Practical Judaism

The essence of Judaism is not in the renunciation of life, but in its complete, conscious experience. Unlike ascetic systems that view the material world and bodily pleasures as obstacles to spirituality, Judaism teaches us that earthly life is the stage upon which eternity is built. The point is not to suppress the joy of life, but to channel it toward holiness.

This is best reflected in the attitude toward pleasure: while the secular approach often seeks the instant gratification of impulses – which by nature leads to transience and emotional emptiness – Judaism offers a path of lasting fulfillment. For example, pleasure within marriage is not a restriction, but a sublime act of creating a family and stability; enjoying food is not simple consumption, but an opportunity for gratitude through blessings (brachot); resting on the Sabbath (Shabbat) is not laziness, but a conscious pause in the race for success to dedicate oneself to what truly matters – home and community.

Judaism does not preach distance between the sexes out of contempt, but out of deep respect for human nature and the need to protect the integrity of the individual and the family. In order to maintain focus and avoid temptations that would lead us into triviality, it is recommended that communication with the opposite sex be reduced to three basic, constructive frameworks: education, commerce, and medicine .

Yet, many who call themselves believers today forget that the time God has given us is the most precious resource we manage. Through the table below, we will show where these same people most frequently falter – squandering that time on unproductive activities which, in most cases, not only bear no fruit but directly lead to spiritual stagnation and sin.

Watching Sports

Watching sports today represents the modern equivalent of Roman gladiatorial games. Although not bloodthirsty, the point remains the same: the masses are entertained while others perform, wasting precious time that could have been invested in personal development.

There is a perfect phrase in Latin, you are probably familiar with it. It says: "Bread and circuses" (Lat. Panem et circenses).
Bread: Represents basic life needs (food, money, security).
Circuses: Represents distraction (sports, reality TV, endless scrolling, entertainment).
In Rome, this was used to "pacify" the people and distract them from politics and vital social issues by giving them food and cheap entertainment. That is why on the internet, alongside immense antisemitism, there are also jokes like "goyim" (the Hebrew word for non-Jews) and "goyslop" (slop for goyim).

The term "goyslop" implies two things:
   - "Food for non-Jews": Those who use this term claim that "elites" (who in those circles are often wrongly or maliciously identified as exclusively Jewish or Zionist) serve "slop" to the non-Jewish population.
   - What is this "slop"? This refers not only to literal industrial food (fast food, processed goods, GMOs), but the term is often metaphorically extended to "cultural slop": reality TV programs, low-quality Hollywood movies, mass pop culture, news that serves for manipulation, and everything that makes people passive and uncritical.

Think about it, what are your feelings during a game and what do you do while it lasts? Do you curse, feel anger and sadness when your team loses? Do you look forward to some misfortune hitting the opposing team so they slip up and lose? Can you barely wait for the team followed by your acquaintances to lose against yours, just so you can laugh at them and mock them for 3 days and 3 nights? What do you gain by a team winning or not? Do you earn even a fraction of the money they win?

If you are a parent, do you think you are a good role model to your children if you are a sports fan? If a child asks you "which team should I root for, all these teams look the same to me?" - what would you say to them? To choose a team based on location or country?

Do you think (if you are a man) that a woman won't develop a need to cheat on you when she sees you neglecting her while wearing the jersey of some athlete (idolizing other men who earn more than you) and spending an hour or more doing so?

If you are a woman who goes to games, do you go to the game to watch good-looking guys or are you trying to find a boyfriend? How do you expect your future husband to react to that? If he reacts positively, you better stay away from him.

If your answer is: "Yes, I get very happy when my team wins, and it is very hard for me when my team loses" - well, if the odds are high that your team will lose, why risk having your day ruined? Why not just replace that choice of dopamine with something more productive? With something that depends on you, and not on others? You cannot influence how someone plays or not, unless you practice the occult, but that is something terrible that the Lord commanded not to be done, so we will assume you do not deal with that.

When is it completely justified to follow sports or play sports games?

It is completely justified if you are involved in sports professionally. For example, you are a professional athlete who can support a family with your salary (we remind you, one of the most important things in Judaism is establishing a family), a coach, a sports commentator, a referee, a linesman, a medical expert for sports injuries, a physical education teacher, etc., etc...

However, it is important to distance ourselves from abuses. You must assess how much of a role sports actually play in your profession from which you earn your bread.

If you are, for example, a football player who earns less than the minimum wage in your country, then you would have to be realistic and reexamine your career. Of course, it is all up to your judgment. If you believe your club will move to a higher league next season, or that you will get an offer from a better club, keep going. If there is a war in your country, and the law protects you from going to war through sports, keep going. If the salary has been the same for years and there are no new offers, you better change your career. Now while you are reproductively capable, you need to think about family.

It is completely understandable that football is the most interesting thing in your life and that you would rather play football for a lower salary (with which you can support only yourself) and be happy, than do another job for a higher salary and be unhappier. But in life, you cannot sit on two chairs (planning a family with low income is selfish, because you obviously plan for things to be good for you, not for the child). Parents who love their children work even two jobs for them, and they do not complain. Therefore, it would be more honest of you to simply not plan a family yet, and not risk making childhood conditions harder for your future child. No child deserves to be born on the edge of poverty if that was a matter of a selfish decision by the parents.

If you think it is more important to do a job you love than to have a family at all, we are sure we will break that illusion for you after you read this article Today, there is an illusion that a woman can achieve both a career and build a family. In this article, we will address whether that is possible or not... .

However, if you are only planning to pursue sports professionally, we do not advise you to do so at all if you plan to do it for the next 20 years. The explanation can be found in this article Here we will analyze not only the short-term but potentially life-threatening consequences of the classic 9-5 job... .