Blood: Categories, Prohibitions, and How to Remove It

(10) And if anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who reside among them partakes of any blood, I will set My face against the person who partakes of the blood, and I will cut him off from among his kin. (11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you for making expiation for your lives upon the altar; it is the blood, as life, that effects expiation. (12) Therefore I say to the Israelite people: No person among you shall partake of blood, nor shall the stranger who resides among you partake of blood.

(13) And if any Israelite or any stranger who resides among them hunts down an animal or a bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. (14) For the life of all flesh—its blood is its life. Therefore I say to the Israelite people: You shall not partake of the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone who partakes of it shall be cut off.

(1) The blood of a domesticated or wild animal, whether it is a pure or impure animal, is forbidden. This includes the blood of an embryo (shalil), but the blood of fish and locusts is permitted.

(2) Blood of eggs, if one knows it from the form of a chick (meaning that it has started to take on the form of a chick) one is liable for eating it, but if it is not known if it is from the form of a chick one is not liable for eating it but the Rabbis forbade it.

9. It is forbidden to collect fish blood in a bowl, even though fish blood is permitted for consumption, because it would look like forbidden blood (marit ayin). Therefore it would be permissible if one made the fish blood recognizable, such as by putting scales in it.

10. Human blood, if it left a person would be forbiden because of marit ayin. Therefore if one bit into a loaf of bread with his teeth and blood came out from his gums onto the bread one must rub it off, but if the blood is between his teeth he can suck it off. Rama- Since fish blood and human blood are technically permissible they do not make something forbidden of they get mixed into other food.

1. As for the blood of domesticated and wild mammals there is also no punishment of kareit except for the "Dam HaNefesh" (blood of the soul), through which the soul leaves the animal (at the time of shechitta). The blood of the limbs ("Dam HaEivarim") is only a prohibition (liable to flogging but not kareit). This is true when the blood leaves the limb and exits to the outside of the meat or pools up in a cut or has left its place but can't escape and was absorbed elsewhere. If the blood however has not exited or pooled up it is permissible.

2. Therefore it is permissible to eat meat raw by washing it without salting it so long as one is not biting into a blood vessel with blood in it, as the blood in the blood vessel is considered as if it entered it and is standing in a vessel.

(1) (1) [1] One must rinse the meat before salting it. [2] (2) And if the butcher rinsed it, one need not rinse it at home, and if after rinsing the meat [3] another cut was made, [4] or the hooves (3) were removed after being rinsed, one must go back and re-rinse. Rema: And if the re-rinsing was not performed it is as if the meat was never rinsed. Ideally, the most proper way to rinse the meat is to have it soak in water for about half an hour, and then to wipe it in the water. [5] However if one simply rinsed the meat without soaking, it would be sufficient. Afterwards [6] (4) wait a little so as to allow some of the water to evaporate so that the salt will not immediately dissolve from the water once placed on the meat, and thereby not remove any blood. [7] (5) It is customary not to use the vessel used for salting meat for any other purpose. (6) If the meat was left soaking for twenty four hours then [8] the meat, and vessel are both forbidden to be used. [9] (see further on in this chapter) but one need not worry if it has been less than twenty four hours. Even in the case were the vessel has become forbidden, [10] one may use it for the purposes of soaking. [11] For the laws of frozen meat see chapter 78.

(2) [12] If one salted without first rinsing the meat, then wash it now and then (7) re-salt it, however some forbid this. Rema: And this is our custom even if it was (8) only slightly salted as in preparation for roasting, and [13] even if it wasn’t sitting in the salt for the entire time requirement, (9) however in the case of a great loss we can permit it. (10) If the meat was rinsed only slightly before having been salted, it is [14] permissible post facto. [15] The same is true if there was a sixty to one ratio of meat against the blood on it. If one salted a piece of meat without previously washing it with other pieces, (11)[16] the other pieces are permitted, but this piece is forbidden.

(3) The salting is not performed with [17] salt that is as (12) thin as flour nor with salt that is too thick so that it will fall off the meat however if the [18] only salt you have is thin then it may be used.

(4) The salt should be spread over the meat so that no place on the meat is without salt and salted to the extent that it would not be edible with such an amount of salt. [19] More salt than this is not needed. The salting must be done on both sides of the meat, (13) and the insides of poultry must also be salted. In a case where one only salted the inside or outside, or only one side of the meat, it is acceptable. Rema: [20] And there are those who forbid it even post facto, and this is how one should act (14) unless there is a great need. [21] This is only if it was cooked already, but if it wasn’t cooked yet, it may not be cooked as is. [22] Rather, if it is within (15) twelve hours of having been salted one must go back and salt the side that was not salted and then cook it. If it is after twelve hours, then roast the meat [23] and through this process the heat and fire will draw out the blood. The side that was already salted won’t absorb blood from the side that wasn't.

(5) (16)[24] If one cuts the meat after having salted it one need not re-salt the place of the cut.

