How Chabad Views Rubashkin: A Prisoner Like The Hebrews In Egypt

Details:

Workers forced to work 17 hour days with no overtime pay and no extra breaks. More than 9300 counts of child labor violations. Egregious safety violations. Taxes and insurance premiums deducted from employees' pay checks but premiums and taxes not paid. Workers regularly shorted pay. Workers forced to pay for their own safety equipment. Homeless workers. Starving workers.

All this and all Chabad see is an "innocent" man persecuted  by "evil forces."

From our friends at CrownHeights.info:

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Author: Webby
Published: February 05 2009

When initiating a conversation, current events are always a good icebreaker. But this morning, one of the stories that my friend and I discussed was a heartbreaker.

For nearly three months, Mr. Sholom M. Rubashkin, a fellow Jew and a sweetheart of a man, was imprisoned. Denied bail, it was his bond with G-d and faith that sustained him. As Mr. Rubashkin is an observant Jew and a sensitive soul, the trials that he endured leave one with an uneasy feeling of guilt. Accused, but far from convicted, Sholom was incarcerated as if he had committed crimes against humanity. Reading the reports of clergy who visited him through a plexiglass window, one wonders how our government could punish a man only accused of white-collar, with a choke collar.

A mother of ten, Mrs. Leah Rubashkin was the single member of the family permitted to visit their detained breadwinner. However even she could not see her husband in the flesh. Rather, they met via the wonders of modern technology, catching glimpses of each other on a two-way monitor. A devout man, Sholom starved on some days as the meal schedule conflicted with his prayer timetable. One New York rabbi related a conversation he had with the inmate: “When I met with Sholom, he was drinking water from a plastic container. He apologized, explaining that he does not drink water from a bathroom sink and that the only time that he can get fresh water is when someone visits him.”

A ruling by Magistrate Jon Stuart Scoles on November 20, five days after Sholom's detainment, cited Israel's law of return as grounds for incarcerating Mr. Rubashkin while awaiting trial. Sholom was not allowed to work on his case at home: “Under Israel's Law of Return, any Jew and members of his family who have expressed their desire to settle in Israel will be granted citizenship.” With this judgement, a citizen of the United States was treated as a dangerous foreign national, and the nation that was created as a haven for Jews was further legitimized. Thank G-d that last week, after a lengthy and traumatic ordeal, the appeal system reversed the biased decision.

As the weekly section of scripture reported myriads of Jews exiting Egyptian bondage in the great Exodus, local papers announced the good news. Sholom Rubashkin was released from his own restraints.

Upon learning the news, there was a sense of excitement in the greater Jewish community. Most people understood that a miracle has taken place, albeit through the timely and painful method of being clothed in natural proceedings. The euphoria could be sensed in synagogues and private homes, as men toasted L'chaim. Commiserating women took a cue from our current Torah reading, and offered thanks to G-d.

To be sure, while the story of legions of Hebrews leaving Egypt for the first time in over two hundred years is a high point in the Jewish faith, it was the miracle at the Red Sea that sealed their freedom. Shortly after their glorious departure from that depraved land, their oppressors took chase to reclaim the liberated Tribes of Israel. It took the miraculous division of the Red Sea to secure Israel's parting from Egypt.

While Sholom Rubashkin will enjoy his children's company this Shabbat, he is still being pursued by dangerous forces. However, the believer is familiar with the end of the story. With the Egyptian chariots taking chase behind them and a vast sea impeding their forward march, the Hebrews were stuck somewhere between a rock and a hard place. Moses stood up and called on them to stand firm and witness the salvation of the rock of Israel. The sea miraculously split, and the Hebrews were free.

As Sholom was reunited with his family, his loving wife Leah offered a prayer to reporters that, “We should experience the ultimate freedom with the coming of the Messiah.” With a miracle akin to the splitting of the Red Sea in store for the Rubashkins, may Leah's fervent prayer be fulfilled. And may the knowledge of G-d finally fill the earth as the waters cover the seabed.

Posted By - Webby on 02/05/09 at 16:55

PDF: Download CrownHeights.info-- Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Comments

[Hometown Postville]

Late breaking news.....
Mississippi River overflows in flood of the millenium. Everything destroyed over 30 miles away EXCEPT the home of SMR in Postville, IA which was found miraculously in one piece, having floated to the top of Pike's Peak, a popular riverbluff lookout in nearby McGregor. SMR was interviewed as he watched his ten children frolic with pairs of deer, turkeys, foxes, and other wildlife saved from extinction. "I have overcome the dangerous forces. Now it will become obvious to everyone who I REALLY am!!!!"

