Leviticus 17:15
And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
Anyone eating an animal that died by itself or was killed by beasts became ceremonially unclean until evening and had to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water before becoming clean. It stands as a civil law requiring bathing in water for such a case, showing that bathing was a regular legal requirement among the Hebrews. Eating what died of itself means eating flesh that still contains the blood, which Israel was forbidden to eat.
The prohibition bound the native Israelite and the naturalized stranger who is treated as one born in the land, and that naturalized stranger is under every obligation resting on a Jew while the unnaturalized stranger is not, establishing the distinction between the two kinds of strangers that governs Sabbath keeping. The verse distinguishes food Israelites were not to eat from food the surrounding nations commonly accepted, since the stranger within the gates believed such food was good and ate it continually and did not consider eating blood wrong in any way. For that reason what died of itself could be given to the stranger or sold to the foreigner openly and without deceit for just what it was, as flesh of an animal which had died of itself, but selling to them must not involve deception or selling meat that was spoiled and unfit for food.
The verse prohibits eating flesh that was torn and requires strict examination of animals for food before the meat is rendered fit for use, or Cosher, so that animals found afflicted with disease, such as tuberculosis, are declared terefa, or prohibited, as though torn, and neither their flesh is to be eaten nor their milk drunk. The verse shows God is particular about details, bringing out that thought often and minutely. The chapter teaches that blood is given for atonement because life is in the blood, since the life forfeited through sin is represented by blood so that blood alone represents the equivalent required for atonement, and its instructions about blood also teach a proper regard for life that underlies the biblical plan of atonement by blood for those who have forfeited their lives.
The chapter teaches that blood is life, which establishes why sin can be put away only through the shedding of blood. The chapter teaches that blood is the life, which explains why Christ's blood is the life given in redemption and why redemption in Christ Jesus is his own life. The verse belongs to a system in which forgiveness through the sin offering led to a final blotting out, for when blood or flesh had been carried into the sanctuary the penitent man's sins were forgiven him, and if he remained penitent until the day of atonement his sins were blotted out entirely when the sanctuary was cleansed, all having reference to Christ putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Keeping this law preserves health and gives freedom from loathsome and dangerous diseases that can be contracted by partaking of diseased flesh or milk, and it is wisdom of superhuman excellence that ought to be universally adopted and rigidly enforced so that individuals and communities alike would be benefited to an immeasurable degree.