Do Orthodox Jews reject blood transfusions ? because of the scriptures, they strictly believe ? (page 2)

Fisherman

It is funny how it only takes one judge and 12 window washers to convict a man to die. According to Rabbinical law, it took 71 men, experts in law, to make such an adjudication, and if the verdict was unanimous (guilty) the man went free. But if he was condemned -no pit stop- he went directly from the temple (where the Sanhedrin met) to the place of execution and executed on the spot. After the Sanhedrin was moved to Jabne, they could not technically fulfill the legal requirements to execute anyone. According to Jewish law, even while Israel was under Gentile rule, any Jew desecrating Sabbath had to be stoned ( as long as the Temple stood.) When Israel was sovereign, even Gentiles could not publicly desecrate the Sabbath although they were not under Jewish law; Gentiles had to show respect.

TheWonderofYou

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090407123337AAOK3js

http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/45495/if-consuming-blood-is-prohibited-can-jews-accept-blood-transfusions

It therefore follows that if a Jew is in need of blood and one refuses to give, he is in violation of “lo sa’amod al dam re’echa” (Shearim Metzuyanim B’halacha 190)

http://www.torahmusings.com/2010/11/blood-donations-according-to-halacha/

http://www.jewishtreats.org/2012/01/blood-is-life.html

If we could save one J.W. life with those explanations, it would be fine, but where shall one launch into?

Blood transfusion allowed in Islam

http://archive.islamonline.net/?p=1326

http://samsonblinded.org/blog/blood-infusion-in-judaism.htm

smiddy

Thanks for the reply guys ,their is a lot of food for thought to go through , as a brief over-view it demonstrates the WT ,is just another man made interpretation of selected scripture.s they use and they completely miss the point , the intent/purpose of the scripture VS the application/interpretation of the said scripture .

Fisherman

The way Judaism is set up (seems to me) is that even if an act of idolatry would be required by Caesar from a Jew or death penalty -survival comes first- Torah would need to be interpreted in such a way to allow the idolatrous act. In the above posted linked commentary, it is stated by the chazal that the Sabbath should not be desecrated to save the life of a Gentile who is about to die without help -it is forbidden- but nevertheless the Sabbath should not be not treated as Holy, and a Gentile who is "pikuach nefesh" on the Sabbath should be rescued by a jew -not because non-jewish human life is worth more than keeping the Sabbath (based upon interpretation of the "sages") - but because of the risk to Jewish life if the Gentile is not rescued from the pit, and that is why it is not mechalel Shabat for a Jew to work to save the life of a Gentile on the Sabbath.

Fisherman

On the other hand, although the Mishnah (see reference in the linked essay) forbids Jews from working on the Sabbath for the purpose of saving an avodah sarah, a Jew is required to violate the Sabbath anyway for the purpose of saving a human (idolatrous Jews -compare shituf with avodah zarah- are also viewed as Gentiles) life (see Rambam commentaries) and it all works out. So in this case involving Jewish "oral law" it can be noted that Jewish selfishness results in benefit to the non-Jew (actually to all humans since Noachide are not -or should not be- idolatrous. (-But then again since Noachide are not required to keep the Sabbath neither should they benefit from Jewish laws that honor the Sabbath and that is one reason why "idolatrous" in Yoma refers to all Gentiles including Noachide.)

TheWonderofYou

Rabbi Steinsaltz speaking about

"The value of human life".

"Life's value: Ethical dilemmas 1+2"

"Man's responsibilty to heal"

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz is a teacher, philosopher, social critic, and spiritual mentor, who has been hailed by Time magazine as a "once-in-a-millennium scholar".[1] He has devoted his life to making the Talmud accessible to all Jews.[2] Originally published in modern Hebrew, with a running commentary to facilitate learning, his Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud[3] has also been translated into English, French, Russian and Spanish. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adin_Steinsaltz)

Comment by Adin Steinsaltz about cults that sacrifice their children, in his post "Cult trangress basic universal belief"

When parents sacrifice their children, or kill them indirectly, there is something deeply wrong with the group. For both rational and emotional reasons, a deed like this is shatters our basic, universal belief system; a person who commits such a deed can be forgiven only in a clear case of insanity. See Deuteronomy 12:31.

In the comments section I found some comments about Watchtower and JWs

https://www.onfaith.co/onfaith/2009/04/02/cults-transgress-basic-universal-beliefs/7671

____

The value of human life

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/3406561/jewish/The-Value-of-Human-Life.htm

Ethical dilemmas 1+2

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/3406638/jewish/Lifes-Value-Ethical-Dilemmas.htm

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/3406641/jewish/Ethical-Dilemmas-for-Prioritizing-Life.htm

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/3406563/jewish/Mans-Responsibility-to-Heal.htm