[Sar Casm (State of Postville 2)]

"...a fellow Jew and a sweetheart of a man..."

Yes sir, a real sweetheart of a man. This sweetheart of a man should be honored by all the world as a shining example of how a truly pious person treats his fellow man and his community.

The city of Postville should re-name all their streets "Rubashkin Road" for all the great things he has done for this community.

Mayor Penrod should award him the Key to the City for all he has done to help drive the city of Postville to the brink of bankruptcy.

The Guatemalan Government should make him an honorary citizen for all he has done to assist the poor people who worked for him. They liked working for him so much, they worked overtime without pay, gave up their vacations, and even paid his supervisors extra money from their own checks because they were so happy they had jobs.

His happy employees were so satisfied and so grateful, even when they got hurt, they would rather leave their job than force this sweetheart of a man to use the company insurance to see to their needs.

He so loved and cherished the people who worked for him, it's rumored around the world he even helped some of those poor immigrants obtain their documentation so they could stay and give their all to further this sweetheart of man's personal wealth. Some families were so dedicated to working for this sweetheart of a man, they even begged him to let their children work for him.

To call Sholom Rubashkin a sweetheart of a man is not enough. Words fail even me at this point. I cannot begin to describe my elation and gratitude to this man and his cronies for all the good things they have done for my city.

They turned a small midwestern ghost town full of starving, hopeless farmer-citizens into a shining example of well maitained homes with real estate prices fetching far above the norm for this part of the state. And all under the auspices of this sweetheart of a man.

And, after the horrific raid staged to discredit this sweetheart of a man with false accusations and rumored allegations to destroy his company by taking away the majority of his labor force who were so grateful to be here working for him, did he become bitter? No!

This sweetheart of a man reached out to labor supply companies across the country and the world to bring in the homeless, the poor, and the substance dependant with a promise of green pastures and idyllic working conditions. He made sure they had places to live and could live together with their friends, sometimes MANY of their friends and be happy at home as well as at work. When some of these people turned on him for reasons unknown, biting the very that was feeding them, he reached across the world to tiny island paradise of Palau to offer those poor, wretched savages a better life in America.

It is difficult for me to continue at this point, I am so choked by emotion and unadulterated admiration for this sweetheart of a man, but I must continue his praises.

On November 14th, 2008, the plant was forced to close and none of the employees could be paid. It was Sabbath eve, and I know this sweetheart of a man was devestated because he was unable to go door to door and check on his beloved employees to see if they were OK. He could not assist with the relief efforts to see that his empoloyees were warm and had food. I was in town to help that first night when the plant closed and heard first-hand the plaintive wailings of this sweetheart of a man's employees, "Where is Sholom? He is our great benefactor and our provider. We know he wants to help us. Where is he...we need him so!"

Oh Sholom, Sholom. How can I ever tell you how much the things you have done for Postville and the world will ring in my memory and serve as an ispiration I will pass along to my children and grandchildren as an example of how to live their lives.

If only all of us could be as great as this sweetheart of a man. All the things he has done for his fellow Jews who keep Kosher, the things he has done to further the ethnic diversity and unabashed love every citizen of Postville shows their fellow man, regardless of race creed or color.

Communities like Indianapolis, Chicago, Houston, and Minneapolis, to name but a few, will long hear his praises sung through the voices of the homeless, hopeless and needy he gave hope to while they worked here in Postville.

And an entire nation, the tiny island of Palau, once unaware of the painful sting of anti-semitism, will thank him forever for opening their blind eyes.

"A sweetheart of a man"...words that don't do justice. My efforts to praise this man in this short post are pitiful and will never do justice to this man's great work in Postville.

Sholom, should you read this, please know I can never adequately express my adoration of the way you have helped this town. I will say this in closing; the future will know your selfless work - your legacy will live on forever in my heart and the hearts of my fellow citzens.

Thank-you, sweetheart.

[sage]

Incredible!!!!

Maybe this can be inscribed on a plaque and given as an appropriate gift for SMR to hang on the wall of his prison cell.

[WoolSilkCotton]

CrownHeights.info is just a mouthpiece for the Rubashkins. Plenty of people in CH are aware that the family are a bunch of crooks and thugs. But people are too afraid to speak out against them.
In fact, they stumble over one another trying to praise the Rubashkins, like a massive tuches-lekking contest. Reminds me of the way Italians in Howard Beach kept kissing the Gotti family's butts.

[State of Postville 2]

sage -

In a gilded prison cell.

A Mountain Dew and Vodka spring welling forth in one corner.

A never-ending video loop of all his fervent supporters singing his praises in the other corner.

And a ceiling open to the Heavens to which he will ultmately ascend.

