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Why Did Dati Leumi Roshei Yeshivos Ban Talmidim From Donating Blood?


The Roshei Yeshivos of a number of Dati Leumi yeshivos, including Har Hamor and Mitzpeh Ramon, have instructed their talmidim to refrain from donating blood through Magen David Adom until the original medical questionnaire form is restored, B’Sheva reported.

In recent months, the forms have been altered by several organizations, replacing the words “father” and “mother” with “parent 1″ and parent 1.”

An MDA vehicle normally travels to Dati Leumi yeshivos every three months to enable the talmidim to donate blood without leaving the area of their yeshivah.

A paper distributed to talmidim at one yeshivah states: “‘Parent 1′ and “parent 2’ appear on MDA medical questionnaire forms instead of ‘father’ and ‘mother.’ By order of the Rosh Yeshivah, all donations at the yeshivah are canceled and no talmid may, even privately, donate blood and sign this form until it is restored to normal.”

However, unfortunately, as evident by the following photo and information on Magen Dovid Adom’s Twitter account on Tuesday, it is possible that the forms will not be “restored to normal” anytime soon.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)



15 Responses

  1. The article fails to note whether or not these esteemed Roshei Yeshivos also instructed their talmidim to have their medical forms updated so if for some reason they are hospitalized, they will refuse to ACCEPT blood transfusions from MDA sources,

  2. A lot better than the US. I once donated blood to red cross. For most questions they just tell you to enter it on their computer screen but one question which they asked me verbally was “Are you a man or a woman?”

    They were obviously trying to make a point that we can’t tell and you can answer either one. Otherwise they would have just let me fill it in on the screen myself.

  3. I am impressed. If only all frum people, but most importantly all frum leaders, would voice their protest in one way or another it would be a kiddush Hashem.

    I think it would be a good idea to open “kosher” blood banks.

  4. As usual, “dorah” has the anti-Torah perspective on the matter.

    To be party to a chilul Hashem in signing a form that promotes toeva is obviously wrong.

    To G-d forbid accept blood in a life-threatening situation without determining who was the blood donor, which anyways cannot be determined, is very different.

  5. it is possible that the forms will not be “restored to normal” anytime soon. Until the blood shortage becomes too critical.
    My bigger concern is & should be, that since in Israel the only way of being insured to receive blood if the need arises, is by being a donor {which then also covers one’s children under 18 & parents over 65} that no-one should loose their coverage, but כל-הכבוד to these amazing חשוב ראשי-ישיבות for standing up for what is right

  6. Mother , Father is the only wording, parent, sister brother etc…all other language runs to the fool hardy plastic life of Gays and other rainbows who do not fit into the profile describing the human race….shame on you Israel for falling into the trap of goyem

  7. Gadolha – accepting blood to save a life is pikuach nefesh. Giving is not a specific chiyuv, as there are millions of chilonin who give – nobody will be in sakanah if for a short time one segment of the population stops donating. It would take a while for the effects of a loss of donation to be felt.

    Your comparison is completely missing this distinction.

  8. 1) Maybe they indeed so instructed them.
    2) And if they did not, gadolhadorah, maybe, just perhaps, it was their decision, based on their daas Torah, to do so. You are perhaps entitled to disagree AFTER being made aware of the reasons, (which we clearly do not have since we don’t even know what their instructions were regarding receiving blood).
    3) The problem is NOT donating blood to such an organization. The problem is the implied agreement with the hashgafah of the form. For a Yeshivah bochur to even passively agree to such apikursis (the Torah after all states clearly there are men and women) is wrong. Al achas kamah v’kamah to fill out such a form. But to receive blood from an anonymous donor who may not even know better? Can a Yid receive blood from a notzri or a muslum? Of course they can! So why should this be any different? It’s the signing on the form which is the issue.
    Now if you just want to negate the value of these Roshei Yeshivah or questions their ability to decide on such matters with dei’ah, binah and seichel. Go right a head, but do not hide behind frumkeit.

  9. how sad that any frum jew shouldn’t understand, that if the “proud” community can stand up for their “rights” and ask that society take into account their feelings. as religious jews that believe that this type of lifestyle is prohibited, and etc, why can’t we stand up for our right in society, or does Gadolhadorah feel intimadated by proper halachic rulings THIS one can’t be more clear cut

  10. Gadolhador, I hope you agreed to donate your organs when you time comes, so you shouldn’t worry about receiving a transplant if its ח”ו needed!
    If Roshei Hayeshiva decided that this goes against halacha or even hashkafa who are you to decide to publicly question their hadracha to their talmidim.
    This is how social media has destroyed our emunas chachumim. Befitting that you consider yourself Gadolhador to accept such responsibility. Shame on you and shame on YWN for allowing your comment.

  11. A Kiddush Hashem! Hashem does not tolerate such hashchasa in E’Y. The consequences are scary if we don’t speak out on how these toeiva ideas are making inroads into Eretz Hakedosha R”L

  12. This article fails to note whether or not Gadolhadorah spoke at length with these esteemed Roshei Yeshivos to properly understand all of their chesbonos.

  13. A few things:
    1) The Yeshivot and Rabbanim in question here are not Dati Leumi. They are Chardali – Charedi Leumi. Yes, there is such a thing. (They are basically Charedim who served in the army until Rav Shach kicked them out of the Charedi community in the 1990s. They’re Charedi in all respects other than with regard to the State of Israel and the IDF.)
    2) The Rav at the top, Rav Tau, is known for his political party basically being the Israeli equivalent of the Westboro Baptist Church – minus the showing up at funerals to protest.
    3) Arutz Sheva is biased the same way Ha’aretz is, just in the other direction. It would behoove YWN staff to keep that in mind.

    Keeping all that mind, I wouldn’t take this too seriously (even if I think MDA may be losing its marbles if it decides to follow the Red Cross with this nonsense).

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