Welcome to Divrei Chizuk!
pidyon shvuyim
 

 Please help and get all to sign this important Mitzva
pidyon shvuyim 
 
merican value.) Indeed, the Talmud (Bava Batra 8b) calls pidyon shvuyim a "mitzvah rabbah" (= great mitzvah) and says that captivity is worse than starvation and death. Maimonides rules that he who ignores ransoming a captive is guilty of transgressing commandments such as "you shall not hearden your heart" (Deut. 15:7); "you shall not stand idly by the blood of your brother" (Lev. 19:16); and "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev. 19:18). (Maimonides, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 8:10 = Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 252:2). And one who delays in ransoming a captive, is considered like a murderer (Yoreh Deah 252:3). Indeed, Maimonides himself wrote letters exhorting his fellow Jews to redeem captives and collected money for pidyon shvuyim. The Cairo Genizah contains receipts to Jews who donated funds for that purpose written by Maimonides himself! (See the Bibliography, Section I, 10.) 

With the affirmation of the 8'th circuit of the draconian 27 year sentence, Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin is in dire need of the public's help. They could play a vital role in raising awareness this just cause, with a click here- White House petition calling for an investigation into prosecutorial and judicial misconduct that currently has almost 26,000 signatures.    click here-The petition, part of a recently launched program by the Obama administration to allow private citizens to have their causes heard by the White House, is currently the third most popular petition on the White House site. Producer Danny Finkelman, whose credits include Unity for Justice and The Japan Song is attaching his voice to the great many people and organization's who have called on the public to come out in force, sign the petition and push Rubashkin to the top of the list, in the hopes that the Obama administration will take note of the public outcry at the miscarriage of justice that has permeated this case from day one.

With the words of the Rambam who said that there is no greater mitzvah than that of Pidyon Shvuyim echoing in his ears, Finkleman, superstar Lipa Schmeltzer, several of the Rubashkin children and members of the Airmont Shul teamed up to produce a short YouTube clip, imploring each and every member of the public not to go to Shul on Yom Kippur without doing their part to help Sholom Rubashkin, by signing the White House petition.

The most popular petition on the White House site currently has over 50,000 signatures, but Finkelman thinks this couldcould get more by raising awareness..

"Now more than ever, just days before Yom Kippur, when our fates are about to be sealed, each and every one of us can create a tremendous zechus for ourselves and our families, by helping Sholom Mordechai and his family," explained Finkelman. "Take a moment, sign the petition. It may be a big factor in the ultimate Geulah for Sholom Mordechai."

Click HERE to sign the petition, now.

Gmar Chasima toiva for you and your family.

 
click here to forward
Tizku L'Mitzvos