Several questions have been brought up regarding Leviticus 17:15 and the issue of blood. The Watchtower of April 15, 1983 pp. 30-31 provides a sufficient enough answer for this section.
"So, no worshiper of God could eat blood, whether from (or in the flesh of) an animal that had died of itself or from one that was killed by man. Why, then, does Leviticus 17:15 say that eating unbled flesh from such an animal that died of itself or was killed by a beast merely produced uncleanness?
We can find a clue at Leviticus 5:2, which says:“When a soul touches some unclean thing, whether the dead body of an unclean wild beast . . ., although it has been hidden from him, still he is unclean and has become guilty.” Yes, God acknowledged that an Israelite might err inadvertently. Hence, Leviticus 17:15 can be understood as providing for such an error. For example, if an Israelite ate meat served him and then learned that it was unbled, he was guilty of sin. But because it was inadvertent he could take steps to become clean. This, however, is noteworthy: If he would not take those steps, “he must then answer for his error.”—Leviticus 17:16.
Thus eating unbled flesh was not a trivial matter; it could even result in death. No true worshiper (Israelite or full proselyte alien) could voluntarily eat unbled flesh, no matter if it was from an animal that died of itself, was killed by another animal or was killed by a human.(Numbers 15:30) The apostolic council confirmed this. Writing to Christians making up the spiritual “Israel of God” it forbade eating that which was strangled, whether the unbled meat was from an animal that died from accidental strangulation or it was from one strangled by a man.—Galatians 6:16; Acts 21:25.[1]
The only real objection that I have ever encountered to this is, “they are different contexts!” But this objection is already overcome by the footnoted example of menstruation.
The conclusion also finds scholarly agreement from Yochanan Zaqantov—Dean of Students at
Vayiqra/Leviticus 17:15 (15-16)
15 Any person, whether citizen or stranger, who eats what has died or has been torn
(ut’refah […]) by beasts shall wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain
unclean until evening; then he shall be clean. 16 But if he does not wash [his clothes]
and bathe his body, he shall bear his guilt.
I don’t see this as permission to eat but if one finds they have eaten then they are unclean.
[1] We find an instructive parallel in another part of the Law involving blood: A man who unwittingly had sexual relations with his wife as she began to menstruate was unclean, but he could take steps to be forgiven. However, the Israelite who deliberately disregarded his wife’s menstrual blood was cut off.—Leviticus 15:19-24; 20:18.
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