What is it that makes us human? Is it our ability to reflect on our own thoughts? Is it our spiritual connections? Or our ability to communicate? As AI (artificial intelligence) becomes an even greater part of our world and our discourse, we might reflect on what is at the essence of being alive and being human.
The Torah delineates one basic physical understanding of life in our double portion Tazria-M’tzora. The Torah teaches that we become spiritually impure through contact with blood. It is as if the Torah is saying that this essential life force should be inside our bodies, and when it emerges from our bodies out into the world, we ought to be careful — for this substance sustains our lives.
While the ancient (and contemporary, for some) practice of purification after touching blood might seem bizarre, we can see it as a reminder to celebrate all that sustains us and makes us unique.