The Bet Midrash and the Theater

(8) 8) (Vayikra 18:3) "and in their statutes you shall not walk": What did Scripture leave unsaid (that this need be stated)? Is it not already written (Devarim 18:10) "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son or daughter through fire … (Devarim 18:11) and a chover chaver, etc."? What, then, is the intent of "and in their statutes you shall not walk"? In their customs — those things that are established for them — such as theatres, circuses, and sports... And lest you say: "They have statutes and we have no statutes" — It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 18:9) "My judgments shall you do and My statutes you shall heed to walk in them; I am the L–rd your G d." — But there is still "hope" for the yetzer hara to reflect and say "But theirs are more beautiful than ours!" — It is, therefore, written (Devarim 4:6) "And you shall heed and you shall do. For this is your wisdom and your understanding."

(5) 5) (See Section 8:3)

(6) 6) (See Section 8:4)

(7) 7) (See Section 8:6)

(8) 8) (Vayikra 18:3) "and in their statutes you shall not walk": What did Scripture leave unsaid (that this need be stated)? Is it not already written (Devarim 18:10) "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son or daughter through fire … (Devarim 18:11) and a chover chaver, etc."? What, then, is the intent of "and in their statutes you shall not walk"? In their customs — those things that are established for them — such as theatres, circuses, and sports. R. Meir says: These are "the ways of the Emorites," which the sages enumerated. R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: that you not preen yourself (to attract women), and not cultivate locks, and not wear the hair komi (a gentile fashion). And lest you say: "They have statutes and we have no statutes" — It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 18:9) "My judgments shall you do and My statutes you shall heed to walk in them; I am the L–rd your G d." — But there is still "hope" for the yetzer hara to reflect and say "But theirs are more beautiful than ours!" — It is, therefore, written (Devarim 4:6) "And you shall heed and you shall do. For this is your wisdom and your understanding."

(9) 9) (Vayikra 18:4) "My judgments you shall do": These are the things, which if they had not been written would "ask" to be written, such as (the interdiction of) theft, illicit relations, blaspheming the Name, and bloodshed. (Vayikra 18:4) "and My statutes you shall heed": These are the things that the yetzer hara "queries" and that the idolators query, such as (the prohibition against) eating pig and wearing sha'atnez (a mixture of wool and linen), chalitzah (the levirate-refusal ceremony), the cleansing of the leper and the sent-away he-goat. It is, therefore, written (in response to such "queries") "I, the L–rd," have decreed them, and it is not for you to call them into question.

(10) 10) (Vayikra 18:4) "to walk in them": Make them primary and not secondary. "to walk in them": Your converse should be only in them, not intermixed with any mundane matters. Do not say: I have learned the wisdom of Israel; now I will learn the wisdom of the world. "to walk in them": You are not permitted to depart from them. And thus (Mishlei 5:17) "They shall be ours alone … (Mishlei 6:22) In your going forth, it shall guide you" — in this world; "in your reclining, it shall guard you" — at the time of death; "and when you awake, it shall converse with you" — in the world to come. And (Isaiah 26:19) "Awake and sing, you dwellers in the dust!" And lest you say: "Gone is my hope and my prospect!" It is, therefore, written "I am the L–rd." I am your hope and your prospect and upon Me is your trust. And (Isaiah 46:4) "And until (your) old age, I am He, etc." And (Isaiah 44:6) "Thus said the L–rd, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the L–rd of hosts, etc." (Isaiah 48:12) "I am He. I am first and I am last." And (Isaiah 41:4) "I, the L–rd, am first, and with the last shall I be,"

(11) 11) (Vayikra 18:5) "And you shall heed My statutes and My judgments": This tells me only of what Scripture specifies. Whence do I derive (for inclusion) the other exegeses of the parshah? From "And you shall heed (eth) My statutes and (eth) My judgments."

(2) In addition to the halakhot relating to the fixed prayers, the Gemara relates: Rabbi Neḥunya ben Hakana would recite a brief prayer upon his entrance into the study hall and upon his exit. They said to him: The study hall is not a dangerous place that would warrant a prayer when entering and exiting, so what room is there for this prayer? He said to them: Upon my entrance, I pray that no mishap will transpire caused by me in the study hall. And upon my exit, I give thanks for my portion.

