Trenton, NJ – The first full day of jury deliberations has ended without a verdict in the federal case of an Orthodox rabbi accused in New Jersey of using brutal tactics to force unwilling Jewish men to divorce their wives.
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The jury began deliberations Wednesday afternoon and resumed Thursday. They asked U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson two questions, but did not reach a verdict. Deliberations continue Monday.
Rabbi Mendel Epstein faces charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and attempted kidnapping with his son and two other Orthodox rabbis.
Prosecutors say the rabbi’s team used brutal methods and tools, including handcuffs and electric cattle prods, to torture the men into granting divorces.
The defense has acknowledged some crimes may have been committed but says the 69-year-old Epstein was not part of a kidnapping conspiracy.
rabbi I wish you great luck . the same way you freed me from my husband asfter 16 years being an agunah the same way hashem should free you.
It’s a major Chilul Hashem, that all official Batey Dinim and all Rabbonim and all Kehilos and all frum Manhigim and askanim, don’t come out against the tactics used by this man.
As long as they all remain silent it means they all approve of him and his tactics, which were clearly against Halacha.
Clearly such tactics used in such a way, of not even bothering to investigate if the “Get Giver”, (the Federal Agent), is even Jewish, or even married in the first place –
(the Federal agents who trapped him were both not Jewish and not married – he was just greedy for the $50,000 cash), –
It clearly shows that all his Gittin are invalid and all second marriages as a result of his worthless Gittin are all Mamzerim-Children.
The silence of all of the frum community and all Rabbonim, means that they ALL approve of his massive Mamzerim Production Factory.
Regardless of the verdict in this case, the community has a critical lesson to learn. We have somehow permitted the subject of divorce to become a dirty business. Whether it is the battles that go on in beis din or secular courts, whether it is the husband or the wife making unrealistic demands, whether it is the true or fabricated use of the word “agunah”, whether it is the mischievous intervention of toanim and attorneys, whether it is the victimization of either side in character assassination, etc. – we all observe behaviors that we wish to justify but are sickening.
No one expects divorce to be pleasant and gratifying. But the extremes of bitterness and frankly criminal behavior are alarming. Nearly every divorce in the community could easily be exploited for book or movie rights, as they are filled with drama – at the expense of the children, the finances of both sides, the chilul Hashem, and the trashing of the precious midoh of Emes.
Will we learn anything from this?
Put those monsters away!! They were ready to kidnap, abuse, and assault an innocent men because of someone’s “say so”!!! And we know he is innocent as he was NOT married and she wasn’t Jewish!
rabbi epstein, helped free woman from misery. he understood the pain these helpless woman went through.. he should be receiving a award. this episode should also bring awareness to the agunah crisis rabbonim need to figure a way to correct this wrong. i hope the jurors understand this is not a case of extortion….hope he is vindicated..as he should be.
mindy (#1) and berelw (#4) have the mind of some of the gang-bangers we incarcerate…the end justifies the means. This is a country of laws…those two need to go back and study United States 101…unless, of course, that would be too mo-dern for them.
Pidyan Svooim is applicable….lets get an apeal and redeem, makom bechorim, the reffe from this kalishnikov atttack.
Another Chilul Hashem.
To #5 : The word Agunah is used properly when a woman is “chained” to a husband that is missing or evil. Rabbi Epstein may have been correct in seeking to un-chain such women. However, his true goal may have been to stuff his pockets with money. The book he published about Jewish Divorce is a digest of procedures. No scholarship, no lomdus. Basically, just a cover for how he operated. Nevertheless, the good that he was accomplishing, even if only for one woman, may have been enough to ennoble and exonorate him.
Reply to # 4 In the court system one can also paint a whole story against another person and get away with it if u are a good enough liar. These Undercover agents did a great job with their calculated set up and fabricated Sobb-story, now it’ll be up to the jury to decide if this is considered kidnapping.
The fact remains that us Yidden have no tools in hands as to how to deal with a deadbeat husband that refuses to give his wife a Get when all civil methods have been failed.
After listening to the entire recording of that lady sobbing on the phone abt her misery only then did I start understanding how These Rabbonim and Bais Din fell for it.
May Rabbi Epstien be freed!
Let me quote משלי:
“A passerby who gets embroiled in someone else’s quarrel Is like one who seizes a dog by its ears. Like a madman scattering deadly firebrands, arrows, Is one who cheats his fellow and says, “I was only joking.” For lack of wood a fire goes out, And without a querulous man contention is stilled. Charcoal for embers and wood for a fire And a contentious man for kindling strife. The words of a querulous man are bruising; They penetrate one’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 26:17-22).
Now that the FBI caught Mendel Epstein et al, he says he engaged in puffery and exaggeration with the FBI agents. These agunot look for passerbys, such as Mendel Epstein et el to embroil them in their arguments with their husbands. The passerbys are guilty of bad mouthing—this week’s parsha about lashon harah. When a passerby hears lashon harah he should at least make a bad face, as if to say, I’m not interested stop telling me this.
It’s l’sheim shomayim to ‘free’ a wife who doesn’t exist from a husband who doesn’t exist for $50,000?
Yes Reb. Mendel Shygetz. You did hurt very badly one of my closest friends. Every dog has his day. I am victim myself. I went true a divorce were my ex took the house. My business. My bank account. My children that I love dearly. She brain washed the kids. I was left penniless. I wonder Mendel Shygetz if you ever took the side of the husband. I really think that he got off his sexual desires by beating up on the men and showing the woman that he is so powerful. By the way Mendel Shygetz if you ever want to use the famous Cattle prod please try it on your wife and see the results. Or on your daughter the attorney. I will just ask you for one favor. Please give your wife a divorce before you surrender so you don’t leave an Aguna. Your going away for a long time. That’s what you deserve a taste of your own medicine. O I forgot Make sure that you should ask for kosher food. “Enjoy”
We need to come up with a normal remedy to cure such nasty Get cases.. This way aggressive methods should never be necessary.
What pains me abt this whole story is that the Feds are taking advantage of the situation. They know good & well that the law doesn’t currently help a chained women.
I believe in Israel it’s completely different where Bais Din has the Authority to jail someone that does not follow a ruling from BD when he’s told to give the Get.