Parashat Aharei Mot-K’doshim 2015/5775 (Triennial II) — “For the Life of the Flesh is in the Blood”

The Torah teaches us that one of the key purposes to sacrifice animals is to limit capital punishment.  When the blood of an animal is spilled on an altar, it sufficiently replaces the need to spill the blood of a human being (Leviticus 17:11). Why is animal blood a sufficient replacement for human blood? How does this practice relate to the Christian teaching that the spilling of “the blood of Christ” forgives the sins of humankind? Why does blood represent the life force of a living creature’s life force? How do the laws of kashrut honor the notion that “the life of the flesh is in the blood”?

We will explore these questions and more in this week’s Online Parashah Class!

Classes from previous years:

2013/5773 (Triennial III) — Judging Righteously (Double Torah portion 

2014/5774 (Triennial I) — There Is No Later and There Is No Later in Torah (Aharei Mot)

2014/5774 (Triennial I) — The Unique Holiness of Humanity (K’doshim)

Photo taken from — http://www.denmarkarts.org/blood-drive/

Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class
Tag : acharei mot aharei mot blood k'doshim kedoshim life online learning online parashah class