#473 (s5767-12 / 22 Kislev 5767)

A Ransom of One Million Dollars

During the summer of 1984, Ze'ev was abducted by a band of professional kidnappers.

A Ransom of One Million Dollars

Yisroel Susskind

I would like to share a miraculous Chanukah story told to me by one of the principal participants. Because some members of the family still face security concerns, I will limit the amount of identifying material.

My colleague Rivkah is married to a man originally from South America. Her father-in-law, Zev, was a businessman in South America. During the summer of 1984, Zev was abducted by a band of professional kidnappers. The criminals had an exaggerated view of Zev's wealth, and they demanded a ransom of one million dollars, far beyond the family's ability to pay.

Zev had two sons ("my son the Engineer," and Rivka's husband, "my son the Dentist"), both living in the US. The Engineer returned to South America and spent 4 torturous months in telephone contact with the kidnappers, trying to obtain Zev's release. The kidnappers engaged in many forms of "psychological warfare." For example, Zev was told, at one point, that the criminals had killed his son the Engineer, for failing to bring sufficient money to the ransom drop-off point. On hearing the news, Zev tore his shirt as a sign of mourning. The family felt they were in a living hell during the four months of uncertainty.

Zev was kept in a tiny room, with low ceilings that precluded his standing up. He refused to eat non-kosher food, and lived solely on coffee and cornflakes for the 4 months. However, he was provided a daily newspaper. It was through the newspaper that he realized that his son had not been killed. Zev's kidnapping received considerable attention from the media, from his government, and from his country's military, who had long been concerned about a series of high profile kidnappings.

The government's attempts to locate the kidnappers were unsuccessful; the kidnappers kept their telephone calls too brief to be traced. The family tried many means, both material and spiritual, to protect Zev. For example, as Orthodox Jews, they had their mezuzas checked and asked friends to recite the Psalms.

Although the family was not chasidic, the two brothers had contacted Lubavitch rabbis in South America to obtain help in matters such as kosher food and religious services. Four months after the abduction, the Engineer approached the local Chabad Rabbi, who suggested to them that they ask the Lubavitcher Rebbe to intercede for Zev. A response came back from the Rebbe, saying that he would pray at the grave of the Previous Rebbe for Zev's release. This exchange occurred during the week before Chanukah.

That same week, Rivka's husband (the Dentist) went to South America, to relieve his brother and to enable the brother to return home to his family in the US. As part of that anxious preparation, he made out his will.

During that week something extraordinary occurred. On the Friday of Chanukah, one of the kidnappers stayed on the phone just a bit longer than usual, but sufficient for the call to be traced. The police descended upon the caller and made him an offer "he could not refuse." The kidnapper identified Zev's location, which was in a house not far from Zev's home. A government S.W.A.T. team stormed the house through the doors, windows and roof. They found 16 men inside, all clean shaven and dressed in street clothes. They did not see a hostage, who they expected, based on past experiences, would be unshaven and dressed in pajamas.

They had been told that Zev was bald, and in fact one of the sixteen was bald. He identified himself as Zev and explained that he had been told to shave that morning and was given street clothes, since the band were planning to move him, that very day, to their hideout in the mountains. Had he been moved to the mountains, the likelihood of his surviving would have radically diminished. The government forces took Zev aside, lined up the remaining men against the wall, and executed them.

The police, still concerned about Zev's safety and possible retaliation by other members of the kidnapper's organization, took him for a debriefing to the local police station. As night fell, they proposed driving him home with a police escort. Recognizing that it was Shabbat, Zev insisted that he walk home. He did so despite the security concerns and his physical limitations (i.e., as a result of his cramped confinement, Zev could not yet stand fully erect.). The next morning, again despite the security concerns of the police, Zev walked to shul. On Sunday, he was taken out of the country.

During the media coverage of his rescue, Zev was able to perform a "Kiddush Hashem", a sanctification of G-d's name. He told the media, "My rescue was a gift from G-d, the same G-d that your people and my people worship."

Today, Zev's family say, "We are not Lubavitchers, but every Chanukah we conduct a "seudat hodaah" thanksgiving meal to thank G-d for the rescue and to thank the Lubavitch Rebbe for his prayers."


Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition of his good friend Dr. Yisroel Susskind, a psychotherapist who practices locally in Monsey New York and internationally over the telephone, and lectures worldwide on topics involving Torah, psychology and interpersonal relationships. He can be reached via email (eysusskind@aol.com) or by phone (845-425-9531).


Biographical Note:
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe (11 Nissan 1902 - 3 Tammuz 1994), became the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty after his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, passed away in Brooklyn on 10 Shvat 1950. He is widely acknowledged as the greatest Jewish leader of the second half of the 20th century. Although a dominant scholar in both the revealed and hidden aspects of Torah and fluent in many languages and scientific subjects, the Rebbe is best known for his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the planet. His emissaries around the globe dedicated to strengthening Judaism number in the thousands. Hundreds of volumes of his teachings have been printed, as well as dozens of English renditions.

 


Yrachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and editor of Ascent Quarterly and the AscentOfSafed.com and KabbalaOnline.org websites. He has hundreds of published stories to his credit.

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