Shluchim Bank on Jackpot Lottery

By COLlive reporter

Chabad Rabbis, like many around the country, are purchasing lottery tickets in the hopes of winning the epic $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot prize which is said to be the largest in the world.

A lump-sum cash payment of the winnings would net a single winner $930 million before taxes, AP reported.

“Biggest jackpot in the history of the world. Absolutely confirmed,” Texas Lottery executive director Gary Grief said.

85.8 percent of possible number combinations have been chosen as of noon on Wednesday ahead of the drawing at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Chassidim and Shluchim debating whether to purchase a ticket were directed to an entry in the diary of the Rebbe from 9-11 Sivan 5691 (1931), written in Riga, Latvia and later published in “Reshimos Hayoman” (page 213).

“The Tzemach Tzedek purchased lottery tickets many times, for himself, and for his son, the Rebbe Maharash,” the Rebbe noted to himself. “And there was a manuscript found written in his holy handwriting: ‘May it be the will (of Hashem) that Rabbi Shmuel should win the lottery.'”

The Rebbe added, that “there were times that the Rebbe Maharash actually won, and in quite significant amounts. The Tzemach Tzedek, however, did not win.”

In a public talk of the Rebbe on Shabbos Vayechi 5741 (1981), the Rebbe’s discusses the lottery:

“As we see concerning the lottery, that people lay out funds in order to acquire a lottery ticket. And when someone will ask him: You know that there are many people that purchase these lottery tickets, and only one out of all of them can win, so why is he laying out his money and purchasing it, when he knows that there are many more people that can win?!

“And furthermore: He buys the ticket having in mind that he will be the winner, and not just simply win, second place, third place, etc., rather, specifically win first place, the largest amount! So he answers: One person must win, so why shouldn’t he be the “one”? He is not any worse than all the others!”

And some have been circulating a letter from the Frierdiker Rebbe from 11 Kislev 5694 (1934) written to Rabbi Yehuda Shmotkin upon his engagement (printed in Igros Rayatz Volume 17, pp 108). “It is advisable to purchase a lottery ticket, and may Hashem help,” the Frierdiker Rebbe said.

Chabad historian and Shliach Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky told COLlive.com that Shmotkin “actually won the lottery and was able to cover the costs of his wedding, including his travel expenses from Israel to Poland, where the bride was, and then return together with his wife to Israel after the wedding.”

Powerball tickets were purchased jointly to benefit New Jersey Shluchim, while a Chabad center in Nes Tzoina, Israel, is offering locals to pay 20 Shekel to join a raffle on the ticket that will be split between the center and the winner.

Meanwhile, Rabbi Uriel Vigler, Director of the Chabad Israel Center in New York City, was filmed on Wednesday purchasing his own tickets at a convenience store on the Upper East Side.

“More chance of my wife giving birth to identical quadruplets (and she is in her 9th month) than me winning the lottery tonight – but hey, you never know!” he said.

Vigler used the opportunity to make a spiritual point: All it takes is one Mitzvah to tip the scale of the world and bring Moshiach, and that winner can be you.