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Text Excerpt
דם שהנפש יוצאה בו — מכפר. דם שאין הנפש יוצאה בו — אינו מכפר. אלא רבי יהודה לטעמיה, דאמר: אין דם מבטל דם.
This verse indicates that blood with which life leaves the animal, meaning blood that spurts immediately upon slaughter, makes atonement when it is sprinkled on the altar; however, blood with which life does not leave the animal, meaning blood that drains out after the initial spurt, does not make atonement. In that case, even R' Yehuda should be concerned that the blood collected in the cup contains blood squeezed from an animal after the initial spurt concluded. Rather, R' Yehuda conforms to his line of reasoning, as he said: Blood does not nullify blood. The small amount of blood in the cup that is fit for sprinkling on the altar is not nullified even if most of the blood in the cup is blood squeezed from an animal after the initial spurt concluded. Therefore, it may still be sprinkled upon the altar and make atonement.
תניא, אמר להן רבי יהודה לחכמים: לדבריכם, למה פוקקין את העזרה? אמרו לו: שבח הוא לבני אהרן שילכו עד ארכובותיהם בדם.
It was taught in a baraita that R' Yehuda said to the Rabbis: According to your statement that there is no need to fill a cup of blood from the floor, why did they plug the drains of the Temple courtyard on Passover eve and not let the blood flow immediately into the drainage pipes? They said to him: It is praiseworthy of the sons of Aaron, the priests, to walk in blood up to their ankles, thereby demonstrating their love for the Temple rite.
והא קא חייץ?! לח הוא ואינו חוצץ. כדתניא: הדם והדיו והחלב והדבש, יבשים — חוצצין, לחין — אין חוצצין.
The Talmud asks: How could they walk in blood up to their ankles? Doesn’t the blood interpose between the feet of the priests and the floor of the Temple and thereby invalidate the rite? The Talmud answers: The blood is moist and therefore it does not interpose. As it was taught in a baraita: With regard to blood, ink, milk, and honey, when they are dry, they interpose with respect to ritual immersion and other matters; when they are moist, they do not interpose.