For many people, social gambling is a harmless way to pass the time. But gambling can be more insidious — an addictive thrill that could ruin your life. Are you or your spouse a candidate for gambling addiction? Is it worth taking the risk to find out?
Not so long ago Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser received a call from a crying wife married but a year. It wasn’t the typical shalom bayis phone call. Between sobs Beth (names have been changed) related that she and her husband Eli had recently visited friends in Chicago for a simchah. Shortly afterwards they got a call from their friends. “Yossi lost his wallet ” they said. “Did you by any chance see it anywhere?”
Neither Beth nor her husband had any idea and the subject got pushed to the back of their minds. Two weeks later they spent a Shabbos at Beth’s parents’ house. When they came home on Sunday Beth’s mother was on the phone. “Did anybody see my diamond ring?” she asked panicked. “It disappeared this Shabbos. I’ve looked everywhere!”
Beth and Eli hadn’t seen the ring and had no advice for Beth’s mom. It didn’t occur to Beth to see any connection between the two incidents until she happened to go to the bank one morning to take out some cash.
At the window the teller pursed her lips and shook her head. “I can’t give it to you honey” she said. “You’ve only got $50 left in your account.”
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