From: Messianic Rabbi Edward Nydle
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: It's In the Blood

IT'S IN THE BLOOD!

" But DO NOT eat flesh with its life, its BLOOD." Bereshith 9:4 The
Scriptures

In the Restoration of ALL things, and the calling of Ephraim back to the
Torah of Yahweh, we are currently faced with a problem that seems to have
plagued Ephraim since being scattered into the goyim (nations) and being
assimilated into the pagan-heathen culture and religion of the goyim. The
dilemma is:

THE EATING OF BLOOD AND THE FAILURE OF EPHRAIM TO KEEP THE
TORAH OF KASHRUT! EPHRAIM NOT ONLY STRUGGLES WITH KASHRUT, BUT ALL OF
YAHWEH'S COMMANDS PERTAINING TO THE BLOOD:

1) BRIT MILAH (CIRCUMCISION) AND
2) NIDDAH (THE LAWS OF SEXUAL RELATIONS DURING THE MONTHLY FLOW).

Since kashrut (the eating
of clean animals and abstaining from blood), niddah are chukim (commands
that seem not to have any rational logical meaning behind them), Ephraim is
currently struggling to see any spiritual significance attached to these
commands from Yahweh. This article is an attempt to elucidate and bring
understanding to Ephraim of the significance of kashrut in all its aspects
and implications. A later article will deal with niddah. Let me say, these
blood commands are NOT a Yahudite problem, but an Ephraimite problem. I am
also assuming that the readers are in agreement that ALL the Torah of Yahweh
is binding upon ALL Yisrael as expounded by our Rebbe Melek Yahshua
HaMoshiach in Mattttithyahu5: 17-20.

IN THE BEGINNING

In the beginning, Yahweh gave Adam and Chawah every seed bearing plant and
tree to eat (Bereshith/Genesis 1:29). Before the man's fall into
disobedience, man was a vegetarian. There was not any death, nor was he
allowed to kill any creature and shed its blood. It was not until Yahweh
sacrificed an animal to atone or cover Adam's sin that blood was shed- an
innocent life had to be taken to pay the penalty for breaking Yahweh's
instructions (Bereshith 3:21). The shedding of blood is always related to
the DEATH of the victim and LIFE for the one that sheds its blood (dam).

According to the Torah, Yahweh MUST have revealed the Torah of Kashrut to
Noach, as we see Him commanding Noach in Bereshith 7:2-9 to take seven pairs
of the CLEAN beasts and only two of the UNCLEAN into the ark. We then read
in Bereshith 9:3-4 that Elohim allowed Noach and his family to eat meat for
the FIRST time-

WITH THIS STIPULATION ATTACHED TO IT-THEY WERE NOT TO EAT THE
FLESH (MEAT) WITH THE BLOOD STILL IN IT! The blood reflected the LIFE of
the animal that gave its life so man could survive by eating its flesh. I
want you to note that the animals given to Noach and his family to eat HAD
TO BE CLEAN ANIMALS AS ONLY TWO UNCLEAN ANIMALS WERE TAKEN INTO THE
ARK AND IF THEY HAD EATEN THEM THEN THEY COULD NOT HAVE REPRODUCED
AND HAD OFFSPRING.

TO PROPAGATE THE SPECIES. Noach was to sacrifice from the CLEAN ANIMALS
(Bereshith 8:20) and was given the FREEDOM by TORAH to eat of the seven
pairs he had saved from the flood. Naturally, since there were more pairs of
CLEAN beasts and birds, they would breed at a higher rate to provide CLEAN
MEAT for mankind to eat. Praise Yahweh for His provision for his man!

Now we have the understanding from the Torah that man was given CLEAN
MEAT before the Torah of Mosheh, and the command to abstain from blood was
given to ALL MANKIND BEFORE Mt.Sinai!

"And the sun rose on him (Yisrael) as he passed over Penu'el, and he
(Yisrael) limped on his hip. That is WHY the Bnai Yisrael (children of
Yisrael) to THIS DAY do not eat the SINEW of the hip, which is on the socket
of the thigh, because He touched the socket of the thigh of Ya'akov, in the
sinew of the hip." Bereshith 32:31-32

Here in Bereshith we read that ALL the Children of Yisrael, TO THIS DAY,
will not eat the gid ha-nasheh or the displaced nerve running down the back
of the leg of an animal. This nerve is known as the sciatic nerve.

