[Avodah] donating blood

[T613K at aol.com]

From: "Eli Turkel" <eliturkel at gmail.com>
>>Someone claimed  that donating blood to the Red Cross is against halacha
since one is "harming  oneself" and most receipients are nonJewish.
Seemed strange to me as most  poskim allow even violating shabbat on behalf
of a NonJew because of possible  sinah. Why would donating blood be any
different?
Any opinions (piskei  halachot) ?<<

-- 
Eli Turkel


 


It seems to me that your reasoning is correct, and that donating blood to  
non-Jews should be permitted for the same reason that doctors are allowed to  
heal non-Jews on Shabbos. Actually since the Red Cross supplies blood to Jews,  
you're not donating "to non-Jews" but to a communal bank that supplies both 
Jews  and non-Jews.
 
I confess that my own practice is different though. I don't donate to the  
Red Cross stam azoy.   I have donated blood many times but each time  only in 
response to announcements that so-and-so in my own community needed  blood -- a 
woman undergoing chemo, a baby having surgery etc. And for my  own son.   I 
was zocheh in each case to have the right blood  type.
 
I read somewhere that if everyone in the country donated blood just once  per 
lifetime, there would be no blood shortage.  So when the blood bank  calls me 
to donate again, I decline, because I figure I have already  done my share -- 
and will do again if needed.  
 
BTW for some men, and possibly some post-menopausal women, giving  blood may 
not be "harming yourself' and may actually have a health  /benefit/, because 
some people have too /much/ iron in their blood and when the  excess is not 
shed by menstruation or by giving blood, extra iron can be  harmful.  You could 
look it up (I'm too rushed to look it up myself right  now) or maybe some 
doctor here can confirm.

 


--Toby  Katz
=============



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