LEV192 Cover the blood of ritually slaughtered fowl and wild beasts. A live being’s soul resides in its blood, as noted above (See [[LEV80]] Leviticus 7:26 blood CHINUCH 101-2). Accordingly, before a creature's meat, which is its body, is eaten, it is fitting to cover and conceal its soul--its blood. If we were to eat the flesh while the soul is strewn before us, it might incline us towards the negative treat of cruelty. One wonders why we are not commanded to cover the blood of domesticated animals after we slaughter them. The reason is that blood of these species is brought upon the Altar to achieve atonement for ourselves. For this reason, this blood cannot be covered. [Although the blood of some types of birds, too, serves for atonement on the Altar, these types represent a small minority of birds so the Torah, which rules according to the majority, requires that this blood, too, be covered after ritual slaughter].