Letter to Jonathan Pollard

Those of you who visit the YeshivaWorld website recently came across an article by Rabbi Pesach Lerner asking people to write to him in prison. How many of you said, "nebech, nebech", and went on with your daily routine? And what percentage of you actually took the time to write a letter and post it to him? I was one of the latter group. The next day after reading Rabbi Lerner's request, a letter was on its way to the Butner prison. The following is what I wrote:

Dear Mr. Pollard,

The day after George Bush left office, I walked into my local kosher butcher store and saw a large sign hanging atop a wall with the words, “Free Pollard Now”. The store’s owner and I began discussing your predicament and expressed our disappointment that President Bush had not granted you a pardon. I would like you to know that you are in the thoughts of thousands of people and we will continue to pray for your release as early as possible.

I understand that there were tehilim gatherings on your behalf. I remember when I once attended a tehilim gathering for someone who was on death’s door. The rebbetzin leading the tehilim recitation, realizing that the situation was dire, didn’t want people to despair if their prayers went unheeded. So she prefaced the recitation with the thought that even if our prayers go unanswered for this man, the tehilim that we were reciting would be reaching Hashem and those prayers would be helping countless other individuals.

I am sure Hashem heard our heartfelt cries on your behalf. Because of you, thousands of Jews united and you have the zechut of bringing myriads to recite tehilim.

Last week, I listened to a shiur by Rabbi Wallerstein on torah.anytime.com. He spoke about a friend of his who worked for the chevra kadisha . Once, someone called him about burying a Russian Jew living in Brooklyn and he had to set about finding a minyan . The wife asked to speak at the funeral as noone else was able to give him a hesped as they didn’t know the deceased. The wife stood in front of the crowd and asked Hashem for forgiveness for being childless. Right after their wedding, they were sent to Siberia. As there was no mikveh, the wife remained spiritually impure for 16 years and the husband didn’t touch her all those years. When I heard that story, shivers ran down my spine. The steadfastness of this couple and their unrelenting pursuit to fulfill the mitzvot was incredible. I wondered why Hashem hadn’t brought the Mashiach already, based upon this couple’s deeds. And then I thought about this man, and how all the righteous souls would be lining up to welcome him in the World to Come. In this world, noone recognized his greatness and a minyan had to be organized on his behalf for the funeral ceremony.

What a warped world we live in, where greatness goes unrecognized and where depravity is revered. I told the story to an acquaintance and she related that there was an uncouth man to whom a great rabbi gave the utmost respect. She stated that the rabbi saw the soul while we only see the superficial.

May the merit of the tehilim recited on your behalf bring the ultimate redemption where moral clarity will be restored and you will be recognized by the great soul which is embodied within.

Sincerely yours,

If anyone has a half hour, don't miss out on israelnationalnews and the Tovia Singer show. In this segment Walid Shoebat (Shoebat.com) who spent his years terrorizing the Jewish State, exposes the virulent Jew hatred in Islamic sacred teachings.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/523

Candidates for Hashem

I was reading a post on LazerBeams this evening which succinctly summarized my views on the Israel election. He spoke about a candidate being discredited because he would ruin Israel's relations with USA. He went on to write, "The Beams proposes a new criteria: How about looking for a candidate that will improve our relations with Hashem? "
I don't live in Israel but, when I do move there, I intend to start a new political party. I am debating between the names "Achdus" and "Maleh" (Mi Lahashem Elai). Let's all join Hashem's party. There is a lack of rainfall this year and rabbis are calling on the public to increase prayers for rain. All sorts of highly technological solutions are being sought in order to prevent a severe water shortage. To me, the solution is simple. Carefully read the text of the shema. If we observe Hashem's commandments, G-d promises that he will bring rain in its right time. It's as simple as that.

Send a letter to Jonathan Pollard

The yeshivaworld website published a plea by Rabbi Pesach Lerner to continue efforts to obtain Jonathan Pollard's release, even though President Bush left office without pardoning him. His suggestions were:
"keep davening for the health and freedom of Yehonsson ben Malka
Please write him letters, letters of support, of chizuk, of divrei torah".
Letters should be sent to:
Jonathan Pollard
#09185-016
Fci Butner
Po Box 1000/ClemsonButner,
North Carolina
27509-1000 USA
I once heard a former prisoner speaking about his incarceration in prison. He said that when you visit a person in jail, it is like you are performing the mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim, because, during the time of your visit, the prisoner is let out of his cell.
Rabbi Lerner writes that Jonathan Pollard views these letters as oxygen. Let us take time to be mechayeh nefesh a fellow Jew and to release him from his solitary thoughts, albeit for a short time.

A must see. Jon Voight speaking about the Jewish nation.