# Blood drinking Jews **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035 "2008-01-10T21:44:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![t-mobileguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@t-mobileguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-mobileguy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035/1 "2008-01-10T21:44:58Z")
I have a question about kosher dietary laws. I know I’m supposed to post these things on Friday nights but I’m busy tomorrow. 😉 I’m Jewish myself but don’t keep kosher, and a question came up the other day I was unable to answer. I know (I think I’m right, please correct me if I’m wrong) That Kosher laws say that we can’t consume the blood of any animal. That is why when my Grandmother used to prepare steakes she would salt them first, let them drain, wash them off then cook them till they were well done. My question comes from this act of not eating the blood. If I was to cut my finger, then stick it in my mouth (I know it’s gross and wrong and dirty, but hey it happens) am I breaking the laws? Are they taking into account the intent of consuming blood or just the fact that blood entered your mouth? Thanks for the help \*I’m sorry if the title offends anyone I was just trying to be clever ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035/2 "2008-01-10T21:50:24Z")
Supposedly some Jews still use their mouths to clean off the blood from circumcisions. I would guess that getting blood in your mouth isn’t per se wrong. But IANARabbi. [Cite](http://www.forward.com/articles/9654/) ---
**Author:** ![ArmenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ArmenE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArmenE)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035/3 "2008-01-10T22:47:40Z")
[QUOTE=Lobohan] Supposedly some Jews still use their mouths to clean off the blood from circumcisions. I would guess that getting blood in your mouth isn’t per se wrong. But IANARabbi. [Cite](http://www.forward.com/articles/9654/) [/QUOTE] You don’t have to drink the dick blood after it’s sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035/4 "2008-01-10T22:51:18Z")
[QUOTE=Lobohan] Supposedly some Jews still use their mouths to clean off the blood from circumcisions. I would guess that getting blood in your mouth isn’t per se wrong. But IANARabbi. [Cite](http://www.forward.com/articles/9654/) [/QUOTE] Crikey, that seems like a really bad idea - not the ick factor, the infection risk - getting saliva in wounds is a great way to infect them with assorted quite nasty bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035/5 "2008-01-10T22:53:36Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Crikey, that seems like a really bad idea - not the ick factor, the infection risk - getting saliva in wounds is a great way to infect them with assorted quite nasty bacteria. [/QUOTE] Don’t other mammals lick their wounds? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035/6 "2008-01-10T22:58:15Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Don’t other mammals lick their wounds? [/QUOTE] They do, but I don’t think it’s advisable for humans. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-drinking-jews/433035/7 "2008-01-11T01:51:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Crikey, that seems like a really bad idea - not the ick factor, the infection risk - getting saliva in wounds is a great way to infect them with assorted quite nasty bacteria. [/QUOTE] Viruses, too, according to the [cite](http://www.forward.com/articles/9654/): "The circumcision procedure, known in Hebrew as _metzitzah b’peh_, is alleged by New York City health officials to have caused at least seven herpes infections in newborn infants in recent years, at least one of which resulted in death. "