Redemption of Captives

Laws
The redemption of captives is a topic discussed throughout rabbinic literature. Instances of redeeming captives are found in the Bible, for example when Abraham goes to war with four kings in order to save his captured nephew, Lot. While sources stress the importance of redeeming captives, calling it a "great mitzvah," other texts warn not to redeem captives for more than their value.
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A Plea for Redemption
LITURGY
Traditional prayers for the safety and security of Jews around the world include special concern for those in captivity. This prayer, recited during the biweekly weekday morning Torah service, pleads for the redemption of captives among other Jews in distress.
[As for] our brethren, the entire House of Israel who [still] remain in distress and captivity, whether on sea or on land, may God have compassion on them, and bring them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, from servitude to redemption, at this moment, speedily, very soon; and let us say Amein.
Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Torah Reading, Reading from Sefer, Raising the Torah 9
The Urgency of Captivity
HALAKHAH
The commandment to redeem captives is a principle of utmost importance in Jewish ethics. Rabbi Joseph Karo, in his authoritative 16th-century legal code, the Shulchan Arukh, underscores the urgency and moral primacy of this commandment.
Every moment that one delays unnecessarily the ransoming of a captive, it is as if he were to shed blood.
Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 252:3
It Would Take a Miracle
CHASIDUT
The Talmud tells the story of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, who performed a miracle in order to redeem captives. Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, in a sermon delivered in the Warsaw Ghetto, uses this story to plead for divine intervention and the redemption of his people.
For in the Gemara, Chullin 7a, it is found that when Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair went to redeem captives, he said to the Ganai [River], "River, part your water for me." So it said to him, "You are going to perform the will of your Maker and I am going to perform the will of my Maker. It is uncertain whether you will do [it successfully]. But I will certainly do [it successfully]. He said to it, "If you do not part, I will decree upon you that water will never flow through you." The river parted for him, etc. Rav Yosef said, "How great is this man, like Moshe and the six hundred thousand…
Esh Kodesh, Jewish Year 5702, Shabbat Shuva 3-4
A “Great Mitzvah”
TALMUD
The Talmud lauds the redemption of captives as one of the most important mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Bava Batra highlights the importance of this mitzvah in the context of civil laws and societal conventions.
Incidental to this story, the Gemara relates that Ifera Hurmiz, the mother of King Shapur, king of Persia, sent a purse [arneka] full of dinars to Rav Yosef. She said to him: Let the money be used for a great mitzva. Rav Yosef sat and considered the question: What did Ifera Hurmiz mean when she attached a condition to the gift, saying that it should be used for a great mitzva? Abaye said to him: From what Rav Shmuel bar Yehuda taught, that one does not impose a charity obligation on orphans even for the sake of redeeming…
Bava Batra 8a:18-8b:4
No Greater Mitzvah
HALAKHAH
Included within the obligation to redeem captives are several other mitzvot (commandments) that one violates by neglecting those in captivity. In his comprehensive 12th-century code of Jewish law, the Mishneh Torah, Rambam stresses the critical importance of this duty.
The redemption of captives receives priority over sustaining the poor and providing them with clothing. [Indeed,] there is no greater mitzvah than the redemption of captives. For a captive is among those who are hungry, thirsty, and unclothed and he is in mortal peril. If someone pays no attention to his redemption, he violates the negative commandments: "Do not harden your heart or close your hand" (Deuteronomy 15:7 , "Do not stand by when the blood of your neighbor is in danger" (Leviticus 19:16 , and "He shall not oppress him with exhausting work in your presence" (ibid. 25:53)…
Mishneh Torah, Gifts to the Poor 8:10
The Ethical Dilemma of Redeeming Captives
MISHNAH
The decision as to whether to redeem captives in any particular case requires a delicate moral calculus. In his contemporary explanation of the Mishnah, Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp discusses the ethical considerations and potential consequences of redeeming captives.
In a case of one who sells his slave to gen-tiles, or even to a Jew outside of Eretz Yisrael, the slave is emancipated. Since the slave, who is partially obligated in the fulfillment of mitzvot, would be restricted in his ability to fulfill them in his new situation, either because he would be under the authority of a gentile or because he will no longer be in Eretz Yisrael, the Sages penalized his original owner that he should become a freeman, so that if he succeeds in escaping his new owner, he is a full-fledged freeman…
Mishnah Gittin 4:6
Who Releases the Imprisoned
LITURGY
The Jewish liturgy sees God as the ultimate redeemer of those in captivity. The daily morning liturgy includes a blessing that recognizes God for “releasing the bound.”
Blessed are You, Hashem, King of the Universe, Who releases the bound.
Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Preparatory Prayers, Morning Blessings 10
A Priceless Redemption
TALMUD
Because of every person’s infinite worth and potential, it is nearly impossible to put a price on their redemption from captivity. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Gittin recounts a story of a child prisoner in Rome and the great lengths that a rabbinic sage went to in order to redeem him.
The Sages taught another baraita (Tosefta, Horayot 2:5) relating to the fate of the Jewish children: There was an incident involving Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya who once went to the great city of Rome, where they said to him: There is a child in prison with beautiful eyes and an attractive appearance, and his curly hair is arranged in locks. Rabbi Yehoshua went and stood by the entrance to the prison. He said, as if speaking to himself: “Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers?” (Isaiah 42:24)…
Gittin 58a:9-10
Redemption Despite All Protest
RESPONSA
Some Jewish legal authorities ruled that the obligation to ransom captives applies even when it is against the will of the captive. Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg — a leading 13th-century Ashkenazic legal scholar, who subsequently spent time in captivity himself — argues in favor of this ruling.
Q. A and B were captured and held for ransom. The former was rich and the latter, poor. A spent money with the help of his mother and effected the release of both A and B. A claims that B asked to be ransomed, and therefore demands that B pay his share of the expenses. B denies having asked to be ransomed.
A. A Jew should be ransomed even against his express will, and be charged with the expenses incurred. A captive in the hands of Gentiles is exposed to ruthless treatment and incessant flogging, and his very life is in danger…
Teshuvot Maharam, Lemberg Edition 345:1
Deciding Who to Redeem First
MUSAR
When several people have been taken captive and a community has limited resources, it must make difficult decisions about which captive(s) to redeem first. In his 14th-century legal and ethical work, Menorat HaMaor, Rabbi Israel Alnaqua provides a detailed order of priority for the redemption of captives.
And if one’s father and one’s son were captured and he does not have the ransom for both of them, but rather for only one of them, he should redeem his father and leave his son. And even though one is obligated by the honor of one’s father, the honor of his teacher is greater. For his father brought him to this world, whereas his teacher allows him to inherit life in the world to come. Hence if his father and this teacher were captured and he does not have the ransom for both of them, he should ransom his teacher…
Menorat HaMaor, i; On Charity 76-78
Liberating Divine Sparks
CHASIDUT
The Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of Chasidic Judaism, provides a mystical perspective on the redemption of captives, likening it to the liberation of divine sparks. This teaching, compiled from over 200 texts by his disciples, introduces the concept of the extraction and elevation of these sparks through good thoughts, intentions, and actions.
“And it came to pass, at the end of two years . . .” (Genesis 41:1)
“He makes an end to darkness” (Job 28:3). A limit was set as to how long the world will remain in darkness. For as long as the evil inclination is in the world, there is darkness and distress; when the evil inclination is removed from the world, there will be no more darkness and distress.
Midrash Rabbah, Miketz 89:1
The mystical writings of the Arizal explain the concept of the extraction of the holy sparks, that fell in the time of the breakage [of the vessels]…
Ba'al Shem Tov, Miketz 1:1-2

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