Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 19:26/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ט:כ״ו

אלֹא תֹאכְלוּ עַל הַדָּם לְהַרְבֵּה פָנִים נִדְרָשׁ בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין (סג), לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא י"ט:כ"ו). וְהָעוֹלֶה מִשָּׁם לְפִי הַסֻּגְיָא שֶׁהֵם כֻּלָּם מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁכָּלַל הַכָּתוּב כָּל אֲכִילַת הַדָּם בְּלָאו אֶחָד. וְאִם כֵּן מַה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּשָׁאוּל (שמואל א יד לג) "הִנֵּה הָעָם חֹטִאים לַה' לֶאֱכֹל עַל הַדָּם" - שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹטְאִים בְּאֶחָד מִן הַשֵּׁמוֹת הַנִּכְלָלִים בַּלָּאו הַזֶּה, כִּי הָיוּ אוֹכְלִים מִן הַבְּהֵמָה קֹדֶם שֶׁתֵּצֵא נַפְשָׁהּ. זֶהוּ מַה שֶׁאָמַר (שם פסוק לב) "וַיַּעַט הָעָם אֶל הַשָּׁלָל", שֶׁהוּא כְּעַיִט הַדּוֹרֵס וְאוֹכֵל, "וַיִּקְחוּ צֹאן וּבָקָר וְגוֹ' וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ אָרְצָה וַיֹּאכַל הָעָם עַל הַדָּם" מֵרֹב הַשָּׁלָל בַּבְּהֵמוֹת, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹפְכִים דָּמָם אַרְצָה הָיוּ תּוֹלְשִׁים אֶבְרֵיהֶם וְאוֹכְלִים קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט הוּא מִין מִמִּינֵי הַכִּשּׁוּף אוֹ הַקְּסָמִים, כִּי הוּא דָּבָר לָמֵד מֵעִנְיָנוֹ, וְהָיוּ שׁוֹפְכִים הַדָּם וּמְאַסְּפִים אוֹתוֹ בְּגֻמָּא, וְהַשֵּׁדִים מִתְקַבְּצִים שָׁם כְּפִי דַּעְתָּם וְאוֹכְלִין עַל שֻׁלְחָנָן, לְהַגִּיד לָהֶם הָעֲתִידוֹת. וְכַאֲשֶׁר הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עִם שָׁאוּל בַּמַּחֲנֶה הַהוּא הָיוּ מִתְפַּחֲדִים מְאֹד מִן הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים, וְלֹא הָיָה שָׁאוּל עוֹשֶׂה דָּבָר בִּלְתִּי שְׁאֵלַת אוּרִים וְתֻמִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם פסוק לו) "נִקְרְבָה הֲלֹם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים", וְהָעָם הָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִים בְּשֵׁדִים אוֹ בִּכְשָׁפִים לָדַעַת דַּרְכָּם וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, וְאוֹכְלִים עַל הַדָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַהוּא. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (שם פסוק לג) "וַיַּגִּידוּ לְשָׁאוּל לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה הָעָם חֹטִאים לַה' לֶאֱכֹל עַל הַדָּם וַיֹּאמֶר בְּגַדְתֶּם", לוֹמַר הִנֵּה הַשֵּׁם עָשָׂה לָכֶם תְּשׁוּעָה גְּדוֹלָה הַיּוֹם וְאַתֶּם שׁוֹאֲלִים לְלֹא אֱלֹהִים, בְּגִידָה הִיא זוֹ. וְעוֹד אֲפָרֵשׁ אִסּוּר מְעוֹנֵן וּמְנַחֵשׁ (דברים יח ט):

1YE SHALL NOT EAT WITH THE BLOOD. “This passage has been explained in many different ways in Tractate Sanhedrin.”¹⁶⁹ This is the language of Rashi. Now the conclusion of that discussion in the Talmud is that all those interpretations [of the verse before us] are Torah-ordained, since Scripture included all manner of “eating with the blood” in one negative commandment. And if so, that which Scripture states in the case of Saul, Behold, the people sin against the Eternal, in that they eat with the blood,¹⁷⁰ means that they transgressed one of the prohibitions included in this negative commandment, since they were eating of an animal [slaughtered properly] before its life had entirely left it. It is with reference to this that Scripture states there, And the people flew upon the spoil,¹⁷¹, Verse 32. like a bird of prey that tears its victim and eats it, and they took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people did eat them with the blood.¹⁷¹, Verse 32. Because of the abundance of spoil of cattle [that they had taken from the Philistines], as soon as [they were slaughtered properly and] their blood was spilled on the ground, they tore off their limbs and ate them before life had entirely left the animals.In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, this seems to have been a kind of witchcraft or divination, since [the meaning of this passage] may be deduced from its context; [i.e., from the second half of this verse which states, neither shall ye practice divination nor soothsaying, we may deduce that the first half of the verse, Ye shall not eat with the blood also refers to some form of witchcraft, as will be explained]. Thus they used to spill the blood [of the cattle] and gather it in a hollow, which was then attended, according to their opinion, by the satyrs, and they¹⁷² would eat at their tables to tell them future events. Now when the Israelites were at that time camping with Saul, they were very much afraid of the Philistines, and Saul did nothing except for inquiring of the Urim and Thummim,¹⁷³ as it is said, Let us draw near hither unto G-d,¹⁷⁴ while the people were inquiring of the satyrs or of witchcraft to know their way and what to do, and they were eating with the blood in order to perform that craft [mentioned above]. It is for this reason that Scripture there states, Then they told Saul, saying: ‘Behold, the people sin against the Eternal, in that they eat with the blood.’ And he said: ‘Ye have dealt treacherously,’¹⁷⁵, Verse 33. meaning to say: “Behold, G-d has wrought for you this day this great salvation, and you inquire of no-gods! It is treachery!” I will yet explain the prohibition against soothsaying and enchanting.¹⁷⁶