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Monday Morning: Rare Opportunity for Pidyon Shevuyim


rub.jpg5:00PM EST: [UPDATE IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] The following letter was submitted to YWN: 

Dear Chaver,

The Rubashkin family is well-known in our community for their Ahavas Yisroel and Tzedakah. Lamentably, charges against them have been complicated by the slander of a few former associates looking for revenge.

Tomorrow morning—Monday, November 3—a Pennsylvania judge will sentence R’ Moshe Rubashkin and his son.

It is not for us to act as judge and jury of our fellow Jews. What we can and must do is stand together in support of truth. In particular, it is our responsibility to show a secular judge, a skeptical legal system and a “gotcha” media that our community does not abandon its own.

Please show your support by attending tomorrow’s court proceedings. Rabbi Yosef Y. Jacobson will address the court, presided over by the Hon. Judge James Noah Gardner.

A bus from Crown Heights provided by the CHJCC will leave Crown and Kingston at 6:45 am and return after the sentencing. For additional information or ride options, please call Mendy Simon at: 917-445-8877.

Information to keep in mind:

Location:

United States District Court
Federal District of Pennsylvania
James A Byrne Federal Courthouse
601 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Time:  10:00 am
Case ID: 07498-1

Please give yourself enough time to pass security and be seated. Remember to bring picture ID for security clearance.

Due to the actions of those looking to hurt the Rubashkins, this case is no longer about the court’s charges, but about our community’s moral commitment to stand up for its own. The turnout at tomorrow’s sentencing will tell the world whether we will support a family that supports us or whether we have hung a fellow Jew out to dry.

UPDATE 8:00PM EST: Chabad website COLLive reports the following: On his way to pray in 770 and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Ohel, Rubashkin said: “Please daven for my son and myself. I am confident there will be a victory tomorrow and we’ll have a Seudas Hoda’ah. I will be revealing something special then.”

In November 2007 Rubashkin and his son Sholom Rubashkin were indicted on charges of illegal storage of hazardous waste in their Montex Textiles company, formerly located in Allentown, PA, without a permit, and one count of making a materially false statement.

Popular Chassidic preacher Rabbi Yossi Jacobson will address the court, presided over by the Hon. Judge James Noah Gardner.

An appeal for support was emailed to the community this evening saying the charges have been “complicated by the slander of a few former associates looking for revenge.”

The news website stated that the following figures are expected to attend the sentencing: Rabbi Avraham Osdoba, Rabbi Yitzchak Zirkind, Rabbi Shlomo Segal, Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky, Rabbi Yosef Rosenfeld, Rabbi Israel Shemtov, R’ Yingy Bistritzky and Mrs. Devorah Halberstam.

Please say Tehillim for Moshe Yaakov Menachem Halevi ben Rivka and Shalom Halevi ben Feiga Elka.

Tizku Limitzvos!



28 Responses

  1. It is for us to judge if someone is making a chillul hashem. Forget all of the crimes for which at this point they have only been accused of. THEY KNOWINGLY DEFAULTED ON A LOAN AND MOVED THE COLLATERAL MONEY TO AN OVERSEAS BANK, this alone is enough for us to be suspect of their character values and we should not support these actions as it is a MASSIVE Chillul Hashem.

  2. Where was the call for Jonathan Pollard? Where was the appeal for Gilad Shalit? They are deserving of our time and efforts.

    But this case? Lying to a Federal Grand jury? They deserve our pity, nothing more. We have to save our resources for those that do not create chillul Hashem, on a worldwide basis.

  3. Its the judges job to act as the Judge. What does the fact that Judge is secular have to do with anything.

    And who Paskened that this IS Pidyun Shevuyim?

  4. without commenting on the unfortunate reality of this case, i take issue with the headline of this article: it seems like these days the opportunities we have for “pidyon shevuyim” are becoming less and less rare. what does this say about us and our communities?

  5. This is not a case of pidyon shevuyim. This is a case of someone who didn’t follow dina malchusa dina and broke the law. Those laws are our laws and what he did hurt frum Jews as well.Now he must face the consequences of his actions. He is not a “captive” he is a law breaker.

  6. I know nothing about the case, but I resent all previous bloggers who seem to have passed sentence already. Where you in their office? Have you seen their account books? How can you be so sure that all the filth thrown at them is true? Don’t go to court if you don’t want to, but say a kapitel Tehillim. Or rather two. One for them and for for yourself that you should never be tested like they are!

