Playing in Cuba
Hello Rabbi,
I came across a puzzling response from the Yair Farms marked SA:
“In a group, they study with me and listen to my voice. They dine together, twelve in number, with good hearts, with wine on the days of Purim. They cast lots on a large gilded silver cup, and each one gave a tenth of a rabbi, and this is the act of fate…”
I wanted to ask if there is a problem with playing in Cuba here, and why doesn’t he bring up this point?
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0 Answers
peace.
This is his famous answer about fate (I discussed it a bit in my article on the story of Pinchas attached).(Torah, Parshat HaShavu’ah). First, it is about Purim. Second, these are not those who play regularly, and according to the halakhic opinion, it is ruled in the Mishnah of the 3rd DeSanadrin that playing is only invalid if it has no purpose other than that. And third, he talks there about several types of fates, which if done in a decent manner is determined from above, and as far as I remember, his words there mean that it is permissible to do so.
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Asks:
There is a Mishnah on Shabbat, Chapter 23:
A man may count his guests and his guests by word of mouth, but not by writing, and may count them with his sons and his household at the table, provided that he does not intend to make a large portion for a small portion because of his greed and the weak who cast lots for the holy things on a holy day, but not for the portions.
I understand from this that it is forbidden to cast lots even at random. Regarding the types of lots, it seems that the Sages did not distinguish between different types of lots with regard to the prohibition of kuvia.
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Rabbi:
See the commentaries there that it is a prohibition of theft because of an asmechta. But in the Sanhedrin issue that I mentioned, Amoraim disagreed on whether playing dice has an asmechta or not, and in halakhic terms, such as Rav Sheshet, they rule that it does not. The Mishnah there in Stima follows the opinion that there is an asmechta here, but it was not ruled so in halakhic terms. And in Pihamash, the Rambam went on to write that according to all opinions, there is a prohibition of earthly conduct that it is not appropriate to engage in it (at least if this is the main occupation of one’s life, as I wrote, s.
Beyond that, I wrote that the difference between the lotteries is an innovation of the HaVvi, and the innovation in this is that we really did not find a distinction between the types of lotteries as you wrote. It is worth seeing his words there (I did not check now, and wrote from memory).
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Asks:
In general, according to modern-day halakhic law, is it permissible to make a bet or wager on money that is not made on a regular basis?
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Rabbi:
As I wrote, the halacha permits doing this in a temporary way. The main point of the debate among the Amoraim in the Sanhedrin is precisely whether the prohibition is when this is the main thing (if it is only not a way of life and the settlement of the world) or whether there is a prohibition in every such act (if it is theft). The halacha rules that there is no theft here. The Rambam in the Pihahamash wrote that even doing this in a permanent way is a prohibition, and it is not clear whether he actually meant a prohibition or just an inappropriate act.
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