Blood and soul

Israel are commanded time and again not to eat or drink any blood. This strict prohibition is repeated many times in the Torah. For example, in Leviticus 17:

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

11 For the life (Hebr. nephesh) of the flesh is in the blood (Hebr. dam): and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls (Hebr. nephesh): for it is the blood (Hebr. dam) that maketh an atonement for the soul (Hebr. nephesh).

12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul (Hebr. nephesh) of you shall eat blood (Hebr. dam), neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood (Hebr. dam).

13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood (Hebr. dam) thereof, and cover it with dust (Hebr. aphar).

14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

I have written the original Hebrew for some selected words in verses 11-13. The Hebrew word, nephesh, does not have a clear English equivalent and is translated into soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion. It is the essence of our inner being. I think the idea that nephesh is closely connected to blood is an important part of understanding all the instructions and focus on blood in general in Jewish law. 

For instance, as stated in verse 11 above, "it is the blood (where nephesh is found) that maketh an atonement for the soul (nephesh)". When the Israelites sinned, it came from their nephesh, their desire, passion, appetite, ... To make amends, they had to sacrifice it. But instead of sacrificing their own blood (the physical representation of the more abstract nephesh), an animal representing them could be used instead. Their blood would then represent the nephesh where the sin originated and be dashed against all sides of the altar as a sacrifice to God. This would also represent Christ, who like the animals, took our sins upon him and made atonement. There are many approaches to and layers of symbolism related to the ancient practice of animal sacrifice and this is merely one of them. But this relation between nephesh and dam perhaps reflects Jacob's worldview, adding context to his statement in 2 Nephi 9:44

O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul (nephesh), and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood (dam).

Jacob didn't write in Hebrew, but I assume that the words translated into "soul" and "dam" here are Nephite equivalents of nephesh and dam. It was important to Jacob that his nephesh was not mingled with and contaminated by the nephesh in the blood of the wicked. Removing his garments marked a separation.

The prohibition to eat blood did not originate in the Law of Moses, though. It was given for the first time in Genesis 9

3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4 But flesh with the life (nephesh) thereof, which is the blood (dam) thereof, shall ye not eat.

This is right after the flood when the earth "re-starts" with multiple references back to the creation account. This leads to another verse in Genesis:

And the Lord God formed man of the dust (Hebr. aphar) of the ground (Hebr. adamah), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Hebr. nephesh). (Genesis 2:8)

According to instructions in Leviticus 17 and other parts of the Torah, blood should be poured on the ground and covered with dust. It is a reversal of the creation of man who was formed from the dust of the ground and became a living soul. Indeed, "for dust (aphar) thou art and unto dust thou shalt return" (Genesis 3:19). The soul simply returning to the dust from which it was formed does not really sound like the plan of salvation as we know it. But here is the twist:

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (John 6)

This image may be grotesque enough for a modern reader, but imagine how horrific it sounds to a faithful and strictly Torah-abiding Jew, who would never even think the thought of eating anything with blood in it. When we partake of the blood of other unholy beings, we contaminate ourselves with their impure nephesh instead of becoming holy like God wants us to. But when we partake of the blood of Christ we dwell in him and he in us as stated in verse 56. His nephesh is pure and holy and this is why we can make an exception to the rule. Instead of staying in the dust that we return to at death we are raised up to eternal life at the last day, according to verse 54.

Consider the words of Christ to the Nephites:

And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled. (3 Nephi 20:8)

The nephesh in the blood of Christ fills up our nephesh and purifies it.  

Choosing the good part

Reading 2 Nephi 2:30,

I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet.

I was left wondering which prophet Lehi is talking about. I can't find any passage in the Old Testament this would point to. The only other place in the scriptures talking about choosing the good part is found in Luke 10:42 in the well-known story of Martha and Mary

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

I noticed another similarity between these two accounts in the preceding verses. The only thing we are told about Mary in this story is found in Luke 10:39

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

In 2 Nephi 2:28

And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life

This verse conveys the idea about hearkening unto his words and choosing eternal life. Choosing eternal life is choosing the good part. But it is preceded by hearkening unto his words, the same thing Mary was described doing before Jesus commended her for choosing the good part.

This could all just be a coincidence. But the fact that Lehi refers to the words of a specific unnamed prophet, which is clearly not a reference to Luke, makes me wonder if both Lehi and Jesus are referring to an extra-biblical source, perhaps found on the brass plates.