  7. You all may be right about the facts but what is still the same is that this is akin to a modern day blood libel a many have gotten away with a lot worse crimes but in this case its a personal agenda of people from PETA and the likes whom where not happy with the rubashkins thumbing there nose at them (right or wrong doesent make a difference at this juncture ) so it is important to show your support for them and besides we will have a chicken and meat problem the likes we have never seen

  8. “It is not for us to act as judge and jury of our fellow Jews. What we can and must do is stand together in support of truth. ”

    Um, is it just me or do are they contradicting themselves here?

  9. R’ chaim Brisker and his son the Brisker Rav -the people with a lot of chumras sent people on SHABBOS to do save people that were accused of murder. Look in the new sefer on the Brisker rov. The British accused a Zionist of murdering another yid and the Brisker Rav sent a letter of Pidyon Shvuyim!

    Here noone is asking you to be mechalel shabbos. The guy never did you any harm personally. So why do you have to make it a big mitzvah to talk loshon hora about him. I’m sorry I meant motzi shem ra- How do you even know what is true and what is false?

    Since when does dina demalchusa dina mean that the judges are neviim. (I guess if they are neviim they must be in the category of shotim!)

  10. Why not daven for these people? It is definitely Pidyon Shevuyim even if they did something wrong.

    There are millions of drug addicts roaming the streets (including murderers, etc..), why don’t they focus on them for a change?

  11. What is this supposed to mean?

    “An appeal for support was emailed to the community this evening saying the charges have been “complicated by the slander of a few former associates looking for revenge.”’

  12. We need to help the jewish community of postville!!!

    The shochtim & mashgichim didn’t get paid for many weeks.
    The teachers & melamdim are in the same boat

    The cheder have no money for towels and shul he’s in very bad shape,

    They are working right now for free!
    Because the rubashkin have no many to pay.

    R wasmandel??
    CHK?
    OU ?

    No body cares

    We should call the rabbonim ( if we have any )R Wasmandel,CHK,OU and raise our voices and deman that the jewish workers get paid!!

    We should call or send emails to the state of iowa ,
    to the city of postville
    State senators etc
    We have to email the local and national papers that are arassing our comunity.

    They are destroing our livlehood !!!
    Expressing our absolute shock & our pain of the over the totaly out of goverment treatment of the rubashkin case !!
    The Union, Peta & reform jewish are trying not only to destroy agri but are trying to blemish the entire frum community !!

    Only stoping the un nessesary pain & saffering of our brothers & sister will stop this GZERA

  13. I just realized…if this is sentencing, it means they were already found guilty (it appears they plead guilty).

    How CAN that be Pidyun Shevuyim?

  14. Is anyone Yid’s blood more “RED” than another Yid blood?

    Every day there are yidden in court who are criminals and who are being sentenced, but we never get called for that.

    So obviously we are not being called to go to court merely because “he is a yid”.

    The real reason is because of money.

    And not everyone has so much money …

    V’Hamevin Yovin

  15. Tehilim should also be said for the idiotic comments above by fools who know not the meaning of Pidyun Shvuyim, that THEY should have a refuah.

  16. rachmonim bnei rachmonim please remember monday is the first day of bhab please say slichos & have some ahavas chinam. may we be zoche to greet moshiach speedily

  17. i find the various negative unsupportive comments ironic. I wonder If all the individuals spewing this hatred against another yid have the same anomosity for those who have caused the recent financial crisis. I dont hear an outcry for the ceo OF LEHMAN OF MORGAN OR WM to be put on trial. the reality is that despite dina dmalcusa the goverment conviently chooses whom to prosecuate and those not to without any inherent priciple of law. here we a yid whom may or may not be guilty but one thing is certain people be cautious kmaim ponim el ponim. if we cannot find mercy despite the fact that each and every year on yom kipper we plead for machila then we are all inherent hippocrates. dont be foolish davening for another yid is self preservation.

  18. I think it is an insult to the intelligence of the Honorary Judge James Noah Gardner, if we are going to BOMBARD the court room with tens of thousands of DEMONSTRATORS.

    In Crown Heights there are already thousands of of Lubavitchers who will come anyway, so there is no need to reach out to lakewood.

