"Betting on Judaism"

Kol Nidre 5766

Rabbi Joshua Heller
Congregation B’nai Torah
rabbi@bnaitorah.org

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Well, I visited vegas this past summer, and I must confess, in the spirit of the season, that I already spilled a few beans in a sermon that I gave earlier this summer, but my accountant tells me that in order to make the trip tax deductible, I need to give you at least two sermons.

Las Vegas is an interesting place to go as a Jew. Judaism is about the personal touch, and delayed gratification, and in Vegas everything is immediate and anonymous. And yet, I’m told that it is the fastest growing Jewish community in the U.S. One wonders if the synagogues there have a "high stakes" or VIP chapel. Imagine slot machines with a "triple-bar" mitzvah. Or perhaps a drive through chapel, where you can have a bris done by a mohel dressed like elvis. Don't be cruel.

What Las Vegas is known for most, of course, is gambling. A classic Vegas story: walking down the hallway of the hotel passing the vending machines, there is a man and he has a stack of quarters and an ever-growing pile of sodas. He's throwing in quarters, and the cokes keep coming out. I asked him: “What are you doing, how many sodas can you possibly drink?”
His response “Hey, this machine is hot. What's it to you if I keep winning?”

We have become a society of gamblers. Gambling, poker in particular, is apparently the third-most televised sport on cable television. As many people watched the world series of poker on TV last night as are sitting listening to Kol Nidre tonight. Here in Atlanta, Texas Hold-Em is to synagogues was bingo was to the Catholic church. It's everywhere, though I warn you- by definition, a trend has peaked and is headed into decline if the rabbi mentions it in his sermon!

Our sages understood the downsides of gambling. Gambling can be addictive- like most things which are exhilarating in moderate doses, it can crush you if you get carried away. Our tradition was uncomfortable with gambling. The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 22a, and Sanhedrin 24b, states that those who play dice were excluded as serving as witnesses. Of course, the question is why?
Rami Bar Hama says is is because they are not to be trusted. Because all gambling is in some sense a form of theft- no-one would play if they thought they were going to lose, and therefore, any time you take money from someone at the table, you are doing so under false pretences. Try that argument the next time someone beats you when you are holding two pair! Other sages, like Rabbi Yehudah say that a little bit of gambling is ok. Where it gets to be a problem is if you make your living from it, because then you are not participating in the building of the world.

Gambling is a problem in our society. The claim is that if you add up all the money wagered in legal and illegal betting in the US- in the casinos, on line, in lotteries, in office pools, at brotherhood poker night, it comes out to more than we spend on primary and secondary education. A colleague of mine, David Englander, is the Rabbi at B'nai Torah in Boca Raton, and he has studied teen gambling. He learned that 20 years ago. 45% of all teens were involved in gambling. That number is now 65%. Up to 7% of teenagers have what would be considered a gambling problem- so preoccupied that they are stealing or worse to fund their habits. Big business has taken over much of gambling, but there is still a lot of crime and unsavoryness involved with gambling. In New York City, you wouldn’t be surprised to find a bacon 'n egg joint that has a bookie's office in the back. Then again, in Tel Aviv, it's a bookie's office with a secret bacon 'n egg joint in the back.

The fact is, there were certain times when our sages were in favor of gambling- Purim, for example. Or playing Draydel on Channukah. It’s almost "Jewish Roulette"
The most important gambling day on the Jewish calendar is actually Yom Kippur. On this day, in the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple, the High Priest would bring forth two goats. One was to be offered as a sacrifice in on the altar, one was to be sent out to Azazel- to carry the sins of the Jewish people off into the wilderness, where it would meet its doom. Lots were cast as to which would be which. Several technical explanations were given as to why it should be done by lots, rather than simply chosing. One is that there is a whiff of idolatry in sending the goat off to Azazel, so that it should not seem like the priest is designating an animal to be sent off to demons.
There's a deeper reason- to remind us that in everything we do in life, there is an element of fate, but also an element of chance. That life is inherently unpredictable. That everything is a gamble!

What bets and gambles are we willing to take in life?

Every major decision we make in life is in some sense a gamble. It goes without saying that you take a chance every time you get in your car or airplane.

We gamble when we choose a spouse- what kind of person are they going to be in one year, in 5 years in 30 years?

When we have children, we go out on a limb. We have no way of knowing who they are going to turn out to be- how will the genes work out. Will they be athletic or bookish, tall, or short, what path will they take in life? (In my family, we go for short, bookish and rabbi).

You take chances when you buy a home- how much will it appreciate? How long do you have on the roof? Will you be able to contuine to afford it?

You bet when you invest. We bet that stocks will go up. That pork bellies will go down.
You take chances in your career- how do you decide to take a job? when do you leave a position in hopes that something better will come along? I took a chance on a congregation where, until recently, the rabbinic search committee was a standing committee of the shul. You took a chance on a young rabbi who will barely stay on the bimah for his own sermons, let alone a whole service, but it looks like we made a good bet.

There are some things that we do that are just dumb bets against the house- playing the lottery, smoking, not taking care of ourselves.

Our larger society takes chances- we bet that disasters won't happen. That we'll win every war we enter. That levees will hold even if we don’t maintain them. That terrorists won’t strike here. That the latest epidemic won't reach us. When do we need to hedge or bets?

Some of us like to play it safe- others live at the extreme and test the odds. The question you always have to balance is- “how much am I risking, and what is the potential reward?”

The truth is, we can't go through life computing the odds all the time. If we worried too much about the chances that a new business would fail, no-one would ever would never start any. If we worried too much about the chances that a new marriage would fail- no one would ever get married. If we worried too much about the chances that our children might not be perfect, no-one would ever have any. We all have to be a "little blind" or even a "big blind."

