In a letter which they issued erev Shavuos, Maranan
verabonon, the gedolei Yisroel, stated that it is
a great mitzvah to stand behind the prisoner, Rabbi Aharon
Shmuel ben Miriam Kornblit who has been languishing in prison
for more than half a year on the false charge of arson to a
missionary apartment in Jerusalem.
In their letter, they state: "Since Rabbi Aharon Shmuel
Kornblit has been in prison for six months, although he
committed no crime and he, his wife and his children are
suffering both physically and emotionally, it is surely a
great mitzvah to strengthen him and to make every effort to
bring about his release. Doing so constitutes the mitzvah of
pidyon shevuyim whose importance is extolled by
Chazal. All who participate in this great mitzvah will be
blessed with all of the brochos the Torah reserves for
those who do chessed."
This letter is only one effort in a long series of activities
of prominent askonim who are toiling day and night to
secure Rabbi Kornblit's release from prison.
A group of prominent rabbonim will meet with the State
Prosecutor's Office for the purpose of bringing this
unfortunate affair to an end. The askonim plan to hold
a large prayer rally, with the demand that Rabbi Kornblit be
freed immediately.
Rabbi Kornblit was imprisoned more than half a year ago. He
was indicted a month ago in Jerusalem's regional court. In
three weeks, the verdict will be issued.
About a week before Shavuos, HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman and
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky visited Rabbi Kornblit. The gedolei
haTorah were accompanied on their visit by Rabbi Moshe
Gafni, secretary general of Degel HaTorah and now a newly-
elected MK.
In response to the question of whether he had been in the
special solitary confinement cell, which is very narrow and
lacks air vents or light, Rabbi Kornblit replied that he had
indeed been kept under such conditions for two days, during
which he been served only garlic and bread and a bit of
water. (Rabbi Kornblit's reply contradicted the statement of
the prison commander which had just been given to Rabbi
Gafni.) Rabbi Kornblit added that during the coming days he
might be transferred to the Ayalon prison, where the
conditions are much easier for shomrei mitzvos. This
possibility was achieved after many efforts.
At that point in the meeting, Rabbi Kornblit removed a list
of 30 questions from his pocket, most of which he had
prepared, but some which had been asked by a number of the
religious prisoners.
HaRav Steinman read the questions and HaRav Kanievsky replied
to them.
Q: Must I affix a mezuza to my prison cell?
A: No, because you are there against your will.
Q: Am I obligated to recite hagomel each time I
leave the prison?
A: Only when you are free for good.
Q: As a baal korei and baal tefilla for
the prisoners, which version should I use?
A: The one to which you have always been
accustomed.
Q: Does someone with a tattoo on the area of his arm
have to remove it where he lays tefillin?
A: It is forbidden to tattoo oneself. However if
removing the tattoo is very painful, there is no need to do
so.
Q: Is it permissible to store food under one's bed, or
must one fear "evil spirits?"
A: Under duress, it is permitted.
Q: Is it permissible to remove one's yarmulke
when appearing before a judge, so that the judge will accord
him the same attitude he accords non-religious prisoners?
A: It is forbidden to remove one's yarmulke.
More halachic questions were asked, and Rabbi Kornblit
received clear answers.
The gedolei Yisroel displayed much interest in Rabbi
Kornblit's family. They asked how he was treated in prison,
and about the kashrus of the food. At the end of the
moving visit, HaRav Steinman and HaRav Kanievsky blessed him
that with Hashem's help he be released very shortly, and that
his family not be adversely affected by his long
detention.
Rabbi Kornblit responded to the blessings of the
gedolim and said: "It was worthwhile for me to have
spent six months in prison in order to merit the visits of
the gedolei Yisroel." But the rabbonim negated his
words and said that it was preferable for him not to have
been imprisoned at all, and that they would rather not have
visited him in prison.
During their visit, the gedolei Yisroel asked to tour
the wing in which Rabbi Kornblit is imprisoned, but the
prison commanders, at the instructions of the Office of the
Prisons' Commissioner, refused to comply with their
request.
It should be noted that the roshei yeshiva of
Jerusalem convened an emergency meeting in order to discuss
the prolonged detention of Rabbi Aharon Shmuel Kornblit.
At the meeting the gedolei haTorah expressed deep
shock at his difficult situation resulting from his lengthy
prison stay on charges which haven't even been proved. The
roshei yeshiva decided to announce that everyone who
is able to assist in the endeavor to free Rabbi Kornblit must
do so, and that this is a great mitzvah of pidyon
shevuyim. The meeting was attended by HaRav Mendel Atik,
HaRav Shmuel Borenstein, HaRav Chaim Brim, HaRav Meshulem
Dovid Soloveitchik, HaRav Arye Finkel, HaRav Yosef Chaim
Kopschitz, and MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz.