    Reaching out to the Yeshiva World means that you want tens of thousands?

    That is an insult to Judge James Noah Gardner, if you think you can FORCE the honorary Judge James Noah Gardner, to “twist arms” to influence Judicial Opinion based on a SHOW OF FORCE by the masses.

    I feel that the honorary Judge James Noah Gardner, is fully capable of deciding the RIGHT THING, without being bombarded by attempted forced influence, by thousands, filibustering the courtroom.

  19. Its unreal how people who know NOTHING have jumped to conclusions.

    Just because his name is Rubashkin does not mean that he is from Postville, Iowa. This case has NOTHING to do do with Agri meats. Yes, he is family, but has his own separate company.

    Some goyim in PA, hung this guy out for dry and it is Pidyun shvuyim and has nothing to do with dina dimalchuse, since he is innocent.

    GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!

  20. “Tomorrow morning—Monday, November 3—a Pennsylvania judge will sentence R’ Moshe Rubashkin and his son.”

    WHAT WAS THE GUY FROM POSTVILLES NAME???

    READ BEFORE YOU WRITE

  21. Yochi, # 23

    It is YOU who doesn’t know what you are talking about.

    He pleaded guilty, so he is obviously not innocent.

    Lets see if the Judge will feel pressured not to serve Justice just because there is a large crowd who condones his crimes.

  22. To #1,#2, #3, #5, and many others commenting here:
    I don’t know ALL the facts of this case and NEITHER DO YOU, but I DO SEE the lack of AHAVAS YISROEL YOU people possess! How shameful and what a Chillul Hashem YOU make!!! And THAT IS WHY we’re still in golus. Simply SINAS CHINAM! If for some reason YOU would have acted foolishly or for other reasons committed the same crime – illegal acts, and you would have been indicted, how would you feel when people would say that YOU made a chillul Hashem and dina d’malchusa dina? Ve’ahavta lere’acha komocha means that you should act to your fellow Jew the same way you’d want them to act towards YOU – in the same circumstances.

    #2 And Pollard did NOT break the law?

  23. In addition to my previous comment:
    #2 How can you compare Pollard to Shalit?

    While Pollard is sitting in jail because he broke the law, Shalit was “captured” by terrorists not by a government and will be released when the terrorists decide.

  24. I am sitting here at my comuter with tears rolling down my face. All these horrible comments of our fellow yid tell us that we are in such a horrific gollus. I am just a boro park lady that has nothing to do with lubavitch but my heart bleeds and cries for these poeple in trouble!!!! Hashem should have rachmunus on all of you for all the lashon hora you have written.(it is lashon hora even if it is true). We should be zoche to see the geulah soon!!!!

  25. nobody wants a Jew to sit in jail & yes, he & his son pled guilty. My guess is he will have jail time but as people said, he didn’t kill anyone. His name is definitely against him…with the judge, who knows if it’s guilt by association?

    I hope it works out for Mr. Rubashkin. I don’t know him but when you weigh up his “crime” against crimes committed by other people including frum Jews he really doesn’t deserve prison. Let him pay a massive fine, stop him from running a business again, but nobody will benefit if he’s off the streets. He didn’t abuse anyone!

    I will definitely have him in mind today in my Tefillos.

  26. The comment above in reference to Lubavitchers and Lakewood is very telling about the why Klal Yisroel is in this situation – unfortunately certainly part of yiddeshkeit havent learnt from the Churban yet.
    This is not an internal Hashkafa issue within the Jewish community.
    This issue deals with a Jewish person who quite frankly has a CHESKAS KASHRUS, and is alot better than any other corporate owner whether it be Walmart, some construction company, or any other corporation.
    I feel the SAME appeal should be made on behalf of our other brothers including Gilad and Jonathan, but at this moment if we can save a Jew from a sentence that the government could have accused ANY OTHER CEO of, but chose a JEW, than take advantage.

  27. ZevulunT # 25

    Ehhem, I actually DO know what I am talking about, just because you read soimething that does not mean you know the whole story.

    BTW, I keep on seeing your name pop up on the DIFFERENT Rubashkin stories, ALWAYS making negative comments.

    I hope that the Ribonoi Shel Oilam will have more rachmanus on you, than you have on a fellow Yid.

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