[State of Postville 2]

WSC -

That's a strong and valid point. It is that same silence that allowed the situation here in Postville to deteriorate as far as it has.

It is high time those who have been afraid to speak out, start speaking!

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

Its just a scam to get people to send in money to that Rubashcan legal defense kitty.

I remember when Jerry Lewis first started doing his Muscular Dystrophy telethon on Labor Day weekend, and it was only on in a few cities. Each year, at some point he started talking about the Holocaust, and the amount of money pledged suddenly rose dramtically. (Of course, they could have fixed the numbers.) What the Holocaust has to do with a disease, I don't know.

People do respond to these kinds of appeals.

[concerned]

Help;
I need some information on Rabbi Ozer Bergman. my wife wants to go see him speak about some guy named Rabbi Nachman of Bresnev and learn about "Hitbodedut" Please tell me what this is and if it is bad. I need help

[Curious Postville Native]

Re: Comparison-Sholom's incarceration/[Egyptian bondage in the great Exodus,]

Moses weeps tears of shame!

I am appalled by the mere implication. Perhaps, his followers are a bit confused. Apparently, these people fail to grasp the difference, with reference to-incarceration and incarnation.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Stores to Introduce Separate Entrances for Men and Women

http://www.vosizneias.com/26997/2009/02/06/jerusalem-stores-to-introduce-separate-entrances-for-men-and-women/

[Curious Postville Native]

I would like to thank the commenter who gifted me with the DVD-'Quest for the Lost Tribes'.

I will be enjoying its content tomorrow.
I consider the kind gesture you have extended to me, very special.

[Shmarya]

Help;
I need some information on Rabbi Ozer Bergman. my wife wants to go see him speak about some guy named Rabbi Nachman of Bresnev and learn about "Hitbodedut" Please tell me what this is and if it is bad. I need help

He appears to be a Breslover hasid who teaches at a Carlebach yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Hitbodedut is meditation.

There is a brief bio of him here:

http://www.shlomoyeshiva.org/teachers/

[Max]

"For nearly three months, Mr. Sholom M. Rubashkin, a fellow Jew and a sweetheart of a man,..."

One might add, a fellow human being, a crook, a cheat and a liar.

Thanks Sar casm.

[yidandahalf]

"He apologized, he doesn't drink water from a bathroom sink." I notice many of the usual commentors are silent on this thread. Perhaps when "the waters cover the seabed" we will come round. Who is this Webby character? Can't they find anyone else to write for them? It's past ridiculous, it's a fucking scream.

[Yisroel Pensack]

"How Chabad Views Rubashkin: A Prisoner Like The Hebrews In Egypt" Is this what is called role reversal? I see the entire scenario in the same context, with Rubashkin & Co. playing the part of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

[sage]

Very appropriate observation.

Then we will have to petition the prison authorities to make special dispensation for SMR, dressing him up in Pharonic Royal Clothing, instead of the usual garb.

[State of Postville 2]

Would they have to provide OU certified scarabs?

[Yisroel Pensack]

Here's what Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.) says about scarab: "2: a stone or faience beetle used in ancient Egypt as a talisman, ornament, and a symbol of resurrection"

[Yochanan Lavie]

I think the Rubbishman deserves the Nobel Peace Prize- alongside such luminaries as Yasir Arafat (/sarcasm).

Yes, the Rubbishman is a Pharoah- also recalling "Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs" and their novelty song "Woolly Bully." He is a sham and a bully.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Scarabs are dung beetles. Their rolling of balls of dung recalled to the Egyptians the (apparent)flight of the sun across the sky. A perfect symbol for Rubbishcan; a rolling ball of bullshit.

[Paul Freedman]

A cream cheese among Velveta

a lox in a world of tuna

but Joseph in Goshen if that is the notion

won't do fed time later or soona

[yidandahalf]

YL, Did I not bestow a name of the week once: Sholom "ShamWow" Rubash-in? Hey, it's time for a song from you so please don't disappoint. Your last one was quite amazing.

[Dr. Dave]

YL Maybe something ala Andrew Weber - after all isn't Rubashkin Joseph in his technicolor dreamcoat.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Yid: Thanks for your endorsement. Check out the Lipa-Schur thread for a song. Sorry if I infringed on your copyright for calling Sholom a sham ;-)

[Yochanan Lavie]

Sholly Bully (apologies to Domingo Samudio; Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs):

[Spanish countdown by Guatamalan minors:]
Uno, dos, one, two, tres, quatro

Motty told Heshy about a thing he said.
Had two big horns and some wooly threads.
Sholly bully, Sholly bully.
Sholly bully, Sholly bully, Sholly bully.

