Convicted Of Bribery And Violating Public Trust, A Shas Leader Learns Torah – In Jail

Shlomo Benizri placed in a religious cellblock with 80 other inmates, who are all allowed to spend most of the day studying Torah.

Benizri gets first visit in jail
Former Shas minister serving four-year sentence for fraud granted first family visit. Sons say visit 'heart wrenching' but Benizri doing well
Amnon Meranda  • Ynet

Former Shas minister Shlomo Benizri was granted his first family visit in jail Sunday.

Benizri was convicted of multiple counts of fraud and sentenced to four years in jail, which he will serve at the Maasiyahu Prison.

Benizri was placed in Maasiyahu's religious cellblock. The block holds 80 other inmates, who are allowed to spend a large portion of the day studying Torah.

The former minister's wife and six children told reporters the experience was difficult: "The judges should do some soul searching. Judgment Day has arrived. We shouldn’t be here," said his wife.

The family was permitted to spend 30 minutes with Benizri. "It's heart-wrenching to see dad like this, so humiliated. There wasn’t a dry eye left," said his son Ariel.

The family, he added, struggled especially with seeing Benizri in his inmate overalls. "Seeing him  like that, a man who always made sure to look dignified, the way he really is, coming out with prison clothes... It was unbearable."

Netanel, another of Benizri's sons, told Ynet that his father was keeping busy: "He gave four lectures and he said it was fun. He told us that (the inmates) cook together and eat together and that he teaches."
 
Despite his own difficulties, added Ariel, his father's Torah studies were keeping his spirits high. "He is experiencing the natural difficulties of falling from grace but thank God – he has the faith and the strength to see himself through this."

"I believe he's doing well," said Netanel. "The guys inside call him 'Rabbi Benizri' and show him the same respect he was shown on the outside. He's feeling good."

Comments

[Robert Wisler]

How's about this Benizri clown saying "I did wrong, I repent for it, I'm sorry for the evil that I did, and the corruption of my life. I will live a good, honest life from now on." I didn't see any quotes like that in this article.

[zach]

which he will serve at the Maasiyahu Prison.

At least he'll be listening to some good reggae...

[harold]

I don't get it. Is there a problem that he is spending his time while in jail learning torah? I also see no problem in his being "allowed" to study torah. Am I missing something in this "story"?

[WoolSilkCotton]

++...religious cellblock...++

Once upon a time, that would have been an oxymoron.
Nowadays, it's a redundancy.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Yes Harold, you, the convict, and the convict's family are missing something. There is absolutely no expression of remorse or regret for the crimes committed.

Perhaps if the article described Torah study by orthodox inmates as a vehicle for doing tshuvah, for coming to grips with the sociopathy that led to their criminal actions, and for making amends with their victims, then there would be no problem.

Unfortunately, many orthodox felons seems incapable of taking responsibility for their criminality, and no amount of 'Torah study' will help. And you will continue to defend them here on FM.

[the Otisvill rabbi]

Here in Otisvill we have 3 sedarim, 5 minyans and even a semicha program

[ah-pee-chorus]

if the torah was meant to be a history book, there would be nothing to write about. but if it is meant to be the key to proper moral behavior, and the path to a closer relationship with god, then it is a tad ironic and comical that a person convicted of crimes which amount to stealing from the public would be seen as qualified by anyone to teach torah. it is an embarassment to the torah. and bazri should say that he is clearly not the one to teach anybody anything.

[ah-pee-chorus]

oops.. should be benizri.

[harold]

WSC I am reacting to the posted headline that reads "are all allowed to spend most of the day studying Torah". I don't know why they should not be allowed to study torah to pass the time. I get the impression that in the US there are lots of prisioners that spend a lot of their time reading the bible or studying the koran so what is wrong if a jewish prisioner wants to spend his time studying the torah? The story headline, as posted, implies that the story here is in Benizri being allowed to study torah while in jail.

[yidandahalf]

It's naive and absurd to expect these holy--rollers to express remorse at all whether in prison or not. Remorse and the realization of culpability is mutually exclusive to holyrollerism. The real question should be, why don't they work as every other guest of the state must?

[effie]

They should be working in jail. Scrubbing toilets, scrubbing floors, etc.

