We have finally made it. Yep, we Orthodox Jews finally have kosher facilities in the American penal system. Religious Jews of all stripes who have committed crimes can now enjoy kosher cuisine while serving out their criminal sentences. Frum Jews are now a significant part of or prisoner population There are even Minynim there… three times a day! What an achievement!
We’ve all seen the media reports, whether on a TV screen or in a newspaper: Religious Jews, wearing Kipot or black hats, or dressed in Kapotehs… being arrested.
Much of this stems from factors that have been discussed here in various incarnations many times. Factors like the belief that it is halachicly permissible to cheat non-Jews. There is also the fact that our educational systems do not have enough emphasis on Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Chaverio.
Lest anyone think I am singling out Charedi criminals, I am not. One of the more recent scandals involved a wealthy real estate developer strongly identified with Modern Orthodoxy. And there is also the case of Jack Abramoff.
In an article* discussing this issue, several high-profile crimes were highlighted. Let us note some of them. The New Square scandal is the first one mentioned. Four Chasidim were convicted of defrauding the government of 11 million dollars. They set up a fictitious yeshiva to receive federal funds. In another case pointed out a day school principal stole 6 million dollars by claiming 80 fictional employees of the school.
In my own city of Chicago a few years ago there was an up and coming Frum young entrepreneur who started donating huge sums of money for various projects. He was caught laundering money for the Colombian drug cartel. He dragged down with him a Frum lawyer who spent time in jail and lost his license to practice law. The businessman is now in the witness protection program. Both he and his lawyer lost their wives and children. They divorced their husbands. Why did this businessman do that? Why did the lawyer help him? They obviously had enough values to be observant of Mitzvos Bain Adam L’Makom. What gave him the idea that it was OK to launder drug money? What gave the lawyer the idea that it is OK to somehow cover it up?
Why are religious people acting this way? Whose Hashkafos are they following? Whose Psak do they rely on? These are people who are sometimes amongst the most prominent of their community. They are people who are often scrupulous to buy only Mehadrin food, drink only Chalav Yisroel, or buy the most Mehudar Esrog. And they are often big Baalei Tzedaka.
Why is it so easy for them to just steal from the government or in some cases even defraud totally innocent non-Jews?
I think part of the answer can be found right here in the comments section in portions of this blog. Whenever the is a discussion of these issues there are always those who try and rationalize or even excuse the behavior. Or who try and actually give sources for it in Halacha!
What’s worse is when a renowned rabbinic leader refuses to publicly condemn such behavior and explains that that there is some Halachic basis for doing so. This all serves to encourage some people to lie, cheat, and steal if they think they can get away with it.
Hence… we have Minyanim 3 times a day in federal prisons. And we have religious social organizations demanding “criminal rights!” …kosher food for “religious” criminals in prison… And they are successful.
How wonderful! We can now be proud that we have been able to provide for our Frum prisoner element. What a Kiddush HaShem!
* Unfortunatley I no longer have the URL but if anyone knows it I will insert it into this post.