Heshy told Motty, "Let's don't spend much money.
Let's get kid workers; Sholom will think it's funny."
Sholly bully, Sholly bully
Sholly bully, Sholly bully, Sholly bully.

Motty told Heshy, "That's the thing to do.
Get you some lawyer, to pull the bullshit with you."
Sholly bully, Sholly bully.
Sholly bully, Sholly bully, Sholly bully.

[yidandahalf]

Will do, gitte shabbos to all til next we meet.

[yidandahalf]

Good, turn up the heat on that shit. Heshy "The Hechsher". Earth to Heshy, we got your number too, slimeball.

[s]

partly due to this "sweetheart of a man" and what he did to the city of Postville my 89 year old father was traumatized by suddenly loosing his wife of 62 years. With the thousands of dollars donated to Postville and extra hours worked to do this, I missed subtle signs of changes in health status of parents living in another state. May not have been able to delay this many more months but could have prepared family members. It makes me sad as on Wednesday afternoons last summer when needy people stood in line at the Postville food pantry, the area around the Kosher Community grocery looked like a reversal of a Warsaw ghetto photo. Well-dressed people in nice cars driving up oblivious to the suffering around them. Wish old Arron had stayed in Russia.

[Curious Postville Native]

[It took the miraculous division of the Red Sea to secure Israel's parting from Egypt.]

This is precisely why Sholom was considered a flight risk. Having escalated to the point of 'Sholom Sanctification' it is easy to see why people would worry.

[Curious Postville Native]

Exodus. - Another DVD that might be interesting to both Jewish and Christain residents of your town is " Quest for the Lost Tribes" by Simcha Jacobovici, which is about the 10 "Lost tribes of Israel".

Posted by: | December 02, 2008 at 08:36 PM]

The 'Quest for the Lost Tribes" by Simcha Jacobovici DVD is both educational and fascinating. I watched it twice, the second time-with a (very dated) family Bible to reference (often).
I will watch tomorrow, one more time. Then, I will share with a friend, who is, likewise, interested. If you would appreciate donating the DVD (when I am finished) you have options- Public/Jewish Libraries (Postville) and the Postville Public/Jewish Schools. You will have to let me know 'if' &/or when you decide.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

on this the prophet isaiah prophesised in chapter 5:
8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no room, and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land! ... 11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflame them!.... Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope, ....
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that change darkness into light, and light into darkness; that change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! {S} 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! {S} 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink; 23 That justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the chaff is consumed in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and contemned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

no need to hilite anything, as we say in hebrew, kol millah, bull!

[Yisroel Pensack]

"Egypt is corrupt. One manifestation of this corruption is the slave economy, the empire built on feet of clay. The despotism of Pharoh [sic], the evil and inhumane treatment of the slaves and the genocidal decrees imposed upon a subservient population are economic expressions of deep-rooted corruption. Leaving Egypt means uprooting this immoral socio-economic construct."

The above quote is from the Torah article "The Eleventh Plague" by Rabbi Ari Kahn at aish.com
http://www.aish.com/torahportion/moray/The_Eleventh_Plague.asp

Modern-day slavery is wage slavery, the natural consequence of private property in land in the absence of heavy taxation of land values.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Yisroel, I respectfully disagree. Capitalism can work if tempered by morality. Wage slavery to me means not being paid a decent wage. I work hard, and struggle to pay my bills, but I do not consider myself exploited. I will work harder and live within my means, so this will be temporary. I also own a modest condo, and my taxes are high. I don't think of myself as a wealthy land baron. I am no economist, but socialism has failed, and will fail in Venezuala.

I must add that I enjoy reading your comments, even when I disagree. Cheers.

[Menachem]

You are all a bunch of jerks.

Led by Scott (shmarya) Rosenberg, who has witnessed Rubashkins kindness firsthand, and knows what kind of a "sweetheart of a man" Sholom Mordechai really is.

You, Scott, is the 'sick of a man', you are the epitomy of evil.

Beware of heavens retribution!!

And they wont take you mental instability and insequrity as an excuse!!

[yidandahalf]

Yo, cupcake, you spelled epitomy right. For that you win the following products used and recommended by Sholem the Golem Rubash-in: thirty years' ( in case there is no parole )supply of Relicor, Grecian Formula, KY Jelly, and cryongenically ( sp? )frozen HOTDOGS all carrying the OU shtempel.
Tune in and post often for the chance to win some more great prizes!

[nachos]

Has anyone seen the movie the Believer. It's about a Jewish yeshiva kid that becomes an antisemite. He eventually becomes a skin head.

