Dear Chaim,

Shmuel and Rava have a Machlokes about whether it is permissible to eat a piece of bread that is soaked with the drippings from a piece of meat that was roasted in order to remove the blood. The drippings are red and give the appearance of blood. According to Shmuel it is forbidden, and according to Rava it is permitted. There is a Machlokes among the Rishonim about how to understand their Machlokes. The Ba'alei ha'Tosfos (Chulin 14a, DH v'Nasvin) maintain that Shmuel forbids these drippings because they are, in fact, blood (nonetheless, Shmuel permits the meat itself because the blood in the meat is forbidden only if it has been uprooted from its original location -- "Dam she'Piresh"). Rava holds that this red liquid is not blood. It is too late in the stage of roasting the meat for the drippings to be blood. The Ra'avad, on the other hand, holds that even Shmuel agrees that it is not really blood, and the bread is forbidden because of Mar'is ha'Ayin (it does not look good to be eating something that looks like blood). Rava says that there is no Mar'is ha'Ayin because it does not even look like blood. That is why he calls it "Chamar Basar" -- "the wine of the meat"; it looks like wine, not blood (Ramban). At what point in the roasting process does Rava give his Heter to eat the drippings? The Ra'ah says it is once the meat has reached Ma'achal Ben Derusai (one-third cooked). The Rashba says it is until it is fit for most people to eat (half cooked).

The Halachah (Shulchan Aruch YD 76:5), in any case, follows the opinion of Rava and the opinion of the Rashba.

What is the chemical composition of this Chamar Basar? I'm not sure, but I think it must contain some red blood cells. What else would make it red? Apparently, though, it is not enough to be included in the Isur of blood. Besides the blood, it must have other materials that change its color enough to create a Machlokes whether it is prohibited because of Mar'is ha'Ayin.

Kol Tuv,

Yonasan

This is not a Psak Halachah