Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Blood Brothers

This week’s parashah, Acharei Mot, “After the Death” is awash in blood, signifying life.

We are repeatedly told in this Torah reading that blood is the “life force” and, therefore, not to be consumed.

This parashah and its focus on blood, representing life amidst death, follows upon our Pesach celebration which, likewise, presents blood as a prevalent motif. In recalling the ten plagues, the first of which is “blood”, we sprinkle 10 drops of red wine from our cups noting that our ancestors lives were saved only by the death of other human beings – life for life.

Similarly, in our “After the Death” parashah, the blood of the sacrificed animal, atoning for the purified human and safeguarding its life, is sprinkled upon the altar.

The passage from Ezekiel, read at the seder, “And when I passed over you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said ‘By means of you blood live, by means of your blood live’ is seen as referring to the blood of the Paschal lamb on the doorpost, signifying the national birth of our people as the Israelite first born were spared when God passed over their homes.

This week is also Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Yiddish writer and Holocaust survivor, Leib Rokhman, entitled his book, recounting life in death,  Un in Dayn Blut Zulsu Lebn. By Means of Your Blood, You Shall Live.

In the face of death, Jews affirm life. Blood does not betoken superiority, but makes us akin.

As we commemorate Yom HaShoah this week, may we pray that our world would more fully recognise that the blood of all humanity is a life force not to be consumed or denigrated, but honoured and celebrated.

Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer…? If you prick us, do we not bleed?

Merchant of Venice, Shylock