▁or ▁ro bb ers , ▁or ▁imprison ed ▁un just ly ▁by ▁the ▁authorities . ▁The ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁prisoner ▁is ▁typically ▁secured ▁by ▁a ▁r ans om ▁paid ▁by ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community . ▁It ▁is ▁considered ▁an ▁important ▁command ment ▁in ▁Jewish ▁law . ▁ ▁S ources ▁The ▁Tal m ud ▁calls ▁pid y on ▁sh v uy im ▁a ▁“ mit z v ah ▁rabb ah ”, ▁a ▁great ▁mit z v ah , ▁as ▁capt ivity ▁is ▁viewed ▁as ▁even ▁worse ▁than ▁star v ation ▁and ▁death ▁( B ava ▁Bat ra ▁ 8 b ). ▁ ▁Ma imon ides ▁writes : ▁“ The ▁re de em ing ▁of ▁capt ives ▁takes ▁preced ence ▁over ▁supporting ▁the ▁poor ▁or ▁cl othing ▁them . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁greater ▁mit z v ah ▁than ▁re de em ing ▁capt ives ▁for ▁the ▁problems ▁of ▁the ▁capt ive ▁include ▁being ▁hun gry , ▁th irst y , ▁un cl oth ed , ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁in ▁danger ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁too . ▁Ign oring ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁re de em ▁capt ives ▁goes ▁against ▁these ▁Tor ah ▁laws : ▁“ Do ▁not ▁hard en ▁your ▁heart ▁or ▁shut ▁your ▁hand ▁against ▁your ▁need y ▁fellow ” ▁( De var im ▁ 1 5 : 7 ); ▁“ Do ▁not ▁stand ▁id ly ▁by ▁while ▁your ▁neighbor ’ s ▁blood ▁is ▁shed ” ▁( V ay ik ra ▁ 1 9 : 1 6 ). ▁And ▁miss es ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁following ▁mit z