Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 17:4/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ז:ד׳

אוְטַעַם דָּם יֵחָשֵׁב מִמַּעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית (בראשית א כט ל), יֹאמַר הִנֵּה בְּכָל בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים זוּלָתִי אָדָם עָשִׂיתִי דָּמָם כַּמַּיִם וּלְחֻמָם כַּגְּלָלִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם ט ג), "כְּיֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כֹּל", אֲבָל אִם יִשְׁחַט מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה יֵחָשֵׁב כְּשׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים:

1BLOOD SHALL BE IMPUTED UNTO THAT MAN. This means that [his guilt is as] of the time of Creation.¹⁶⁴, 9:5, pp. 134-135). Hence the meaning of the verse here is that if one slaughters an animal outside the camp, then since it is forbidden to him as food, it shall be imputed to him as if he is guilty of bloodshed “as at the time of Creation.” See also Ramban here on Verse 11. The verse is thus stating: “Now of all living creatures except man, I [the Eternal] have declared their blood to be as water, and their flesh as dung,¹⁶⁵ just as it is said [at the time of Noah], as the green herb I have given you all.¹⁶⁶ But if one slaughters an animal outside the camp, then [since it is forbidden to be eaten], it shall be imputed to him as if he had shed blood [of a fellow man].”