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Updated: 2021.05.14

דָּם

masc . n. dâm — blood; shōrësh of אָדַם, in turn the shōrësh of אָדָם and אֲדָמָה, demonstrating how intimately these were all regarded as (nëphësh-spiritually) connected; that the דָּם of אָדָם must be returned to its ultimate origin: אֲדָמָה.

To understand the key role of דָּם in the tectonic magnitude of Avᵊrâ•hâm's "religious" change, weaning himself from idolatry, one must first understand how the change differed from how דָּם had always been perceived before Avᵊrâ•hâm.

Animism was always the core belief, universal among ancient peoples, that, uh, animated all ancient idolaters. From animism, it was an inevitably short leap from animist nëphësh-spirit containers (stones, trees, mountains, metal, etc.) to forming the wood, stone and later metal and mountain container. Thus, they believed, forming the containers in their mind's-eye image of their god would conjure the nëphësh-spirit contained within—presto, god (an idol)! Thus, their idols were merely sacred objects or images enabling folks to visualize god—just like Christians still argue today! Animism = anthropomorphism = idolatry!

דָּם was believed to be the container of the nëphësh-spirit, while the nëphësh-spirit was believed to the carrier of sin. Thus, out-transference of sin, via out-transference of sin-contaminated nëphësh-spirit, believed to be contained in "bad" דָּם, was believed to be accomplished by the transferrence of the "bad" דָּם to the god (the idol), which was deemed able to purify it. Thus, presenting the sin-containing blood to the god-containing idol to nullify the sin was the core of ancient — idolatrous — sacrificial cults. All animism is idolatry. A priori, Tōr•âh prohibits any animism, including aimanimism.

Yet, דָּם played a central role in Ta•na"kh sacrifices. Since aimanimism is prohibited in Tōr•âh, then what was the role of דָּם?

Modern science understands that דָּם cannot be contained in nëphësh. A priori, non-idolatrous — i.e. non-aimanimistic (& non-anthropomorphic) — ritual use of blood in Tōr•âh, by deduction could only be a demonsration of the evidence proving the Tōr•âh-prescribed qâ•rᵊb•ân, imposed by a Beit Din, for a Tōr•âh-defined offense. WIth his finger, a kō•hein marked the expiation of the offense by slinging the evidence of payment of the court-imposed fine (i.e. the blood of the sacrifice)—not presented to an idol but, rather, splattered upon the base of the Tōr•âh-prescribed, non-anthropomorphic mi•zᵊbeiakh, in satisfaction of the Tōr•âh-defined ki•pūr.

See also qâ•rᵊb•ân.


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