ויקרא

לא תאכלו על הדם. יזהיר הכתוב הזה על מין ממיני הכשוף שהיה נוהג בזמן הזה שהיו שופכים הדם בתוך גומא והיו השדים מתקבצים שם ואוכלים סביבות הגומא והשדים ג"כ עמהם ומתוך שהיו אוכלים ונהנים היו מגידין להם עתידות והיה הענין מורגל אצל המצריים וישראל למדו מה עד שהיו זונים אחריהם ולכך הוצרך הכתוב לאזהרה זו. ואמרו רבותינו ז"ל לא תאכלו על הדם הוא אזהרה שלא יאכל אדם קודם התפלה והוא שאמרו לא תאכלו קודם שתתפללו על דמכם. ועוד דרשו בו לא תאכלו על הדם אזהרה לדיינים שלא יהיו דנין דיני נפשות אלא בבוקר ומטעם זה צותה תורה להתענות ביוה"כ שהוא יום הדין בדיני נפשות כדי שלא תטרידנו אכילתו ממצוא חפצו בדרכי התשובה והסליחה ואם בנפש אחד הוא מוזהר מהכתוב הזה ק"ו שיש לו להזהר בנפש עצמו שלא יפשע שאם פשע איהו דאפסיד אנפשיה ומשחית נפשו הוא יעשנה ואין צריך לומר בדיני נפשות אלא אף בדיני ממונות אמר כן, משום שנאמר (ירמיה כא) דינו לבקר משפט, ואמרו אכל ושתה אל יורה.

לא תאכלו על הדם, “You shall not eat over the blood;” here too the Torah warns about Jews not indulging in pagan practices which were current at the time the Torah was given. People used to dig a hole and pour blood into it and the demons would congregate around such holes. While in the company of these demons they would consume their meal. Seeing that they fraternized with the demons the demons would reciprocate by revealing future events to the people eating there with them. This was a wide-spread practice amongst the Egyptians and the Israelites had learned from them until they too began to believe in the power of these demons and they would seek out their company. In order to wean the Israelites of such idolatrous practices the Torah forbade eating a meal in the presence of blood (which had not been covered up, buried or poured out). Our sages (Berachot 10) understand this verse as a warning not to eat breakfast before one has recited the morning prayer. They phrased it thus; “do not eat before you have prayed concerning your blood (guilt).” [i.e. have asked forgiveness for your sins. Ed.] They also used this verse to arrive at the ruling that capital offenses must not be judged except during the morning hours of the day (Sanhedrin 63). The judges were not allowed to try such cases after they had already filled their stomachs so as not to approach the accused’s fate in a smug manner. Seeing that they could not be expected to fast a whole day and not be affected by their hunger pains or a desire to prematurely conclude their deliberations in order to have a meal, the sages ruled that such trials must take place in the mornings. When the Torah decreed that we fast on the Day of Atonement this may also reflect that our lives are at stake on that day. If we had eaten already when commencing to pray we might not relate to the day with the appropriate gravity of mind that it deserves. We are more likely to repent sincerely and throw ourselves on G’d’s mercy when we have deprived ourselves of customary creature comforts such as food. If one is commanded to be careful to be in a fit state of mind when judging others, how much more so must one be in the right frame of mind when one’s own life hangs in the balance, such as on the Day of Atonement! This is what Solomon meant when he wrote (Proverbs 6,32) “he who causes his own life’s destruction will do it” (commit the aforementioned crime of adultery; i.e. sinning is like self-destruction). There was perhaps no need to stress this point when it concerns life and death decisions; but even when matters of monetary values are at stake they should be dealt with during the morning seeing we have a verse in Jeremiah 21,12: “render just verdicts morning by morning; rescue him who is robbed from him who defrauded him.” We have a saying: “he who ate and drank should not pronounce judgments or rulings on religious matters.” [Rabbi Chavell cites a Zohar Mishpatim 122 that “anyone who passed judgment after he ate and drank did not pass a true verdict.” Ed.]