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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>From: "Eli Turkel" <eliturkel@gmail.com><BR>>>Someone claimed
that donating blood to the Red Cross is against halacha<BR>since one is "harming
oneself" and most receipients are nonJewish.<BR>Seemed strange to me as most
poskim allow even violating shabbat on behalf<BR>of a NonJew because of possible
sinah. Why would donating blood be any<BR>different?<BR>Any opinions (piskei
halachot) ?<<<BR><BR>-- <BR>Eli Turkel</FONT></DIV><FONT
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><B><BR></B><BR><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============</B></FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at <A title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000339" href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000339" target="_blank"><B>AOL.com</B></A>. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>