Therefore, before ANY hindquarter of an animal may be eaten by a Yisraelite,
this nerve, and all its branches, must be carefully removed. This is very
difficult to do; so MOST Yisraelites will not eat from the hindquarters.
This is where sirloin comes from in a cow. The sages teach us that this
nerve is the place where evil has its strongest influence in a person. Also,
this word -DISLOCATED-is the same term in Hebrew used for the punishment on
Yisrael after the heresy at Ba'al Pe'or. It means to hang or impale.

Yisrael's thigh was hanging from the socket. Keeping this command reminds
ALL Yisrael of the truth of the eternal survival of the Bnai Yisrael even
though we must endure hard struggles in the exile at the hands of the goyim.

It teaches us also that any physical or spiritual handicap should not hinder
or discourage us in our fight for survival and to "rule as Yahweh rules" as
Yisrael!

FROM MOUNT SINAI

"Know Him in all your ways, and He will make all your paths straight."
Mishle 3:6

"...I AM Yahweh your Elohim, Who has separated you from the peoples. And you
shall make a distinction between clean beasts and unclean, and between
unclean birds and clean. And do NOT make yourself abominable by the beast or
by the bird, or whatever creeps on the ground, which I have separated from
you as unclean. And you shall be set-apart to Me, for I Yahweh am set-apart,
and have separated you from the peoples to be Mine." Wayyiqra 20:24-26

Word definitions:

 Separated- # 914-BaDaL-to divide,distinquish,make different, make
separate,select,differ

 Clean - # 2889 TaHoR -pureness,fair,clean from TaHeR-to be bright,
to be pure,uncontaminated,purify

 Unclean - # 2931 TaMe -foul,defiled,polluted,unclean from
Tame-contaminted,utterly unclean,polluted

 Abominable -# 8262 ShaQaTz -to be filthy,to loathe, abhor,utterly
detest

 Holy - # 6918 QaDoSH- set apart, a sanctuary, a set apart one from
QaDaSH to be clean,sanctify oneself wholly

In the Torah, Wayyiqra (Lev.) 11 is the chapter outlining what food is TAHOR
or TAMAI or sometimes called trefah. Any one who has been in the Messianic
Movement knows the Torah of what food we may or may not eat. Hopefully we
are all aware of the simple dietary laws. If you are not then I advise you
to read this chapter diligently to make yourself aware of what Yahweh
requires of you. BUT, there is MORE to keeping kosher than just eating the
right food. We MUST abstain from the BLOOD!

"And ANY MAN OF THE HOUSE OF YISRAEL, or of the STRANGERS who sojourn among
you, who EATS BLOOD, I SHALL SET MY FACE AGAINST THAT BEING WHO EATS
BLOOD, AND SHALL CUT HIM OFF FROM HIS PEOPLE. For the life of the flesh is in the
blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your
lives, for it is the blood that makes atonement for the life. THEREFORE, I
say to the children of Yisrael, " NO BEING AMONG YOU EATS BLOOD, NOR DOES
THE STRANGER WHO SOJOURNS AMONG YOU EAT BLOOD." Wayyiqra (Lev.) 17:10-12
also see 17:14

THE DEEPER MEANING OF THE TORAH OF KASHRUT

You have to understand that in the Hebrew mind the words tamai and tahor
NEVER describe physical cleanliness or uncleanness, but rather a spiritual
or moral state of being! Tamai is used in relation to moral or religious
defiencicies that CONTAMINATE THE SOUL OR BEING-EVEN THE CHARACTER OF
A MAN, particularly incest, idol worship, and to characterize ritual impurity. It
could be translated DEFILEMENT! Notice the animals declared CLEAN by Yahweh
were also clean to be used for the sacrifices. Therefore we must view the
words of clean and unclean as used in the sense of ritual defilement or
purity. Notice also that all the laws of kashrut are in the context of
becoming or being KADOSH or set-apart to Yahweh as the people of Yisrael!

To be Kadosh in the Hebraic mind DOES NOT MEAN TO BECOME ASCETIC,
WITHDRAWN FROM LIFE AND THE WORLD. To be set-apart does not call us to
practice self-denial of human pleasures or even the repression of bodily
drives; YET being set-apart does not condone self-indulgence. The lack of
self-control demonstrates a spiritual weakness and also moral decay. To be
KADOSH means we are becoming masters over all our passions so that we are in
command of them and we control them and not they control us!

The Torah teaches us to elevate the satisfaction of ALL basic urges-such as
food, drink, sex- to a level worthy of a people set-apart to Yahweh. We also
learn from the Torah to turn even the must mundane everyday activity into a
religious experience to reflect WHO WE ARE AS YISRAEL!

