<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 13:57, Micha Berger <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Someone posted on Areivim a link to suggestions put together by R Saul<br>
Zucker and R ary Friedman for running a more affordable school. In the<br>
list of small things that could be done immediately (among suggestions<br>
that would be of more substantial help) was BINGO night.<br>
<br>
To which R Chanoch Bloom asked on Wed, Jun 03, 2009 at 9:02am EDT:<br>
: Isn't gambling (i.e. Bingo) assur according to the Maran Beit Yosef?<br>
<br>
Moreso than the commmonplace Chinese Auction? Or buying a lottery<br>
ticket? Or dreidl of kvitlach paid for money?<br>
</blockquote><div>SNIP <br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
RMF (IM EH 3:40, OC 4:35) does not forbid BINGO, and permits it if the<br>
school needs funds. He does consider it inappropriate, and not permissable<br>
to be held at the actual maqom Torah / tefillah, but not assur.<br>
</blockquote></div><br>I think that both of you are missing part of the mitzuis here. Chinese auctions that are run by Jewish organizations are a once a year fund raiser aimed at the general Jewish population of the area. Bingo is a nightly or weekly activity that is aimed at the general population. It attracts few Jews & no Torah observant Jews. Have you ever been to a Bingo hall? I volunteered as a teenager a few times for my shul. Really not a great experience; although now that you can not smoke indoors in public, it may be a little better. There are real moral issues with running BINGO. Genrally these are not people with large amounts of disposable income.<br>
<br>Saul<br>