Publisher's Synopsis
The events in Uganda in July 1976 were unfortunately not new to the Jewish people. In the previous decades - and in contemporary times - we have faced the same dilemma: Should one redeem prisoners at any cost? What price is considered reasonable? Many articles and responsa have been written referring to a Mishna in Gittin (4:6) that states: "Captives are not redeemed [for] more than their actual value." This Mishna explains that this halakha is because of tikkun olam (changing the world for the better); we must act responsibly for the entire nation of Israel and not necessarily think only about the individual. We must consider the welfare of the community against the welfare of the captive. The Gemara (Gittin 45a) gives two reasons for this ruling: 1. Preventing a "burden on the community," since collecting large sums of money to free a captive causes great financial strain on the community ; 2. Discouraging extortion, since paying exor
