YU TORAH NAALEH.COM MISHPATIM 5775 Blood And Bonding By: Mrs. Shira Smiles

Before Matan Torah (according to Rashi), Moshe ascends the mountain where he receives a message from Hashem to convey to Bnei Yisroel. Moshe descends, delivers Hashem’s words, and the people respond, “Naaseh – We will do.” Then Moshe wrote all the words of Hashem. In the morning, he rose early and built an altar upon which the people brought offerings. “Moses took half the blood and placed it in the basins and half the blood he threw upon the altar. He took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people, and they said, ‘Everything that Hashem has said Naaseh venishma – we will do and we will listen.’ Moses took the blood and threw it upon the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that Hashem has sealed with you concerning these matters.’” Obviously, this ritual cements the relationship between Hakodosh Boruch Hu and Bnei Yisroel as a covenant is written and accepted. The ritual itself, however, is enigmatic and demands elucidation. Why was the blood divided in half? Exactly where was the blood thrown? Why does this ritual divide the responses of Bnei Yisroel? Click here for Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein.