Jerusalem – Yosef Bando, the youngest of the three Israeli bochurim who were jailed in Japan in April 2008 after inadvertently bringing drug laden suitcases into the country, visited with R’ Chaim Kanievsky in Bnei Brak today just days after his release.
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According to Israeli Hebrew news site Kikar Bando’s father and brothers had visited R’ Kanievsky several times a week during Bando’s incarceration, with R’ Kanievsky offering brachos and heartfelt tefillos for Bando. Last Thursday Bando was given a twenty four hour furlough from prison and went to R’ Kanievsky for a bracha in anticipation of his upcoming release. In addition to R’ Kanievsky divrei bracha, he cautioned Bando to be a law abiding citizen, with an extra warning in the words of the Gemara, “don’t steal the taxes”.
Bando’s father visited R’ Kanievsky today to give him personal thanks for his tefillos and support during the difficult ordeal. R’ Kanievsky congratulated Bando upon his release and discussed the welfare of the other two bochurim who remain in Japanese prison.
Bando, who was sentenced to five years in prison, was transferred to the Rimonim prison in Israel last March where numerous parties worked hard to obtain his release which occurred this past week.
This should be a lesson for all Bocurs to be extra careful about surprise packages being taken into foreign countrys. Now lets see if the Rosh HaYeshiva teach lessons on this episode, and the REQUIREMENT of personal responsibility.
The Rosh HaYeshivas also have a duty and obligstion to teach these values from the Talmud, and Torah precepts honsetly, and openly to their students.
“with an extra warning in the words of the Gemara, “don’t steal the taxes”.”
it appears that R’ Chaim isn’t informed on what went on here and thinks that the bochor was trying to evade taxes.
in any case, b”h he’s free, and may all other innocent yidden sitting in jail be freed shortly.
Maybe the yeshivas can teach the bochurim a trade,so they wont have to steal the taxes
excuse me, if you are old enough to travel on your own or with friends, how is it exactly that “you bring in inadvertently drug laden suitcases into the country”????
the term about taxes was used as phrase to remind people to keep the law of the land…. R’Chaim is a Gadol Hador and has very far reaching words and thoughts so lets not undermine that.
This so called meeting does not look like a “meeting” It looks like he happened to see Rav Kanievski on the way to davening or something. They are both looking in different directions in the hallway.
does anyone on this blog think that this boy was guilty of anything? or is the assumption that he is purely innocent? The mind boggles
Warning ANY Israeli about the dangers of tax evasion can only be a step in the right direction!
To shredready #24 ,
I believe the chosid that orchestrated this crime to the three “naive and eager for a quick buck/oversees trip” bochurim was arrested and convicted. He was given a measely three year sentence. I wonder if Y. Banda met him while they were both incarcerated. Perhaps they were in the same prison setting. I would have liked to have seen that faceoff……..