(6) The required salting time is no less than the time it takes to walk a mil, which [25] is about a third of an hour. Rema: [26] This can be relied upon post facto, or even initially in honour of guests or Shabbos. However, in other circumstances the custom is to leave the meat sitting in the salt for at least an hour. One should not deviate from this.

(7) Before one puts the meat into the vessel in which it is to receive its final rinsings [27] the salt should be wiped off or the meat should be sprayed with water, and then the meat should be placed in the vessel to be used for rinsing. The meat is rinsed off twice and the vessel should be sprayed off as well between the two rinsings. [28] And some say that one must rinse off the meat three times, [29] and this is indeed the custom to be followed initially. (17) Therefore, rinse or wipe the meat well and then rinse it in water twice, and this will be considered as a total of three rinsings, or place water in a vessel, and then deposit the meat in that and then rinse it off three times, and this is the custom. Ideally one should use a lot of water in the first rinse so as to nullify the potency of the salt that may be in the tzir/remaining fluids. [30] (17*) It is permissible to rinse the meat in fruit juice, and one does not need water.

(1) The heart has much blood that gathered in it at the time of slaughtering. Therefore, it must be cut before salting to remove its blood, and can then be salted. [1] It may then even be cooked. (1) [2] Some are stringent regarding cooking it, and only roast it. Then it may be cooked.

(1) (1) The liver contains much blood. [1] It therefore not permissible to cook it even after salting it. Rather it must be sliced by its length and width and roasted while placed facing down, [2] Until it is fit to be eaten, and may then be cooked. Rema: (2) [3] If one makes many holes in it with a knife, it is as if cut lengthwise, and widthwise. As well as if the gall was removed from the liver allowing for the blood to flow out. Nevertheless, if this was not done the vessels must removed after the roasting, and may then be cooked. All this is regarding a liver that is whole. If it was cut, nothing need be done. When one wants to cook it after its roasting, [5] it is first washed after the roasting, before being cooked, however, if it was not washed before being cooked, it is still permitted. (3) [6] Post facto it is permitted if it was cooked alone in a pot [7] without roasting, but the pot becomes forbidden since it absorbs and does not release. (4) There are those who forbid it. Rema: [8] It is customary to forbid everything [9] even if the liver was salted before being cooked.

(1) [1] Meat that is to be roasted need not be salted [2] since the fire will draw out the blood that is in it by itself. [3] However, if other blood had dripped on the grill, [4] even if it’s cold we do not say that the fire will draw it out, (1) [5] and it causes the meat to become forbidden to the depth of a netilah.

(2) If one wishes to salt the meat before roasting it (2) [6] and eat it without washing it, one may do so and we are not worried about the blood remaining on the salt. Some say this ruling refers to one who salted it, and then immediately roasted it, (3) but if it lay in the salt (4) the salt absorbs and is forbidden. [7] Therefore it should be well washed before the roasting. Rema: [8] Some say that roasting requires a preliminary washing (Ramban), and some say that it requires a slight salting beforehand as well (Rashi). The custom is to wash it first and then to lightly salt it when it is on the skewer, and to then immediately roast it so that the salt will not absorb blood. [9] Nevertheless, if it wasn’t washed or salted at all, or it was salted without having been washed first, and then roasted, it is still permitted. This is only if it did not sit idle in the salt (5) without being washed for the entire salting period, but if it did indeed lay idle for this amount of time before being roasted, it is forbidden. [10] There is no difference in all this (6) between geese, or other birds with open cavities [11] as long as they are not stuffed with eggs or other meat. If they are stuffed they are subject to the same rules as have being cooked, and require salting just as any other meat to be cooked. It is customary to act stringently when roasting meat that has not been salted [12] and to refrain from always flipping over the skewer so that the blood will flow, but post facto, one need not worry. In makes no difference in all this if one wishes to eat after roasting, or if one wishes to cook it afterwards. [13] It simply must be roasted first to the point that it is fit to be eaten [14] which is about half it’s possible roasting. Some say [ 15] that all roasting requires a washing after being roasted because of the blood that is stuck to it. and this is the custom in the first instance. Nevertheless, it if wasn't washed and even if it was cooked, it is permitted. This is true even if it was first salted before being roasted and not washed after the salting that it is permitted. We are not worried about the blood that is upon it, for the fire draws it out.

(4) There is one who forbids the cutting of roasted meat with a knife that is beside the fire if it wasn't salted, so long as it hasn't been fully roasted because of the blood that gets absorbed into the knife. [21] There is also one who forbids the skewer that was used for roasting meat that wasn't salted. There is also one who ruled that it is forbidden to leave roasted meat on the skewer [22] after it is removed from the fire (9) after the flow from the meat had concluded, for fear that the hot meat will now re-absorb it. There are those who permit all the above situations, and it is indeed the custom to permit it. [23] We are careful in the first instance (10) but post facto it is permitted.