The lust to gamble comes from the lust for money. It causes a person to deviate from Hashem’s commandments him and uproots a person’s emuna in Hashem, truth and Divine Providence.
Gambling seems like an easy path to big money, but it’s really a rocky road that leads the person – and all his relatives – to an unbearably hard and bitter life.
Gambling disorients a person, because the evil inclination always makes sure that some people will earn large sums through gambling. One’s imagination and envy skyrockets when he hears about of someone else’s windfall on the poker table or at the roulette wheel. The evil inclination suckers him into believing that he too can become a “big roller” who earns colossal sums. He loses his good sense and in a short time wastes a tremendous amount of money that he worked very hard for, whereas he could have used the money in a positive way.
The gambler causes untold grief to all of his relatives, and in particular to his wife and children. Their hearts bleed when they see the money that wasted on gambling instead of used on what they really need it.
According to Jewish Law, money that a person earns from gambling is considered thievery; there’s consequently no blessing in such money. Everyone will realize that the money comes from an unclean source and won’t be enjoyed - it only causes suffering...
Continue reading The Gambler on this week's Breslev Israel web magazine.
More great reading this week on Breslev Israel:
Rebbe Natan of Breslev on Good and Evil Speech.
This week, we enter the three-week period between 17 Tammuz (this coming Thursday) and Tisha B'Av. To learn more, see Jerusalem Center Stage and The Three Weeks Again.
The Melitzer Rebbetzen writes about Basic Gratitude.
Bracha Goetz tells about the Survivors of Child Abuse.
Aliya is part 17 of Strangers No More.
The Song of the Insects is part 12 of Perek Shira for Children.
Blaspheming is part 3 of The Seven Noahide Commandments.
Outstanding Daughters is an excellent commentary on this week's Torah portion, Pinchas.
Breslev Israel and the Beams wish you a wonderful week.
