In the 1973 Yom Kippur war, many IDF soldiers were taken captive. Do the same pidyon shvuyim guidelines apply, or are there unique considerations when we are dealing with soldiers?

Credits:
Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper – Pardes Faculty… Read the rest

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If terrorists demand the release of other terrorists in order to free hostages, is this a case of pidyon shvuyim? Perhaps this scenario should be considered under a different legal rubric?

Credits: Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper – Pardes Faculty… Read the rest

The post Pidyon Shvuyim Episode 7: Releasing Terrorists to Free Hostages first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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In this episode, we recap remarkable the story of the 1970 Dawson’s Field hijackings and explore the reactions of American rabbis.

Credits: Rabbi Levi Cooper – Pardes Faculty

 … Read the rest

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Israel requested that the International Committee of the Red Cross visits our brothers and sisters who are held hostage in Gaza. Do we have precedents in the annals of Jewish history for visiting captives?

Credits: Rabbi Levi Cooper – Pardes … Read the rest

The post Pidyon Shvuyim Episode 5: Contact with the Outside first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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Was there ever a time that our people left a hostage in captivity? For this episode, we travel to 13th century Germany.

Credits: Rabbi Levi Cooper – Pardes Faculty… Read the rest

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How did the 16th century Cairo Jewish community react to kidnap situations? And how did rabbinic leaders explain the community’s conduct?

Credits: Rabbi Levi Cooper – Pardes Faculty… Read the rest

The post Pidyon Shvuyim Episode 3: The People Act first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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Should we be willing to pay any price to secure the release of captives? Surely, paying overpriced ransoms incentivises terrorists?

Credits: Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper – Pardes Faculty

 … Read the rest

The post Pidyon Shvuyim Episode 2: Exorbitant Ransoms & Life-Threatening Incarceration first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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The Maggid of Melbourne opens this series with a look at the centrality of securing the release of hostages. Why is this considered such an important mitzvah?

Credits: Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper – Pardes Faculty

 … Read the rest

The post Pidyon Shvuyim Episode 1: Lauded Objective first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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On Rosh Hodesh Heshvan (October 15-16, 2023) – just over a week after the Simhat Torah massacre – the Boyaner Rebbe, Rabbi Nachum Dov Brayer (b. 1959) dispatched a book of prayers to his hasidim who have children or spouses … Read the rest

The post Embracing Our Soldiers first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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In dark times, it is difficult to see the glow of holiness; blackness covers any speck of light and a sense of gloom is pervasive. This is an all-too-familiar feeling for us in these times. A hasidic perspective on winter … Read the rest

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On October 7, as Jews around the world were celebrating Simchat Torah, terrorists crossed into Israel attacking communities across southern Israel. While left reeling from the pain of this tragedy, many of us are wondering, how do we pray during … Read the rest

The post Torah for Tough Times: Images of Atrocities – A Torah Perspective first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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