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One of the issues affecting segments of the Orthodox world is gambling [or so I read from a prominent MO rabbi].
Sadly.
Basically, almost every problem that afflicts the gentiles eventually finds its way to us [except for coming late to church].
בספר דעת חכמה ומוסר מאמר פט כתב וז"ל כשנסתכל במבט היסטורי ונתבונן לראות על איזה ענינים הזהירה התורה ביותר ועל מה היה עיקר אזהרותיו של משרע"ה הנה כשנדפדף בתורה דף על דף נראה כי עיקר אזהרה היתה שלא יתערבו בגויים וילמדו ממעשיהם ולדעתי כשאנו רואים בתורה אזהרה כמעשה ארץ מצרים אשר ישבתם בה לא תעשו וכמעשי ארץ כנען אשר אני מביא אתכם שמה לא תעשו ובחקתיהם לא תלכו, אני שומע מזה אזהרה שלא יהיה אצלכם פוטבאל (כדור רגל) וכדומה שלא תעשו כמעשה הגויים. והיינו שנכלל באזהרת התורה בפסוק הנ"ל שלא נתערב בגויים ונלמד ממעשיהם אפילו בדברים שאינם אסורים בעצם ורק מאחר שבדברים אלו הם חוקותיהם של הגויים אמרה התורה שעלינו בנ"י להתרחק מהם בתכלית הריחוק עכת"ד.
R' Yeruchem writes in "Da'as Chochma U'Musar," [Article 89]: "When we look at it from a historical perspective and consider what matters the Torah warned about the most, and what were the main warnings of Moshe, when we leaf through the Torah page by page, we see that the main warning was not to mix with the nations and learn from their deeds. In my opinion, when we see in the Torah a warning such as 'Like the practice of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and like the practice of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their statutes,' I hear from this a warning not to have football (soccer) and the like, not to do as the nations do, etc. This means that it is included in the Torah's warning in the aforementioned verse not to mix with the nations and learn from their deeds, even in things that are not inherently forbidden, but only because these things are the customs of the nations, the Torah said that we, the Children of Israel, must distance ourselves from them as much as possible."
Gambling??
Jews shouldn't even be interested in pro sports in the first place. This is a diversion invented by gentiles because they have nothing better to do with their time [or so they mistakenly perceive].
We, on the other hand, have PLENTY of important things to do with our time.