[R]

i don't know why the punishment never fits the crime. He ought to be made to pay back every penny he stole from others and if he can't pay it back then he needs to make payments in kind. That means hard work, not sitting on his rear enjoying his time learning his holy torah which he doesn't take to heart anyway.

[Guillermo DaGoy]

Perhaps a stint with the licence plate gang might help. He can have his .12cent an hour pay garnished as restitution.

[nobody]

Everyone else is allowed to read in jail too. Why shouldn't he be "allowed" to learn Torah there? Is this meant to say that Torah learning should not be "Allowed" for people who commit crimes. So Shmarya I guess you do admit how enriching and beautiful it is to learn Torah and you want to take that privilege away from criminals. Unfortunately for you, you do not have that power. Nor should you.

[Dorian]

A few times I've visited Maasiyahu Prison in Ramle to visit so called Gush Katif prisoners.

"..He gave four lectures and he said it was fun. He told us that (the inmates) cook together and eat together and that he teaches.."

Absolutely true..and I would add the radio as well.
Punishment? Not really; they even have picknick banches etc.. Studying Torah is a treat. And in this case a religious retreat...

If they want real punishment time for Benizri & Co. they should send them to Beersheva prison. Than we're talking..

[effie]

No, other prisoners are not allowed to read all day. They have to work 8 hours, perform their other duties, and must have lights out at a certain time.

[yidandahalf]

Let them study their tomes as much as they like after they finish their work. They can daven and pray whilst working; they merely want to continue their parasitical existence in prison which it seems "the usual suspects" ( read: ENABLERS ) are making happen for them.

[WoolSilkCotton]

++how enriching and beautiful it is to learn Torah++

Far too many of the orthodox strike me as being neurotic, paranoid, self-centered, more than a a bit sociopathic, unfriendly and just downright nasty.

If that's how Torah study 'enriches' you, well, as Yogi said, "include me out".

A real job with physical work would be more enriching and beautiful for the orthodox.

[seymour]

by studying Torah he and family and the sheep who follow shas can now say "look he is studying Torah so he must be innocent and the secular courts just hate frum people"

to them it simple study torah you are not a criminal

[WoolSilkCotton]

If you are against anyone who studies the Torah, you must be an antisemite, a self-hating Jew, or both.

[nobody]

"If you are against anyone who studies the Torah, you must be an antisemite, a self-hating Jew, or both."

Do you really think someone who is "against anyone who studies Torah" is objective and not a hateful person? If you wish to include yourself in that group, that is disgusting, but don't blame us for calling you out on it.

"Far too many of the orthodox strike me as being neurotic, paranoid, self-centered, more than a a bit sociopathic, unfriendly and just downright nasty."

The way people "strike you" is not really my concern. My comment was about the experience of learning Torah, which is beautiful and enriching. Are the people who "strike you" as all of those things the ONLY ONES who study Torah in the whole world? Regardless of how stupid that is to say, it doesn't in any way speak to the experience itself.

[WoolSilkCotton]

I look at the result of studying the Torah, by looking at those who claim to do a lot of Torah studying.
Far too many are crooks, chiselers, and sociopaths.

Studying the Torah CAN be beautiful and enriching.

For many of your fellow orthodox, it obviously isn't, and it is inappropriately used to justify morally perverse behavior.

If a convicted criminal expresses no remorse, and continues to study Torah and even acts as a teacher of Torah, then something is terribly wrong with his Torah study, don't you think so?

[Hometown Postville]

I agree with those who stated this Rabbi should be cleaning toilets and making license plates for $.12 hr along with everyone else. I'm sure they all have free time during the day where they can have their choice of reading material. As many have stated, reading about doing good works is not the same as practicing it. As a Rabbi, I would think he should have already known what was considered moral and ethical behavior. Perhaps his rabbinical studies were based on a revised version? Repaying what was stolen is a logical consequence and would go far as an act of remorse. When one of my kids stole candy from the corner store, as soon as I found out, we drove right back there and I made him give the remaining candy back along with what it cost and his own explanation/apology to the clerk. He has retained that lesson to this day. Simple concept- you do not take from others what is not yours! Perhaps these Rabbis need to be stripped of their titles and start their rabbinical education over.

[Yakira]

Benizri and all of his supporters live in a completely different, imaginary land where basically they get to do whatever they want and make up the rules as they go.