Jerusalem - Mystery Torah Scroll Abandoned at the Kosel |
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News Source: VIN News Staff
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Jerusalem - Visitors at the Kosel Maarovi this week were in for a surprise: Offering no explanation, a man arrived, left a sefer Torah and quickly left the scene. According to Maariv 
Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rov of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites, discovered the sefer Torah was worth tens of thousands of dollars.
He sent the scroll to the Kosel sofer, Yisroel Gottlieb, who determined it was an old sefer Torah that is posul for leining. Upon examining the case that houses the sefer Torah – according to the Sephardic custom – he found the area that typically shows the name of the owners or donors or a dedication had been removed.
Based on concerns the sefer Torah had been stolen, Rav Rabinowitz reported the incident to the police and STAM organizations as part of efforts to locate the shul it was taken from.
Rav Rabinowitz says if the owners are not found, the sefer Torah will be retired as is and buried in a cemetery.
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Read Comments (21) — Post Yours »
1
Feb 26, 2010 at 08:03 AM esq Says:Report as Inappropriate
Strange. I doubt it is stolen. No one abandons a valuable object they stole. More likely it was found by a non frum yid who didnt know what else to do with it and figured it wd be rescued at the kosel. Even if it were strolen and the thief had regrets, they wd return near the scene of the crime.
2
Feb 26, 2010 at 08:46 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
old pasul torahs are not worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The value is much closer to zero.
3
Feb 26, 2010 at 08:30 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
Why would they not use it? Surely the best thing to do would be to use it very often in the hope that someone will recognise it.
4
Feb 26, 2010 at 08:54 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
If it is worth tens of thousands of dollars, why would they bury it?
5
Feb 26, 2010 at 08:55 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Strange. I doubt it is stolen. No one abandons a valuable object they stole. More likely it was found by a non frum yid who didnt know what else to do with it and figured it wd be rescued at the kosel. Even if it were strolen and the thief had regrets, they wd return near the scene of the crime. ”
Your explanation makes little sense. People just don't "find" Torahs.
6
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:06 AM nombody Says:Report as Inappropriate
Some thieves in Israel do have a religious conscience - a frind of mine was visiting Israel and all his stuff was stolen from his car including his tefillin. After he returned to the US he got a call from a yeshiva in Israel saying someone had left his tefillin there.
7
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:18 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ old pasul torahs are not worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The value is much closer to zero. ”
You are a nut. We are talking about the value as an antique.
8
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:19 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ old pasul torahs are not worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The value is much closer to zero. ”
depends on how pasul they are - if it can be fixed it is worth a lot - not sure why they would bury something that could be fixed, though
9
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:19 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
My guess is it was stolen, but because of its condition the theif couldn't find a buyer, and was afraid of being caught returning it. Not knowing what to do with it, he left it at the Kosel - to minimize his avera.
Just a guess, based on the details of the account, and the fact that Torah thefts are not so uncommon here.
10
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:29 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Strange. I doubt it is stolen. No one abandons a valuable object they stole. More likely it was found by a non frum yid who didnt know what else to do with it and figured it wd be rescued at the kosel. Even if it were strolen and the thief had regrets, they wd return near the scene of the crime. ”
Comment 1 said "Strange. I doubt it is stolen. No one abandons a valuable object they stole. More likely it was found by a non frum yid who didnt know what else to do with it and figured it wd be rescued at the kosel. Even if it were strolen and the thief had regrets, they wd return near the scene of the crime".
All your statements make NO sense.
First people do return valuable things they steal, it's called teshuva.
Second, people don't just 'find' sefer Torahs.
Third, why would they not hand it to the police or any Rabbi but instead 'place it' at the kotel and leave right away instead.
How would they return near the scene of the crime? Break back in and risk getting caught.
No this was most probably stolen (which is why the donor information was removed) and the thief is having regret, B'H. The kotel is an open place and he easily was able to place it there knowing the appropriate people would get it and take care of it.
11
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:37 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
What they mean to say is if it were kosher or were fixed then that type of Torah with the case would be worth Tens of thosands of dollars.
The problem here is they don't know anything about the Torahs origins like who wrote it and if it were written according to all the Halachot. So they can't read from it even if it were 'fixed'.
Therefore they have to bury it.
12
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:46 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Strange. I doubt it is stolen. No one abandons a valuable object they stole. More likely it was found by a non frum yid who didnt know what else to do with it and figured it wd be rescued at the kosel. Even if it were strolen and the thief had regrets, they wd return near the scene of the crime. ”
i disagree. if it was just "found," than the "finder" would make sure to speak to someone about it and get help on the matter. the person who dropped off the torah made sure to do so surreptitiously.
13
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:48 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ old pasul torahs are not worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The value is much closer to zero. ”
WRONG! It depends were on on what it was written and the state of disrepair. Many old, pasul sifrei torah are sold on-line and are brought back to life.
14
Feb 26, 2010 at 09:48 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
Of cource it is worth a lot of money ..
But they dontwant us to know that. So they say it will be buried but what they mean by that is that they will sell it and hide the money they make on selling it
15
Feb 26, 2010 at 10:42 AM Chaim Says:Report as Inappropriate
Amazing how people can speak so authoritatively about something they know nothing about. Well I know how much to trust halachic opinions here.
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Feb 26, 2010 at 10:50 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
Why can't they check the security cameras to identify the "doner"
18
Feb 26, 2010 at 11:26 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Amazing how people can speak so authoritatively about something they know nothing about. Well I know how much to trust halachic opinions here. ”
Really? I get all my trusted halachic opinions here. The "greatest" posek is Milhouse.
19
Feb 26, 2010 at 11:41 AM The Shamash Says:Report as Inappropriate
Whats the big deal, people think they can drop of shaimos in every shul, ask the guy who does everything at yours how many pairs of tzitzis (btw not shaimos), sets of old seforim, weekly devar torah prints, or old benchers "show up" at shul regularly.
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Feb 26, 2010 at 11:52 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
there are many new shuls (including reform and conservative) that would pay big money to have an old sefer torah. They are not so much concerned about whether it is kosher or pasul for leining but simply want to have the older torah as an artifact to lend their notion of "kedushah" to their shul or beis medrash. Maybe the proceeds from selling such a sefer would be better used for a legitimate tzedakah than simply burying the sefer.
21
Feb 26, 2010 at 12:00 PM AH Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Really? I get all my trusted halachic opinions here. The "greatest" posek is Milhouse. ”
I propose a new term: MDS (Milhouse Derangement Syndrome). It can be defined as "the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the comments — nay — the very existence of Milhouse."
Or, in plain Hebrew, "sin'as chinam" - causeless hatred.
22
Feb 26, 2010 at 02:03 PM awacs Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Really? I get all my trusted halachic opinions here. The "greatest" posek is Milhouse. ”
Next to awacs, of course. :-)