Are there any sure bets in life? Where are we guaranteed, if nothing else, to beat the spread? What pays good odds? Is there anything in life that's worth going "All in" for?

I read an article in the New York Times a few weeks back about Barry Greenstein- he is one of the world's best gamblers, a perennial champion on the poker circuit. He makes a nice living as a gambler. So both Rami Bar Hama and Rabbi Yehudah would say that he is ineligible to serve as a witness. And yet, I was struck by what he's chosen to do with his winnings- he's become one of the most important sports philanthropists. He said, and I paraphrase, "I want my kids to realize that there is more to life than gambling."

It's true what they say- you can't take it with you. That doesn't mean you should put it all on number 18 at the Roulette whell. But look at Judaism- the buy-in is high, it’s an investment of time, of mental effort, of personal commitment, but the odds and the pay-back are terrific.

What is it worth wagering to get the answers to life's questions?
What is it worth wagering to be a good person?
What is it worth wagering to find support at times of joy, and solace at times of sadness?
What is it worth wagering to alleviate the suffering of others?
What is it worth wagering to ensure the continuity of a tradition that stretches unbroken across the generations?

What is it worth wagering to have a personal relationship with God?

Looking out at the crowd, I see many people whom I know have a weekly poker game. How much are you willing to put down on a single hand? On a really good hand? For the night?
How many people here have been to Las Vegas in the last year- how much were you willing to drop? What's the risk, what's the reward? What's the most you could have hoped to take home with you, and how much lighter were you willing to risk being?

Translate that to this book you have in front of you, this Kol Nidre booklet which specifies the bets that you get to make on B’nai Torah in the coming year. You'll see that each page has a series of tabs you can pull down.

A general pledge- to support the ongoing work of the synagogue.
Adult and Family programming- educational and social opportunities.
Youth programming- our fabulously successful USY and Kadima programs.
Shabbat Kiddush Fund- it is the mark of a strong congregation is that we host each other for Shabbat meals. With distances, and kashrut, it is hard for some of us to invite people regularly for meals. This is a great way to extend hospitality- invite the whole congregation for lunch.
The Cantorial Fund- you see its benefits here today.
Religious school
Tot Shabbat and Jr Congregation- making sure that the next generation has its spritual needs met. It’s great having them running around in here, but it is also nice to find somewhere else to put them.
The congregant support fund- I am so proud that our congregation does not turn anyone away based on their finances. The congregant support fund ensures that we can welcome anyone as a member without respect to their ability to pay.
Chai -chai Not.

We have a page that ensures that we looking at the outside world.
You can give to Masorti, and support a “middle path” in Israeli Religious life.
You can support JTS- ensuring the training of future Rabbis and educators
Community Action Center- feeding the poor here on our doorstep.
Magen David Adom- responding to illness and disasters within Israel, but it is also Israel’s face to the world, helping Israel respond positively to crisis and trauma wherever it may fall.

So, what are you willing to ante? What are you willing to play on a hand? You get to double your money: a group has offered to match all new or increased pledges. There's no cashier's box where you get to trade in your chips back at the end of the night, but you'll see the payback in a dozen forms- in opportunities for personal spiritual growth, to develop your own relationship with God. In social and educational activities that will touch your family. In programs that will enable us to do our part in reaching out to those who are searching- to the 50% of all Jews who are not in a synagogue tonight.

The next pages are great because you get to play free. There's a lot of ways to buy in besides cash- you can volunteer. Take part in the ritual- if you ever want to anything, from reading an English prayer to opening the ark, to getting an aliyah, to reading torah or leading a service, let us know- you’ll be able to do it in the main service, in our Women's minyan. Or learn how.

Now that you’ve seen what the opportunities are: in the words of Kenny Rogers- you've got to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them. Some of you, having been asked for your pledge, are deciding whether to walk away or run. But while you do that, I need to turn for a moment to those of you who don’t have a book tonight. Maybe you're not from around here- you have a home community you need to look after, and I hope that you are as generous as you can be in supporting and sustaining them.
Or maybe you're from around here, and you wanted to pray with us for the holidays, but a synagogue membership didn't seem like it was "in the cards" for this year. I want to encourage you, urge you, all of you, to bet on B'nai Torah.

There are some who would like to see a lipstick cam installed in the lectern so you could see how many pages I've got left. Well, this is it. I’ve laid all my cards on the table.

There are so many gambles we take in life. I pray that in the coming year we're all dealt a good hand- may your health be a perfect 10, and may you be flush with cash. May you be kind of heart and straight with everyone you deal with. May you have a full house on shabbat and Yom Tov. Ultimately, though, it's not the hand you are dealt, it is how you play. The play can be exciting. At this season of the year, some really big things are at risk and on the table. It can be frightening and thrilling to play for such big stakes. The question you have to ask is- what is it really worth risking for? When it's all over, and I finally do cash in my chips, what do I want to have won?

If you want to gamble, split a pair of 5's against a ten at the blackjack table. If you really want to gamble, eat shellfish at the $5.99 buffet at 3:00 AM.
If you REALLY want to gamble, marry someone you met at the $5.99 buffet at 3:00 AM. (with a rabbi dressed like elvis officiating).

If you want a sure thing- bet on B'nai Torah.
If you want a sure thing- bet on a tight-knit and caring, welcoming community.
If you want a sure thing, bet on 5766 years of tradition and wisdom.
If you want a sure thing- bet on Judaism.

Shanah Tovah.