Wife of Influential Rabbi, Yoshiyahu Pinto, Attempts Suicide

Apparently the strain and stress of seeing her husband being questioned on suspicion of money laundering and attempted bribery of a senior police officer was just too much for Dvora Rivka Pinto, wife of the well-known Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, who attempted to end her life on October 14^th

Pinto, who was rushed by ambulance to the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, was recovering from her attempted suicide.

On October 11^th, the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court ordered the couple placed on house arrest for two weeks.

The national police investigations branch said on Sunday that Pinto and his wife were interrogated by police detectives for three hours earlier in the day, before the meeting was called off “due to personal reasons.”

Rabbi Pinto is reported to have offered Ephraim Bracha, head of the national police investigations branch,$100,000 for information about an investigation into the business operations of a charity linked to Pinto. The rabbi sent his wife, a suitcase full of cash in hand, to deliver it to Bracha’s wife.

Amir Dan, a spokesman for the Pinto family, blames the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court for ignoring a plea made – which fell on deaf ears - by the Pintos to issue a gag order on the investigation, due to concerns about the Mrs. Pinto’s emotional well-being.

The Founder of the Shuva Israel Yeshiva, Rabbi Pinto has served as an adviser to several high-profile Israelis, former Kadima Party head Tzipi Livni, Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman and tycoon Nochi Dankner.