In this similar thread, zev mentions a couple of times a jewish restriction against coming into contact with blood. His reference is to menstrual blood, but I’ve come across mentions in other writings about a general adversion to contact with blood.
What is jewish law on this subject?
This question isn’t in any way disrespectful, is it? If it is, please, smack it down.
Peace,
mangeorge
Jewish law bans sex during menstruation, and for seven days afterward. This is called the laws of family purity and is observed mostly by Orthodox Jews. Here is an article about it.
The other aversion to blood that you’ve come across might be the prohibition on eating blood. If you keep kosher and you’re going to eat meat, you have to buy meat that was slaughtered in a certain way, and that has had kosher salt put on it (and later washed off) to draw the blood out of the meat.
But I’ve read other references too, Anne. Like in books about the battlefield. I seem to remember something in Exodus (the novel) which I read around 40 years ago.
How could this be disrespectful? You asked a perfectly reasonable question.
OTTOMH Deuteronomy something or other “The blood is the life, and you shall not eat of it.”
So, no blood pudding or blood sausage. All kosher meat must have the blood removed. First, soak the meat in water for at half an hour. Then place the meat on a slanted surface, or one with holes. Cover every surface of the meat with salt to draw out any remaining blood. Let the meat sit for an hour. Rinse the salt off and cook the meat. Alternately, just broil the meat.
Menstrual blood is a matter of being unclean. This is true whether it is from a period, or childbirth. Passing through a cemetery and certain other things also make people unclean. After waiting a number days determined by the nature of the uncleanness, you go to a mikveh. This is a special kind of bath, used just for rendering people ritually clean. Preferably the mikveh is built on a natural body of water. If not, a mix of rain and tapwater may be used if certain procedures are followed. The mikveh is meant for spiritual cleansing. You are supposed to bathe thoroughly before you go. Remove all jewelry, make up, etc. The nails must be trimmed and cleaned. You say the right prayer and dunk yourself. Men generally do this alone. A woman may have another woman watch, to be sure that her hair is immersed instead of just floating on the surface. Presumably, a Jewish man with sufficiently long hair should have another man watch for the same reason.
Some Jews never set foot in a mikveh. Some folks go everyday. All converts must go to the mikveh as part of the conversion process. Among some Jews, there is a folk belief that going to a mikveh will help a woman conceive. But, AFAIK there is no Talmudic basis for this belief.
Human Blood In General
OTTOMH, I can’t remember any specific laws or customs connected with non-menstrual human blood. :smack: I can. The blood from a circumcision is considered unclean, but in more of a medical sense. These days, the blood is cleaned up with an oral syringe. In the past, the mohel may have soaked it up with a handkerchief or have sucked it up and spit it out into a handkerchief. Here the concern was that the blood was a source of infection or that excess blood might hide a possible problem.
Having another human bleed on you from a wound or bloody nose, does not AFAIK render you unclean in anything other than a medical/hygenic sense. A Jewish surgeon is not unclean.
An OB/GYN would likely be considered unclean if they came in contact with the menstrual blood of a patient. I’m sure Jewish law addresses this issue in regards to midwives. But, I have no idea what it says.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” It should be noted that this is an English translation, and some of the nuances are likely lost in translation.
This kind of puts the Kibosh on the “blood libel” eh?
(accusations of using blood-typically of gentile children-in the manufacture of passover matzohs)
I remember something about Zionists taking care not to get into the “filthy blood” of slain Palestinians, and worrying about non-combatants slinging pig blood on them.
There were also stories about Gypsies (Jewish) in Europe as jokingly mentioned by bizzwire.
I think I may have a bunch of fable and fiction mixed up with scant fact in my head. 
Mangeorge
That would be the first I’ve heard of Israelis considering Palestinian blood unclean. Considering the fact that many Israeli Jews can be distinguished from Palestinians only by the difference in the funny hats, believing Palestinian blood to be unclean would make no sense whatsoever.
The term gypsy is considered outdated and mildly offensive in the same way negro is. The proper term is Rom or Romani. There were (I don’t know if there still are) Jewish Romani. While the shtetl was walled off and curfews were enforced, Jews were at least allowed to live in houses, farm the land and settle. The Rom weren’t even allowed that.
Devout Jews see human blood as a part of the body, and they believe that the entire body should be buried. This results in Jewish volunteers who go to the site of suicide bombings, and soak up all the blood from the street, bus, etc. in special cloths. which are then buried.
As far as I know, they do not distinguish between blood of Jewish, Palestinian, or any other victims.
That’s it. That’s the dim image in my head. Nothing at all to do with unclean, but passerby being careful to avoid contact so the blood could be picked up and properly buried and not taken away on someone’s shoes or clothing.
The “slinging blood” thing probably came from hearing Amateur Militaty Strategisis spraying pig blood onto muslim enemies from a crop duster.
I’m glad I asked. Thanks.
In my social circle, years ago, the term “gypsy” was used mostly in a romantic context. Non of that “baby stealing” stuff for us. Guys named their cars Gypsy This, and Gypsy That.
Somebody better tell Carlos Santana. 