The breakdown in the keeping of kashrut and abstaining from blood among
Messianic Yisrael was and is a factor to the assimilation of Yisrael into
the nations and adopting their pagan life-styles and diet! Remember that
this law is a Chukat, one without a seemingly logical reason behind it.
These are the laws that Ephraim struggles with in its Torah observance. It
was a major hindrance in the early congregations also, as we will see in
Acts 15. The eating of BLOOD would result with the man being CUT OFF from
his people! This is exactly what happened to Ephraim.He was CUT OFF from the
Olive Tree of Yisrael and the land of Israel because of his non-Torah
observance! It is only by BELIEF (a Torah based life-style that reflects our
belief in the Word of Yahweh concerning Moshiach Yahshua) not faith,
that we can be grafted back into the Olive Tree and return to the land.

Look at the words Yahweh uses to describe His actions towards ANYONE who
eats ANY blood (this law does not refer just to the blood of the sacrifices
but to ANY blood of ANY ANIMAL slain for food) -Yahweh says that He will "
SET MY FACE AGAINST". This term is a Hebraic idiom that means that He will
stop whatever He is doing and turn all His attention towards that person to
punish him. Do you still think that Yahweh does not take the eating of blood
seriously? This may help you to understand why the returning Ephraimites
were a MAJOR stumbling block to the Yahudim Brethren in Acts 15.

ACTS 15, KASHRUT AND BLOOD

"That you ABSTAIN from what is offered to idols, and BLOOD, and what is
strangled, and whoring. If you keep yourselves from these, you shall do
well. Be strong!" Acts 15:29

Ephraimites are always quick to quote from Acts 15 whenever confronted
with Torah observance or circumcision. I have come to understand that they
really do not know nor understand what actions the "Council" was demanding
of them just so the Yahudim could have them enter the synagogues or have
table fellowship with them. Let us look deeper at the "very minimal"
commands they were to keep.

 Abstain from BLOOD-This refers to the Torah command we looked at in

Wayyiqra 17. The returning Ephraimites were not to eat ANY MEAT THAT HAD NOT
BEEN PROPERLY KASHERED, OR HAD THE BLOOD DRAINED OUT OF IT BY PROPER
SLAUGHTERING METHODS OR BY SALTING THE MEAT! We have to remember that the
drinking of blood was a very important part of idol worship in the temples
were the meat sold in the market place was offered to false deities.

 What is strangled - They were not to eat meat that WAS NOT
SLAUGHTERED IN THE WAY THAT ALLOWS THE BLOOD TO FLOW OUT.TRUE KOSHER
MEAT WILL BE PROPERLY SLAUGHTERED AS YAHWEH COMMANDED YISRAEL.
SH'CHITAH requires an animal to be killed by one single stroke across the neck. The animal dies
instantly, painlessly, and the BLOOD is drained very quickly. Devarim 12:21
says, " When the place where Yahweh your Elohim chooses to place His Name is
too far from you, then you shall SLAUGHTER from your herd and from your
flock which Yahweh has given you, AS I HAVE COMMANDED YOU, and you shall eat
it within your gates as much as your being desires."

 That which has been offered to idols- The returning Ephraimites
were not to eat or partake of ANY meat offered to false gods. When someone
blesses the food to "GAD-god" has it been offered to a false idol? Please
read Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 65:11(You who prepare a table for GAWD).

The question of Acts 15 is about table fellowship and ritual purity
between Yahudah and Ephraim. How can the Two Houses ever come together
around the table when Ephraim still has a kosher food and BLOOD problem? Has
this become major stumbling block again in the Reunification of ALL Yisrael?

Is Ephraim willing to pay the price to be joined around the table with his
brother Yahudah? Remember Acts 15 is stating the very bare "minimum"
requirements for Reunification of the Two Houses in the synagogues and
congregations.

PRACTICAL THINGS EPHRAIM CAN DO

This is a list of some practical rules Ephraim can look for in meat to begin
to observe KASHRUT .I admit that kosher meat is more expensive due to the
costly and time-consuming steps involved in the breeding, slaughter, and
processing. But we need to ask ourselves if we are willing to pay the price
for the higher assurances that kosher meat and kosher certification brings
SHALOM to our minds and beings as a set-apart people to Yahweh.We are
talking about becoming a KODESH PEOPLE TO YAHWEH! By observing this
commandment of Yahweh, we will maintain our ritual purity before Him and be
pleasing to Him.

 The meat must come from a CLEAN one listed in Wayyiqra 11. It must
be in good health. Any diseased animal is automatically considered
nonkosher.

