- What kinds of activity/pursuits contribute value to our world?
- How important is it that we engage in those pursuits?
- What kinds of activity/pursuits do not contribute value to our world? Why don't they?
- Should we engage in any of these non-value adding pursuits? To what extent?
- If someone engaged in one of those pursuits as their full-time work, should they be limited in how they are allowed to contribute to society?
וְאֵלּוּ הֵן הַפְּסוּלִין:
- הַמְשַׂחֵק בְּקֻבְיָא
- וְהַמַּלְוֶה בְרִבִּית
- וּמַפְרִיחֵי יוֹנִים
- וְסוֹחֲרֵי שְׁבִיעִית.
...אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: אֵימָתַי?
בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם אֻמָּנוּת אֶלָּא הִיא,
אֲבָל יֵשׁ לָהֶן אֻמָּנוּת שֶׁלֹּא הִיא, כְּשֵׁרִין:
And these on the following list are the ones who are disqualified by the Sages from bearing witness due to their unseemly behavior, as they are considered wicked individuals guilty of monetary transgressions:
- One who plays with dice [bekubbiyya] for money,
- and one who lends money with interest,
- and those who fly pigeons,
- and merchants who trade in the produce of the Sabbatical Year, which may be eaten but may not be sold as an object of commerce....
Rabbi Yehuda said: When are the people listed above disqualified from bearing witness?
It is when they have no occupation but this one.
But if they have an occupation other than this one, although they also make money by these inappropriate means, they are fit to bear witness.
המשחק בקוביא – is ineligible for testimony because they do not engage in the welfare of the world. For it is forbidden for a person that they should engage themself other than in [the study of] Torah and deeds of lovingkindness, or in business and crafts or work which have [as its purpose] the welfare of the world.
16. Those that teach birds how to capture other birds from a nest in a populated area are disqualified from testifying because we assume they are stealing other’s birds. The same applies to those that sit idle and then grab fruits when shmitah comes and start participating in commerce because we assume they are doing business with fruits of shmitah. The same applies to those that that gamble with stones assuming they have no other trade because they are not participating with the settling of the world and have the status of those that eat from gambling, which is quasi-theft.
This does not only apply to stones, but also to those that play with nut-shells and pomegranate shells. Similarly, this does not only apply to birds but even to those that play with domesticated animals, wild animals and any type of birds and say whoever’s comes first or defeats its opponent will receive double. The same applies to any similar game assuming he has no other trade other than this game, and he will be disqualified from testifying. These are all rabbinical disqualifications.
(י) הַמְשַׂחֲקִין בְּקֻבִּיָּא כֵּיצַד. אֵלּוּ שֶׁמְּשַׂחֲקִין בְּעֵצִים אוֹ בִּצְרוֹרוֹת אוֹ בַּעֲצָמוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן וְעוֹשִׂים תְּנַאי בֵּינֵיהֶם שֶׁכָּל הַנּוֹצֵחַ אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹ שְׂחוֹק יִקַּח מִמֶּנּוּ כָּךְ וְכָךְ הֲרֵי זֶה גֵּזֶל מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבִּרְצוֹן הַבְּעָלִים לָקַח הוֹאִיל וְלָקַח מָמוֹן חֲבֵרוֹ בְּחִנָּם דֶּרֶךְ שְׂחוֹק וְהִתּוּל הֲרֵי זֶה גּוֹזֵל. וְכֵן הַמְשַׂחֲקִים בִּבְהֵמָה אוֹ בְּחַיָּה אוֹ בְּעוֹפוֹת וְעוֹשִׂים תְּנַאי שֶׁכָּל שֶׁתְּנַצֵּחַ בְּהֶמְתּוֹ אוֹ תָּרוּץ יוֹתֵר יִקַּח מֵחֲבֵרוֹ כָּךְ וְכָךְ וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ הַכּל אָסוּר וְגֵזֶל מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם הוּא:
(יא) וְהַמְשַׂחֵק בְּקֻבִּיָּא עִם הָעַכּוּ''ם אֵין בּוֹ אִסּוּר גֵּזֶל אֲבָל יֵשׁ בּוֹ אִסּוּר עוֹסֵק בִּדְבָרִים בְּטֵלִים שֶׁאֵין רָאוּי לְאָדָם שֶׁיַּעֲסֹק כָּל יָמָיו אֶלָּא בְּדִבְרֵי חָכְמָה וּבְיִשּׁוּבוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם:
10. The ones who play with stones. What does this mean? They are one who play with sticks, or in bundles of sticks, or with bones, and things like them, and make conditional promises between them, that whoever beats their friend in that game will take from them this or that - this is stealing according to the Sages. Even though the players willingly take[ from each other], and are playing, this is theft. And so too those who play with beasts, with animals, or with birds, and make conditional promises that if their beast wins or runs more, they will take from their friend this or that, and matters like this, all is forbidden, and it is theft according to the Sages.
11. The one who plays with stones with gentiles engages in frivolous matters, for it is not seemly for a person should spend all their days in words of wisdom, and in with social welfare.
Due to moral objections, the authorities cited at the beginning of this chapter similarly condemn engaging even in "recreational gambling," in addition to the potential problems of theft. In 1996, Rav Mordechai Willig instructed a convention of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth to refrain from all forms of gambling (including horse racing, football pools, and rotisserie leagues), due to the aforementioned rulings of the Rambam (Hilchot Gezeilah Va'aveidah 6:10-11). Rav Willig admitted that many Ashkenazic authorities disagree with the Rambam's claim that all gambling with a Jew is actual theft. However, no one would question the truth of the Rambam's statement that gambling, even when there is no theft involved, is a total waste of time, is the antithesis of wisdom, and contributes nothing positive to the world. Rav Willig cited many of the catastrophic results of habitual gambling, repeatedly decrying gambling and its results as "churbano shel olam" - destroying society.
Rav Hershel Schachter (in a lecture at Yeshiva University) even objected to lotteries commonly conducted at weddings to determine which guest will keep the table centerpiece, based on a similar law in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 322:6). He explained that the activity prohibited by the Shulchan Aruch, casting lots to determine which child in a family will receive the biggest portion of food, reflects a general prohibition against activities that teach people the thrill of gambling.
The Mishnah Berurah and Aruch Hashulchan (cited at the beginning of the article) strongly discourage playing cards on Chanukah. Rav Moshe Feinstein refers to card playing and bingo as despicable activities ("devarim mecho'arim"). Rav Aharon Lichtenstein commented (to this author) that casinos and gambling halls are "symbols of decadence in society." Rav Yehuda Amital said, "People are seeking forms of excitement in life [which are unhealthy]." Rav Soloveitchik put it succinctly, as mentioned earlier - "It is a bad habit; don't do it!"
The Torah (Vayikra 19:2) exhorts us: "Kedoshim tih'yu" ("Be holy"). Many great rabbis have declared that gambling is incompatible with the Jewish people's goal of being a holy people. While it is highly unusual for the Aruch Hashulchan to strongly condemn a practice of the observant community, he does so regarding the practice of many Jews to gamble on Chanukah. Perhaps he reacted so harshly because he served as the rabbi of a city (Novaradok, in pre-World War I Lithuania), where he may have seen the devastating effects that gambling often has on individuals, their families, and society as a whole. In short, let us remember the words of the Mishnah Berurah regarding gambling, "Hashomer nafsho yirchak mizeh" ("He who values his soul will stay away from it").