Mitzvah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The primary meaning of Mitzvah refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God.

It is a word used in Judaism to refer to the 613 commandments given in the Torah and the seven rabbinic commandments instituted later, for a total of 620.

According to the teachings of Judaism, all moral laws are, or are derived from, divine commandments.

The secondary meaning of Mitzvah refers to a moral deed performed as a religious duty.

As such, the term mitzvah has also come to express an act of human kindness. The tertiary meaning of Mitzvah also refers to the fulfillment of a mitzvah. It can also refer to any Jewish religious obligation, or more generally to any good deed.

by Lexx

In our collective movement, there are millions of us, all working to free ourselves from the jackboot of law enforcement pressing down upon all of our throats.

Whenever any of us gets arrested, the costs of litigation are staggering. With the investigators, forensic experts, and the ever-present ticking of the per-hour charge from everyone involved, the money needed to win these cases grows exponentially.

For many of us within this greater community of activists, reporters, and those risking it all to supply the herb, these dangers of a lack of funding are what have put many of us in jail.

What I want to share is a few stories of Mitzvah: giving without expecting anything in return, or even for it being known who did these good deeds.

Several of this country’s top attorneys gave in the fashion of Mitzvah to help me with my cases. I may not have personally deserved it, but the cases most certainly did merit the help.

Jeff Steinborn is a well-known attor-ney in Seattle, Washington, having written Avoiding and Defending Pot Busts, which is freely offered on the Internet and is widely used by lawyers, prosecutors, and activists alike. I hear many complaints that while he is very good, he charges too much. His firm does have a very high level of wins against the prosecutors in the Seattle area, while he has changed many statutes with these precedent-setting cases. Regularly speaking at Seattle Hempfest, Jeff is also a board member of Washington NORML and serves in more capacities volunteering and helping Seattle than this article has room for. In my own case, he came and spoke in front of the Canadian Refugee board, costing me only the plane fare and hotel costs. He is a true friend in Seattle.

Then there is Bruce Margolin, who was considered the number-one crim-inal defense attorney in the U.S. in 1999. The firm he leads is called the Super Lawyers of LA. Bruce wrote The Margolin Guide to Marijuana Laws, again freely offered on the Internet.

He is another lawyer who has given in many ways that the general public never hears about. For me, Bruce accepted collect calls from LocTel, the world’s most expensive phone service, from SeaTac Federal Detention Center while I was there, to help me with my case.

This was many, many hours of help while he was not even my attorney.

Locally where I live, here in Portland, Oregon, there is Leland Berger, who comes from the neighboring community where I grew up, literally blocks away from me, Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. Leland has helped to write legal briefs with this country’s top attorneys, worked for next to nothing defending cannabis patients’ rights, such as cases of patients being denied their right to concealed weapons permits. Leland has a very long history of standing with patients in Salem, Oregon, at numerous conferences, and at many, many events, including his annually speaking at Seattle Hempfest. Lee is my constant voice of reason when it comes to law, answering questions and providing guidance for creating sane responses to our detractors: someone I consider a Freedom Fighter, quietly doing the work of searching for legal arguments, while brainstorming the next step in the ascent from the darkness of these cannabis laws and their contribution to the devastation of our society.

He helped me when I was in need, with a way to provide assistance when I had no money, and allowed me to work off the costs, helping us both.

Don E. Wirtshafter really needs a shout out of thanks from an entire tribe of ours! He is the Rainbow Family attorney, representing the unfortunate family members who have run-ins with local law enforcement and Homeland Security thugs, who annually harass the July 4 gathering of the tribes, the National Gathering. He has each year rounded up lawyers from the local area to rep-resent and help this tribe of ours that is almost entirely cultural creatives, with very little money and a profile that has them stopped everywhere the family goes.

He was the attorney helping those busted in Costa Rica for growing hemp. He represented the hemp seeds seized at the US/Canadian border and so many more cases for our freedom. Don has come to my defense in more ways than I can mention and is a friend who, like all these attorneys, has lived this proud tradition of Mitzvah in quiet ways, knowing it is and was the right thing to do!

I want to acknowledge another couple that has been teaching, testifying as activists, and helping in so many ways:

Chris Conrad and his life partner Mikki  Norris have been vigilant in helping patients and those who have run afoul of law enforcement.

Dr. Frank Lucido has been literally standing on the line while being at the nuclear test site in Nevada, while helping other doctors prescribe this sacramental herb, plus testifying and teaching other doctors to come to patients’ aid.

I can personally thank them all for being my friends, helping me when I needed help (and had no money), as well as having helped so many, many others.

They, like all these folks who practice Mitzvah, never had to help me, or anyone; it just comes naturally from their hearts.

To all of those attorneys, friends, and associates who have helped over the years, I say thank you, knowing that all of you have earned a far greater gift of merit for these selfless acts, joining the many blessings that have come from having compassionate hearts (their true wealth) than I or any of those they have helped could have ever given any of them in return.

Never look at giving as a loss; never expect anything of material value in return. My teacher taught us that as one of the main principles of our way of life. This is a path to build merit; what cannot be bought is far more valuable to bring true happiness to one’s life, to honor one’s ancestors, and extend that karma to one’s own children.

Blessings be!