In any case, it is interesting to find a common message in two seemingly very unrelated accounts of scripture. As Peter said in John 6:68: "thou hast the words of eternal life". Consequently, when we hear the word of God, eternal life is presented to us but we must choose it. This is the good part that Mary and Lehi chose. The alternative is the 'bad part', disobeying and thereby choosing death.

Further thoughts on the topic of blood

Last time I posted on the topic of blood, I included two scriptures with an interesting connection that I didn't even realize until after I had posted it. One is in Leviticus 17:10

For the life of the flesh is in the blood

The other is in John 6:54

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life

As mentioned before, the consumption of blood was prohibited under the Law of Moses. It was regarded as the lifegiving substance of man and something sacred. As stated in Leviticus, it gives life to the flesh. Thus, the Jews were upset when Jesus told them, contrary to their law, to drink his blood. Why would he ask them that? Because his blood gives life to the spirit. Our blood gives mortal life, his blood gives eternal life.

This topic seems to be a source of irony and paradoxes in the scriptures. Compare what we read about Captain Moroni in Alma 48:13

Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.

...with what we read about Amaleckiah in Alma 49:27

Yea, he was exceedingly wroth, and he did curse God, and also Moroni, swearing with an oath that he would drink his blood

I don't think these parallels are a coincidence. I think it's a carefully crafted text by Mormon, perhaps aided by what was already written on the Plates of Nephi that he abridged from.

Moroni was willing to sacrifice his blood for this just cause (a type of Christ?). Amaleckiah was the antitype, who sought not only to take Moroni's life but also consume his lifegiving substance, the blood. The irony is topped off by the death of Amaleckiah shortly after. As Tyler Griffin points out here.

Once again I don’t want to make you sick, but Amalickiah had sworn with a wrathful oath that he was going to drink Moroni’s blood. Brothers and sisters, the last thing Amalickiah would have done in mortality, laying there in his sleep as a javelin pierces his heart and lung—would have caused blood to pool up, as he’s laying down, in his throat—the very last thing Amalickiah would have done in mortality would have been choke on and drink his own blood.

Garments and blood

The Book of Mormon uses the image of blood combined with garments quite a lot. There are two main ideas:

1. Avoiding ones garments being stained by the blood of the wicked

A couple of examples include Ether 12:38

all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood

and Jacob 1:19

by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day

2. Washing ones garments in the blood of Christ

Lord_Wilmore has given a few examples here. There are several others, for instance, Christ himself speaking to his disciples in 3 Nephi 27:19

And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood

These two ideas may seem a contradiction. In one case the blood causes stains and in the other it cleanses. It almost seems a bit absurd to make garments white with blood as e.g. Alma 13:11 suggests. But as discussed previously, white is symbolic for pure in a spiritual sense and often connected to entering into and keeping covenants. This leads us to the covenant people of Israel who were commanded to perform sacrificial rites as a foreshadowing of Christ. For instance in Exodus 29:21

And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.

The sacrificial blood on the altar represented the blood of Christ. When it was sprinkled on Aaron and his sons and their garments, they were hallowed. When the blood was from other people, literally or figuratively, they were stained. This contrast is particularly evident in Alma 5:21-23, where the blood as symbol changes its meaning entirely from one verse to the next

21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.

22 And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness? Behold, what will these things testify against you?

23 Behold will they not testify that ye are murderers, yea, and also that ye are guilty of all manner of wickedness?

The Hebrew word for blood may help understand the symbolism. The word is "dam", which is the same root as Adam/mankind. (Remember another word from this root was "adama"=earth). So these words are connected. In Jewish tradition, blood is regarded as the lifegiving substance of man and therefore sacred. Leviticus 17:10

For the life of the flesh is in the blood

which was also a reason why consuming blood was prohibited according to the law of Moses. Also, the "shedding of blood" was a grievous sin and the blood-stained garment was a symbol of guilt.

The difference between the stains of blood and the cleansing of blood lies perhaps in the taking of life and the giving of life. Christ layed down his life voluntarily to pay the price for our sins. Interestingly, the plural for blood, "damim" is the exact same word as "money". Christ's shedding of his blood pays for our debts. As one of many paradoxes in the gospel, blood can either stain or cleanse, depending on whose blood it is and how it got there.

As a side note, we see the same kind of paradox when it comes to the consumption of blood. As mentioned earlier, it was prohibited under the law of Moses. But then Christ says in John 6:53-56

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

No wonder the Jews were offended.