HALAKHAH: What does he say when he enters? May it be Your pleasure, o Eternal, my God and God of my fathers, that I should not be offended by my colleagues and my colleagues should not be offended by me; that we should not declare impure that which is pure, nor declare pure what is impure; that we should not forbid that which is permitted, nor permit what is forbidden and I would be ashamed in this world and the world to come. What does he say when he leaves? I thank You, o Eternal, my God and God of my fathers, that You ordained my lot with those who sit in the house of study and in synagogues and You did not ordain my lot in theaters and circuses For I toil and they toil, I am diligent and they are diligent. I toil to inherit the Garden of Eden, but they toil for the pit of destruction as it is said (Ps. 16:10): “Certainly, You will not abandon my soul to the pit, You will not let Your pious ones see destruction.”

(1) “Of laughter, I said it is confounded; and of joy, what does it accomplish?” (Ecclesiastes 2:2).
“Of laughter, I said it is confounded” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: How confounded is the laughter of the nations of the world in their circuses and theaters. “And of joy, what does it accomplish?” Why would a Torah scholar enter these [places]?
Another matter: How confounded is the laughter that the attribute of justice laughed at the generation of the flood... What is written there? “They said to God: Depart from us” (Job 21:14). Once they said: “What is the Almighty that we should serve Him?” (Job 21:15), the Holy One blessed be He said to them: “And of joy, what does it accomplish?” By your lives, I will obliterate you from the world. That is what is written: “He obliterated all existence” (Genesis 7:23).
Another matter: “Of laughter, I said it is confounded” – how confounded is the laughter that the attribute of justice laughed at the people of Sodom, as it is stated: “A land from which bread emerges…” (Job 28:5); “a place whose stones are sapphires…” (Job 28:6); “a path that birds of prey do not know…” (Job 28:7). When they said: We will do away with the policy of passersby from our midst,5They wanted to ensure that outsiders would not pass through their territory. that is what is written: “He breached a shaft from the residents, forgotten from all passersby” (Job 28:4). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: By your life, I will eliminate your memory from the world, as it is stated: “The Lord rained upon Sodom [and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire]” (Genesis 19:24).

(22) “Ruth said: Do not entreat me to leave you, to return from following you, as where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people is my people, and your God is my God” (Ruth 1:16).
“Ruth said: Do not entreat me to leave you, to return from following you.” What is “do not entreat me”? She said to her: ‘Do not sin to me, do not impose your reservations upon me.’ “To leave you, to return from following you” – in any case, my intention is to convert. It is preferable through you, and not through another. When Naomi heard this, she began arranging the laws of converts for her. She said to her: ‘My daughter, it is not the way of Israelite women to go to theaters and circuses of the gentiles.’ [Ruth] said to her: “Where you go, I will go.” [Naomi] said to her: ‘My daughter, it is not the way of Israel to reside in a house where there is no mezuza.’ [Ruth] said to her: “And where you lodge, I will lodge.” “Your people is my people” – these are punishments and prohibitions.” “Your God is my God” – [these are] the rest of the mitzvot.

(17) Rabbi Abbahu began: “Those who sit at the gate talk about me” (Psalms 69:13) – these are the nations of the world, who sit in theaters and circuses. “I am the subject of songs by ale drinkers” (Psalms 69:13) – after they sit, eat, drink, and become intoxicated, they sit, speak about me, mock me, and say: So that we will not need to eat carobs like the Jews. They would say to each other: How many years do you want to live? They would say: Like the Shabbat garment of the Jews.They would bring the camel into their theaters with its garments on it. They would say to each other: Why is this one mourning? They would say: These Jews observe the Sabbatical Year, and they do not have any vegetation, and they eat its thorns, and it is mourning over them. They would bring the dead into their theater, and its head was shaved. They would say to each other: Why is this one’s head shaved? He would say: These Jews are Shabbat observers, and everything for which they exert themselves all the days of the week, they eat on Shabbat. They do not have wood with which to cook, and they break their beds and cook with them. They sleep on the ground and become covered with dirt, and they smear themselves with oil. Therefore, the oil is expensive.
Another matter: “Those who sit at the gate talk about me” (Psalms 69:13) – these are Israel, who sit in the synagogues and study halls. “I am the subject of songs by ale drinkers” (Psalms 69:13) – after they sit, eat, drink, and become intoxicated at the feast prior to the ninth of Av, they sit and recite elegies, dirges, and Lamentations.