13 Responses

1. Kol Hakavod to him to use his nisayon raise money for Limud HaTorah.

2. Hopefully, he will use his celebrity status to educate other bochurim not to engage in the activities that got him into so much trouble. Sometimes, hearing it directly form someone who actually suffered from making stupid decisions will have a much greater deterrent effect on bochurim than vague admonitions from rabbonim and askanim. Most are naive and don’t think about the consequences of their seemingly “harmless” behavior. Its not a good idea to treat them as “marytrs” without openly acknowledging that it was their own actions which triggered the sequence of events.

3. To 2. Gadolhadorah
   The “lav” of “lifnie i’veir lo sitien michshoil” is a contradiction to your statement. so the Torah does not agree with you. The Torah does not make the I’vier the guilty one.

4. any chance there is a transcript or interview that YWN can post?

5. mayerfreund – it is not “lifnei iver” any longer to take a package from ANYONE. There is a concept of “kabdehu v’chashdehu.” a few weeks ago I was in E”Y and my nephew asked me if I had room to take back stuff for a friend of his. I did and offered to give him my extra suitcase to fill up and would take back. I quickly rescinded my offer of giving him the suitcase, I told him to give me the stuff and I was going to pack it up, FOR THIS REASON.

6. To No. 3

   I’m constantly amazed how pseudo talmedei chachamim who post here can twist an inyan brought down from some posuk in torah or talmud to create a parallel universe where up is down and down is up. Obviously these bochurim screwed up, albeit they claim they did so innocently. Anyone who has ever been at an aiport knows there are nearly non-stop public announcements NOT to take anything on board from a stranger or even from a friend unless you packed it yourself and know exactly what is was. Fortunately, this whole episode ended well but please don’t invoke such nareshkeit as suggesting the inyan of “lifnei iver” has any relevance to this episode. It doesn’t. They were responsible for their own actions and should be alerting others not to repeat their mistakes.

7. I read the headline and wondered, what ordeal did this person endure at the Brooklyn Skvere dinner?
   😉

8. Pretty sad these “innocent” bochurim are now celebrities. They knew they were smuggling, they just got caught for smuggling different contraband than they thought. Should be embarrassing to all of us that they are welcomed as “heroes”.

9. The “I’vier” has an obligation to tell everyone else where the “michshoil” is located before they to trip over it.

   Yes, it was “nareshkeit”. However, at the time he was a “nar”. Children often show lack of good judgment, which is to be expected – though his was extremely poor judgment. Presumably he will tell people that smuggling isn’t a good profession to get into.

10. TO 5. amama

    Please see rambam if the if the I’vier did not know what is done to him he is “potur”. In this case he not only didn’t know but the person who send him lied to him that what he is doing is legal. The person to blame is the sender.

    דת אש
    ספר זרעים הלכות כלאים פרק י הלכה לא
    המלביש את חבירו כלאים אם היה הלובש מזיד הלובש לוקה והמלביש עובר משום לפני עור לא תתן מכשול ואם לא ידע הלובש שהבגד הוא כלאים והיה המלביש מזיד המלביש לוקה והלובש פטור

11. To 6. Gadolhadorah

    please refer to my #10 and tell me who is twisting an inyan brought down from some posuk in torah or talmud to create a parallel universe where up is down and down is up me or you?

12. To 9. akuperma

    you write “The “I’vier” has an obligation to tell everyone else where the “michshoil” is located before they to trip over it.”

    Please bring the source where you got this psak from. Otherwise it has no value.

13. I didnt hear him speak, hope he used the platform to address the issue of trust, emes and care in not taking items that are not revealed and known to the eye.

    Anyone who is willing to pay you to take an item overseas does not have your best interests at bay.