As a yid, I have found myself becoming increasingly antisemtic. I know that is an oxymoron, but when I read posts from people like Menachem, I can't help myself. Our religion has been overtaken by corruption and we need to cut out this cancer if we are going to complete the mission that G-d gave us.

Menachem, you can count myself also as having experianced the kindness of the Rubashkins. On the other hand, I have also seen the evil side also. I pray for the Rubashkins constantly that there will be true teshuva, so that G-d can heal their hearts.

The bottom line to all of this centers around the question of "was the money really worth it?" A tremendous Chillul Hashem was created for money. Was it worth it?

I really hope repentance comes.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

nachos,
u r right. those cursing rabid minims are busy converting unsuspecting naive jews into bigotted idiots, while shovelling masses of jews stunned with disbelief out of synagogues.

[itchiemayer]

Menachem - Undoubtedly the Rubashkins have done many kind things in their lives...however, what is far from certain (and highly doubtful) is if the money with which they were bestowing kindnesses on others earned honestly. If not, then none of it was done l'shem shamayim, and it is all worthless. Frankly, dan l'kaf zechus only goes so far. The evidence is overwhelming, and one would have to be blind not to see it. An unbelievable chillul Hashem has been created by the Lubavitchers in Postville, along with their defenders in Crown Heights. Sholom Rubashkin is the John Gotti of the Lubavitcher world. Such is the legacy of the 7th and last Lubavitcher Rebbe...

[Yochanan Lavie]

Nachos: I don't remember if it's you I told, but if you like The Believer you'd like American History X.

[Jon]

To overuse a man: Wasn't Hitler a "sweetheart of a man"?
Eva Braun and millions of his followers and "devotees" today think so.

[Yisroel Pensack]

Yochanan Lavie wrote on February 08, 2009 at 10:34 AM:

"Capitalism can work if tempered by morality. Wage slavery to me means not being paid a decent wage. I work hard, and struggle to pay my bills, but I do not consider myself exploited. I will work harder and live within my means, so this will be temporary. I also own a modest condo, and my taxes are high. I don't think of myself as a wealthy land baron. I am no economist, but socialism has failed, and will fail in Venezuala. [sic]"

Excellent comment. The key question then is, what is the objective basis of a moral economy? An economy built on unrestrained private property in land cannot, by definition, be based on morality. Equal rights to land is the necessary moral foundation for a just economy.

Land values are by nature common property and must be treated as such via public collection of land rent through taxation. If this is not done, then wages necessarily will be suppressed by the adverse impact of land monopoly and land speculation on the labor market and the level of employment, and furthermore, wages and true capital will be unjustly taxed to pay for public services and to subsidize the growth and private retention of land rent.

Haven't you noticed that the worldwide capitalist system is currently teetering on the brink of total collapse? Why is that happening?

As the American intellectual John Kieran wrote in 1942,
"no student in...[economics] should be allowed to speak above a whisper or write above three lines on the general subject until he has read and digested Progress and Poverty" by Henry George.
http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/kieran-john_on-henry-george.html and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kieran

[Yochanan Lavie]

Yisroel: Henry George sounds like an interesting man. I'll investigate further. Have you read "Crunchy Cons" by Rob Dreher?

[Yisroel Pensack]

Yochanan:

Henry George is indeed very interesting as an historical/biographical figure, but his most important function was and is as a teacher of the true political economy -- the science that treats of the nature of wealth and the natural laws that govern its production and distribution.

I haven't read and hadn't even heard of "Crunchy Cons" or Dreher, but I just read this review at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/books/review/12kirkpatrick.html

From this article, it seems that Dreher is dealing with lifestyle choices, general moral issues and personal, family, social and religious values, but not at all with political economy per se.

Henry George wrote and spoke extensively on political economy and its relationship to systems of land tenure and taxation. In modern western-style capitalist societies, we are largely conditioned not to inquire too deeply into these important subjects.

As regards wage slavery, you wrote that "Wage slavery to me means not being paid a decent wage. I work hard, and struggle to pay my bills, but I do not consider myself exploited."

Would you agree, though, that Agriprocessors' low-level slaughterhouse employees apparently were in fact exploited and were essentially wage slaves? If so, you are acknowledging that there is a problem of wage slavery in America. The question then is: What is the ultimate cause of this phenomenon? You, like many others, apparently seem inclined to ascribe it to bad people or immoral employers such as, for instance, allegedly the Rubashkins.

That type of answer, however, fails to address the deeper question of what makes possible the exploitation of labor at low, mere subsistence or survival-level wages in high-tech, 21st century America?

In "Progress and Poverty," Henry George explains the fundamental answer to that question and the true remedy.