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Ramban on Leviticus 17:14/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ז:י״ד

אדָּמוֹ בְנַפְשׁוֹ הוּא דָּמוֹ לוֹ בִּמְקוֹם נֶפֶשׁ, כִּי הַנֶּפֶשׁ תְּלוּיָה בּוֹ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא י"ז:י"ד). וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, אֲבָל אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה "בְנַפְשׁוֹ" בְּכָאן - בְּגוּפוֹ, יֹאמַר כִּי נֶפֶשׁ כָּל בָּשָׂר דָּמוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ הוּא. וְכֵן "בַּרְזֶל בָּאָה נַפְשׁוֹ" (תהלים קה יח), "שִׁבְעִים נָפֶשׁ" (שמות א ה), "עַל נֶפֶשׁ מֵת לֹא יָבֹא" (במדבר ו ו), הַגּוּף, כִּי גּוּף בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ יִקָּרֵא נֶפֶשׁ. וְעַל דַּעְתִּי הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב בַּדָּם שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים וְהֵם טַעַם אֶחָד: אָמַר תְּחִלָּה (ויקרא י"ז:י"א) "כִּי נֶפֶשׁ הַבָּשָׂר בַּדָּם הִיא"; אַחַר כָּךְ הָפַךְ וְאָמַר "כִּי נֶפֶשׁ כָּל בָּשָׂר דָּמוֹ בְנַפְשׁוֹ הוּא", לוֹמַר כִּי הַדָּם הוּא הַנָּפֶשׁ וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ הִיא בַּדָּם שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם מְעֹרָבִין יַחַד, וְיִהְיֶה זֶה כְּעִנְיַן יַיִן הַמָּזוּג בְּמַיִם, שֶׁהַמַּיִם בַּיַּיִן וְהַיַּיִן בַּמַּיִם כָּל אֶחָד בַּחֲבֵרוֹ; וְאח"כ פֵּרֵשׁ "כִּי הַדָּם הוּא הַנָּפֶשׁ" עַצְמוֹ, לוֹמַר שֶׁהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד לֹא יִתְפָּרְדוּ, לֹא יִמָּצֵא דָּם בְּלֹא נֶפֶשׁ וְלֹא נֶפֶשׁ בְּלֹא דָּם, כַּיָּדוּעַ בָּרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר תְּחִלָּתוֹ מִן הַלֵּב שֶׁהוּא הִיּוּלִי לָרוּחוֹת כֻּלָּן, וּמִמֶּנּוּ יָבֹא הַזָּן שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַדָּם, וְהַדָּם הוּא הַמּוֹלִידוֹ וְהַמְּקַיְּמוֹ, כְּעִנְיַן הַגֹּלֶם וְהַצּוּרָה בְּכָל בַּעֲלֵי הַגּוּף, שֶׁלֹּא יִמָּצֵא הָאֶחָד בִּלְתִּי הָאַחֵר. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ (כריתות ד), שְׁלֹשָׁה כְּרֵיתוֹת בַּדָּם, אַחַת לְדַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְאַחַת לְדַם שְׁחִיטָה וְאַחַת לְדַם כִּסּוּי, וְזֶה טַעְמָם לַכְּרֵיתוֹת, אֲבָל הַטַּעַם בְּשִׁנּוּי הַלָּשׁוֹן בַּנֶּפֶשׁ וּבַדָּם כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי:

1THE BLOOD THEREOF IS ‘B’NAFSHO’ (ALL ONE WITH THE LIFE THEREOF). “Its blood represents its life, since life is dependent upon the blood.” This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct.²⁰⁵ Rather, it is possible to explain that the word b’nafsho here means “in its body,” Scripture thus stating, “for as to the life of all flesh, it is the blood in its body.” Similarly [we find the word nefesh meaning “body” in these verses]: ‘Nafsho’ (his person) was laid in iron;²⁰⁶ seventy ‘nefesh’ (persons);²⁰⁷ he [the Nazirite] shall not come near to a dead ‘nefesh,’²⁰⁸ meaning “a body,” since “the body” of anyone that is possessed of a nefesh (soul) is also called nefesh.In my opinion Scripture mentioned three expressions with reference to blood, which constitute but one reason. First it stated, For the life of the flesh is in the blood.²⁰⁹ Then it changed and said [in Verse 14 before us], For as to the life of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof, meaning to say that the blood is the life, and the life is in the blood, as both are mixed together, similarly to wine when diluted with water, in which case the water is in the wine and the wine in the water, and each one is “in” the other. Afterwards it explained [in the second half of Verse 14 before us, stating for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof], that the blood is the very life, meaning to say that both have become one inseparable substance, so that you can never find blood without life nor life without blood, as is known of the air²¹⁰ which originates in the heart, that it is the hyly²¹¹ from which proceed all dispositions [of man], supplying the substance which gives nutrition and makes blood, and it is the blood which in turn creates it and sustains it. [The relationship between life and blood is thus] like that of matter and form in all physical creatures, where the one cannot be found without the other. Now our Rabbis interpreted the three punishments of excision which Scripture mentioned with reference to blood²¹² in the following way:²¹³ “One verse prohibits the eating of that blood with which life escapes [when cutting the throat of the offering, since it has been given for atonement upon the altar]; one verse prohibits the eating of blood which escapes when slaughtering [an ordinary, unconsecrated animal], and one verse prohibits the eating of blood, that [of a fowl or wild animal, which when slaughtered] must be covered.” This saying of the Rabbis explains why the punishment of excision was mentioned three times, but the reason for the different Scriptural expressions concerning the life and the blood [of the animal] is as I have explained.