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NEWS
Rabbi Ravitz Demands Mifal Hapayis Stop Commercials
Promoting Idleness
By G. Kleiman
Deputy Welfare Minister MK Avrohom Ravitz contacted the
chairman of Mifal Hapayis to request that he stop television
commercials calling on the public to buy lottery tickets in
the hopes of winning a salary for life. In his letter to
Mifal Hapayis Chairman Shimon Katzenelson, Rabbi Ravitz says
the commercials indirectly encourage a life of idleness, and
teach viewers to evade work.
"It is undesirable for Mifal Hapayis, which has already
caused many people to form an addiction and to face various
financial and personal problems, to encourage people in such
a pronounced manner to stop working and to invest their
energy into participating in its lotteries since there is
only a slim chance they will win a prize that would permit
them a life of idleness," writes Rabbi Ravitz.
"In my humble opinion this is a very problematic [commercial]
and is in contradiction to the basic social values to which
we are obligated. The foremost value is for people to live
from the fruits of their labor. This commercial negates this,
both by encouraging idleness and through the advertiser's
attempt to present ways to fool an employer and to find
excuses for a lack of desire to work that day. Moreover, from
every perspective, even if a person receives a salary for
life it is important for him to find ways to occupy himself,
such as work, study or volunteering, rather than idleness
simply because he won a Mifal Hapayis lottery."
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