto God.”
Abravanel goes on to explain more about this commandment. It is imperative that blood dashing is only
in service of the Creator. Historically, Abravanel adds, primitive peoples offered blood to devils and
demons etc. For Hebrews, such mumbo jumbo is taboo. The altar is the only appropriate designation for
said service.
Hence, Abravanel concludes, this is why Moses transmitted this commandment along the chain of
command, per se, that we described above. First, Moses convened Aaron and his sons insofar as they
were the ones to dash sacrificial blood. Only priests were allowed to offer sacrifices in the Tabernacle.
Aaron and his sons, when it came to certain sacrifices such as the peace offering, slaughtered it at the
entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Following the slaughter, priests dashed blood on the copper altar.
Moses, lastly, convened all his brethren. The prophet wanted them to know about blood dashing; it
served a major purpose. Throughout Yom Kippur, the high priest’s rites featured multiple blood dashing.
This commandment of limiting blood dashing to priests underscored its importance.
When the Hebrews learned that blood dashing was the sole domain of the priests, the Maker’s servants,
the people would internalize its gravitas. In turn, they would be careful to bring animal sacrifices to the
priests in the Tabernacle, and not slaughter in the desert.
