ISRAEL (VINnews) — Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu spoke critically of those who are too immersed in soccer, including Israelis and other Jews who traveled to Qatar for the World Cup.
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The Chief Rabbi of Tzfas called the obsession a “drug”, and advised people to pull away in order to save themselves.
In a video posted on social media, Rabbi Eliyahu said: “What does Judaism think of these games?” He quoted the Yerushalmi about “Tor Shimon”, a city that was destroyed. Although it received an abundance of blessing and its inhabitants were great charitable people, the city “was destroyed because they were playing ball”.
The Rabbi said that the simple understanding of the Yerushalmi is “that the very act of playing ball destroyed a city like Tor Shimon. What happened? Why is it so terrible? The answer is because it is simply hevel (emptiness), tohu (nothingness), there is nothing in it,” he said.
He added, “People play, those who are watching them is not a sport, they [just] watch, it doesn’t add health to them, nothing, just stress and passion over nothing, and even those who play don’t get healthier.”
The rabbi said that a player once told him that the players exert themselves beyond their capacity and use more strength than Hashem created them to use and this causes health problems.
The Rabbi continued: “How many people have been killed because of this World Cup? The game is important – lives are not important. How much promiscuity and immorality there is, may Hashem have mercy.”
He concluded by saying it is “wasting time and destroying shalom bayis. Anyone sensible will turn off this drug called a football game, it gives you nothing, it only destroys your home. It’s like a drug, it pulls and pulls. Cut it and you’ll be saved.
soccer is so booooring.
An even better reason not to watch and especially not to attend the World Cup is that soccer’s governing body FIFA is basically an organized crime operation and according to my own Rav in the name of Rav Soloveitchik z’tz’l it is asur to do anything to support such businesses.
There are many good reasons to detest soccer, but unfortunately they aren’t mentioned here.
I LOVE soccer, or futbol as it is better known and to say it is against Judaism to watch or play it is nonsense. My children played it all their lives and was still able to attend to their studies. Hashem wants us to have a sound mind and body, this is a great way for our children to socialize and be part of something beside their studies.
Soccer (also known as football in many places) is worse than baseball and other sports in the USA. Soccer fans are more prone to brawling, there is a long history of violence and injury resulting from it.
This should also be addressed to those Orthodox Jews in America who are obsessed with baseball and football.
Kids need to play games since they are very active, but as they get older, they need to put more and more time into learning. Soccer is a sickness in Israel that takes a small amount of boys away from learning.
We are Jews, not Greeks, we don’t need super games. we need super learning gemoras.
maybe this man is afraid he that people will start getting along? maybe this man wants us to be at each others throats?
whatever, many old gedolim followed baseball i.e. R chaim P zt”l. Obvisously those that can should learn torah vs following this nonsense. But is it the biggest sin?
too many “bochurim” go to games, follow sports and in general have an interest in these vilda chayas, there is no heter to watch these creatures play, watch have 3/4 naked women dance. too many yeshivas allow too many outlets, remember there is no heter for concerts or music either.