Blood

Why does the Shulchan Aruch say that one must was one’s hands before dipping food into blood? I thought blood was not kosher.

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

Indeed, the Shulchan Aruch rules that one must wash one’s hands before dipping food into certain liquids. These seven liquids are wine, honey, olive oil, milk, dew, blood, and water. There is much discussion as to why blood was included in this list considering, as you mentioned, that it is forbidden to consume blood in the first place!

Some suggest that blood is included for the sake of those who need to consume it for health reasons. Another answer offered is that the Shulchan Aruch is referring to a situation where a food was accidentally dipped in blood. For example, if a carrot is dipped (or falls) into blood, only the part with blood on it would be forbidden to eat. The rest of the carrot, however, may be eaten but one would be required to wash one’s hands before eating the clean side of the carrot because, it was, ultimately “dipped in blood.”

Finally, it is permitted to consume fish blood, should one enjoy doing so. However, one who does so must wash one’s hands first. It might just be, therefore, that the Shulchan Aruch was referring to fish blood when it included blood in the list of liquids that require one to wash one’s hands before dipping foods into.

It must be noted that according to Torah law, it is permitted to drink one’s own blood. Doing so, however, is forbidden according to rabbinic law. The rabbis prohibited consuming any blood that has separated from one’s body due to marit ayin , the concern that onlookers might suspect that one is consuming a forbidden food. However, one who is bleeding in one’s mouth is permitted to ingest the blood emerging from the wound. This is because it is not noticeable that such blood has separated from the body. So too, no one can see that one is ingesting the blood.

OC 158:4; Mishna Berura 158:17; Be’er Heitev 158:10; YD 66:10.