most likely, he WAS under the control of strong mood drugs, like valium or something, and what he did, which was of course wrong, was to act on some irrational IMPULSe from deep inside the brain caused by the drugs, maybe AMBIEn, for sleeping disorders, and he did steal those dies, not for klepto reasons, but out of irrational mood impulse reasons that even he does not understand yet. he did not need the ties, he was not calling out for help, he was just under the SPELL of ambien or valium, watch this story unfold. sad story, yes. he does need to make big apology and get treatment. i knew a guy like this once
danny bee | Homepage | 04.01.07 - 11:09 pm | #

amazing what you can create with photoshop.
skeptic | 04.05.07 - 9:08 pm | #

no photoshop, try WJC website here:
http:// www.worldjewishcongress.o...world_lajc.html
Tzemach Atlas | Homepage | 04.05.07 - 9:16 pm | #

I know Rabbi Sobel and as far as I know he is not a thief. Let me put this way , he is forgetfull. I am serious about it.
In Sao Paulo the stores sometimes watch him closely and if he walks away without paying, they call him or send a bill. He never refuses to pay. I know is WRONG and should not happen, but he has some bad memory.
And I am sure he felt very ashamed with all that happened, but I know him personally and he is not a bad man or a bad rabbi. He is responsible in many ways to raise the voice of brazilian jews.
I just hope that this incident makes him to remember that he can not walk away from stores with merchandise.
cecilia keuffer | 04.12.07 - 12:48 pm | #

You know all this fanfarre about Sobel being "the Rabbi of Brazil's Jews" is pure bull. He's a money-grabbing Reform clown. No frum Jew in Brazil takes him seriously, much less heralds him as their "Rabbi".
Rafael V. Rabinovich | Homepage | 10.07.07 - 3:27 am | #