Comments on: Ransom and results http://www.yourish.com/2006/09/15/2016 Cutting straight to the point Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:10:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: LynnB http://www.yourish.com/2006/09/15/2016/comment-page-1#comment-21412 LynnB Sat, 16 Sep 2006 03:09:54 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2006/09/15/2016#comment-21412 Thanks, David. Our sages were wise. And yet, this is a bad precedent in itself. Israel has, of course, in the past released recidivist terrorists in order to reclaim remains of previously murdered kidnapped soldiers. And news travels faster and further today. Thanks, David. Our sages were wise.

And yet, this is a bad precedent in itself. Israel has, of course, in the past released recidivist terrorists in order to reclaim remains of previously murdered kidnapped soldiers.

And news travels faster and further today.

]]> By: David Gerstman http://www.yourish.com/2006/09/15/2016/comment-page-1#comment-21326 David Gerstman Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:22:28 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2006/09/15/2016#comment-21326 It's an extended discussion in the Talmud as to whether one should ransom hostages or not. The general principle is that they should not be ransomed because they'll only encourage the non-Jews to take more hostages. In a famous case a 13th century Rabbi, the Maharam of Rutenberg was jailed and the government asked for an exbortitant sum for his release. He refused to allow the community to ransom him - lest it encourage the government - and died in jail. Only after his death did a wealthy Jew pay to reclaim his remains for a proper burial. It’s an extended discussion in the Talmud as to whether one should ransom hostages or not. The general principle is that they should not be ransomed because they’ll only encourage the non-Jews to take more hostages.

In a famous case a 13th century Rabbi, the Maharam of Rutenberg was jailed and the government asked for an exbortitant sum for his release. He refused to allow the community to ransom him – lest it encourage the government – and died in jail. Only after his death did a wealthy Jew pay to reclaim his remains for a proper burial.

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