For the source text click/tap here: Gittin 45
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The Mishna on our daf teaches that a Jewish person who is being held captive should not be ransomed for more than his worth, mipnei tikkun ha-olam.
The Gemara offers two possibilities in an attempt to understand why this rule was established. Was it tikkun ha-olam inasmuch as the community would find it difficult to pay larger sums than normal, or was it to discourage kidnappers from capturing more people by ensuring that they would not find it lucrative enough?
We explore the historical aspects of pidgin sh’vuyim from the Maham Mi'Rotenburg to hostage taking in modern day Israel.