 Kosher poultry MUST be raised without hormones or growth
stimulants.

 Animals cannot be artificially stunned before slaughter. Nor can
they be slaughtered mechanically, but must be slaughtered by a shochet. They
should be slaughtered in the manner prescribed by Yahweh and as humanely as
possible.

 The internal organs are checked by a trained inspector, called a
bodek, for any abnormalities or disease.

 Certain blood vessels and nerves, and lobes of fat are removed from
the meat.

 After slaughter, all the remaining blood must be extracted from the
carcass. This is done by the kosher butcher or at home by the consumer by
soaking the meat in salt water.

 All meat must be koshered within three days of slaughter because
after 72 hours blood becomes coagulated and cannot be removed.

 The meat is tagged and labeled as kosher.

I believe that with all the diseases in the regular meat you by at the
market, we as Yisrael will only find safety and security in the perfect
Torah of Yahweh. Keeping KOSHER in these last days may save the lives of
Yisraelites during the plagues that will be coming upon the earth. Yisrael
can also receive HEALING in the Torah of KASHRUT as Yahweh said in Shemot
(Ex.) 15:26, "If you diligently obey the voice of Yahweh your Elohim and DO
what is right in HIS eyes, and shall LISTEN to His commands and shall guard
ALL His laws, I shall being on you NONE of the diseases I brought on the
Mitzrites, for I AM YAHWEH ROPHE'EKA (who heals you)."

PARTING THOUGHTS

Yahweh is an Elohim of LIFE, and teaches us through the Torah of
Kashrut, to abstain from things that eat of the dead. He wants to separate
us from DEATH (sin) and have us honor the being that forfeits its life so
that we may live. A life is taken to give us life. We learn to control our
impulses and desires by eating kosher meat and food. Our diets actually
distinguish us as a set-apart people, separate from the pagan nations. The
food we eat actually become a part of our being and can render us unclean or
an abomination before Yahweh. Our temple of the Ruach HaKodesh can become
DEFILED by unclean food. Like all the commands in the Torah, KASHRUT has
spiritual applications. We must have both the physical letter of the law AND
the spirit of the law (spiritual application) coming together for it to be
TRUE TORAH!

We read in Wayyiqra 11:4-7 we are forbidden to eat of the "camel, the
coney or badger, the hare or rabbit, and the swine or pig. Our sages teach
us that these 4 animals symbolize the 4 Empires found in the book of
Dani'el. The sages teach that the camel is Babylon, the coney is the
Medes-Persia Empire, the rabbit is Greece, and the pig is ROME.This teaches
us that we as Yisrael are not to eat of the culture, religion, and ways of
these 4 enemies of Yisrael. It will make us TAMAI before Yahweh.

All the commands of the Torah are like a foundation of the house (just as
Yahshua taught). In and of itself it is NOT the house itself. You cannot
live in the foundation. BUT, on the other hand, a Dwelling Place built upon
weak or poor foundations or WITHOUT ANY FOUNDATION has not the ability to
stand nor is it permanent. It will easily collapse with the slightest wind,
rain, or storm. Likewise, KASHRUT, by itself does not make for the Dwelling
Place, BUT ANY ATTEMPT TO BUILD THE DWELLING PLACE WITHOUT KASHRUT OR
ANY COMMANDS OF THE TORAH IS BUILDING UPON SAND OR A WEAK FOUNDATION,
AND GREAT WILL BE THE FALL OF THAT HOUSE. WITHOUT THE PROPER
FOUNDATION OF ALL THE TORAH OUR DWELLING PLACES WILL BE IN DANGER OF
COLLAPSE.

This is the time for ALL Yisrael to return to Yahweh and His perfect
Torah, the only perfect and peaceful solution to the chaos in the world. It
is the blueprint of ALL creation, and for building our Dwelling Place for
Yahweh. If we are going to build so He can dwell (shakan) in the midst of
Yisrael, then the foundations must be laid on solid ground and with the
right materials. It MUST be according to the pattern given on the
Mount-Mt.Sinai-YAHWEH'S TORAH! Ask yourself this question: If Yahweh wants
us to follow the pattern He has given, and these tamai foods were forbidden
as sacrifices upon His table (the altar) in His Dwelling Place, should not
we as His children follow His pattern for our tables in our Dwelling Places?

Should not we as Yisrael strive to be a set-apart people and priesthood
before Him? There is an old saying, "You are what you eat." Think about it.

May Yahweh bless your wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of this teaching
from the Torah.

Rabbi Edward Levi Nydle B'nai Avraham

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