"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?
-Gladiator
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 15:8
[King Herod] had also made a great preparation of wild beasts, and of lions themselves in great abundance, and of such other beasts as were either of uncommon strength, or of such a sort as were rarely seen. These were prepared either to fight with one another, or that men who were condemned to death were to fight with them. And truly foreigners were greatly surprised and delighted at the vastness of the expenses here exhibited, and at the great dangers that were here seen; but to natural Jews, this was no better than a dissolution of those customs for which they had so great a veneration. It appeared also no better than an instance of barefaced impiety, to throw men to wild beasts, for the affording delight to the spectators; and it appeared an instance of no less impiety, to change their own laws for such foreign exercises.
(ז) אֵין מוֹכְרִין לָהֶם דֻּבִּין וַאֲרָיוֹת וְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ נֵזֶק לָרַבִּים. אֵין בּוֹנִין עִמָּהֶם בָּסִילְקִי, גַּרְדּוֹם, וְאִצְטַדְיָא, וּבִימָה...
(7) One may not sell bears, or lions, or any item that can cause injury to the public, to gentiles. One may not build with them a basilica, a tribunal, a stadium, or a platform...
הָעוֹלֶה לַתֵּיאַטְרוֹן אָסוּר מִשּׁוּם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהֵן מְזַבְּלִין אָסוּר מִשּׁוּם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְאִם לָאו אָסוּר מִשּׁוּם וּמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים בִּלְבַד. הָעוֹלֶה לַתֵּיאַטְרוֹן וְצָווַח. אִם לְצוֹרֶךְ הָרַבִּים מוּתָּר. וְאִם מִתְחֵַשֵּׂד הוּא אָסוּר. הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּאִיצְטַדְיֹן הֲרֵי זֶה שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים. רִבִּי נָתָן מַתִּיר מִפְּנֵי שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים. מִשּׁוּם שֶׁצָּווַח וּמַצִּיל אֶת הַנְּפָשׁוֹת. וּמֵעִיד עַל הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁתִּינְּשֵּׂא. עָבַר וּבָנָה.
Going to the theater is forbidden as pagan worship, the words of Rebbi Meir, but the Sages say, when they present offerings it is forbidden because of pagan worship, otherwise it only is forbidden because of ‘seat of scoffers.’ One who goes to the theater to shout; if it is for a public need it is permitted, if to ingratiate himself it is forbidden.
One who sits in the stadium is a spiller of blood. Rebbi Nathan permits because of two reasons, because he can shout and save lives, and he can testify for a woman that she can remarry.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הַהוֹלֵךְ לְאִיצְטָדִינִין וּלְכַרְקוֹם, וְרָאָה שָׁם אֶת הַנְּחָשִׁים וְאֶת הַחַבָּרִין... הֲרֵי זֶה מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים, וַעֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ וְגוֹ׳ כִּי אִם בְּתוֹרַת יהוה חֶפְצוֹ״, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁדְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ מְבִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם לִידֵי בִּיטּוּל תּוֹרָה...
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אֵין הוֹלְכִין לְטֵרַטְיָאוֹת וּלְקִרְקְסִיאוֹת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּזַבְּלִין שָׁם זִיבּוּל לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: מָקוֹם שֶׁמְּזַבְּלִין — אָסוּר מִפְּנֵי חֲשַׁד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין מְזַבְּלִין שָׁם — אָסוּר מִפְּנֵי ״מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים״...
דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן פַּזִּי: ״אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ״ לְטֵרַטְיָאוֹת וּלְקִרְקְסִיאוֹת שֶׁל גּוֹיִם, ״וּבְדֶרֶךְ חַטָּאִים לֹא עָמָד״ — זֶה שֶׁלֹּא עָמַד בְּקִנִגְיוֹן, ״וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב״ — שֶׁלֹּא יָשַׁב בְּתַחְבּוּלוֹת. שֶׁמָּא יֹאמַר אָדָם: הוֹאִיל וְלֹא הָלַכְתִּי לְטֵרַטְיָאוֹת וּלְקִרְקְסִיאוֹת וְלֹא עָמַדְתִּי בְּקִנִגְיוֹן, אֵלֵךְ וְאֶתְגָּרֶה בְּשֵׁינָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ יֶהְגֶּה יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה״.
The Sages taught: With regard to one who goes to stadiums or to a camp of besiegers and he sees there the diviners and those who cast spells... this is “the seat of the scornful”; and with regard to such places the verse states: “Happy is the person that has not walked [in the council of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful]. But whose delight is in the Torah of the Eternal” (Psalms 1:1–2). You learn from here that these matters bring a person to dereliction of Torah study.
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The Sages taught: One may not go to theaters or circuses because they sacrifice offerings there to objects of idol worship; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: It is prohibited to go to a place where they sacrifice offerings, due to a suspicion of idol worship, and it is also prohibited to go to a place where they do not sacrifice , due to “the seat of the scornful.”...
Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi taught: “Happy is the one that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked,” this is the theaters and circuses of gentiles; “nor stood in the way of sinners,” this is one who has not stood at beast contests; “nor sat in the seat of the scornful,” this is one who has not sat in the bad company. Lest a person say: Since I did not go to theaters and circuses, and did not stand in bestial contests, I will go and indulge in sleep, the verse states: “And he meditates in God's law day and night” (Psalms 1:2).
Jewish Opposition to the Ancient Gladiatorial Games by Stewart Rubin, Hakirah vol. 26 pp. 297, 299
The absence of amphitheaters outside of Caesarea in the first century indicates that Jews rejected the brutal events that took place in them. Only after the Bar Kochba revolt failed and the Roman population increased did amphitheater/stadium, circus/hippodrome, and theater building become substantial... Theaters were found in Sepphoris and Tiberius—not amphitheaters—so even Jews who did not adhere to rabbinic admonishments regarding theaters were apparently still repulsed by gladiatorial matches as evidenced by their absence from Jewish majority cities...Almost all Jews who made their way to the arena did so as victims forced to participate before certain death.
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״וַהֲסִירוֹתִי דָמָיו מִפִּיו וְשִׁקּוּצָיו מִבֵּין שִׁינָּיו וְנִשְׁאַר גַּם הוּא לֵאלֹהֵינוּ״. ״וַהֲסִירוֹתִי דָּמָיו מִפִּיו״ — זֶה בֵּית בָּמַיָּא שֶׁלָּהֶן. ״וְשִׁקּוּצָיו מִבֵּין שִׁינָּיו״ — זֶה בֵּית גַּלְיָא שֶׁלָּהֶן. ״וְנִשְׁאַר גַּם הוּא לֵאלֹהֵינוּ״ — אֵלּוּ בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת שֶׁבֶּאֱדוֹם. ״וְהָיָה כְּאַלּוּף בִּיהוּדָה וְעֶקְרוֹן כִּיבוּסִי״ — אֵלּוּ תֵּרַאטְרָיוֹת וְקִרְקְסָיוֹת שֶׁבֶּאֱדוֹם, שֶׁעֲתִידִין שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה לְלַמֵּד בָּהֶן תּוֹרָה בָּרַבִּים.
Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his detestable things from between his teeth, and he also shall be a remnant for our God; and he shall be as a chief in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite” (Zechariah 9:7)? “And I will take away his blood out of his mouth”; this is their house of altars. “And his detestable things from between his teeth”; this is their house of [ritual stone] piles. “And he also shall be a remnant for our God,” these words are referring to the synagogues and study halls in Edom [Rome]. “And he shall be as a chief [aluf ] in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite,” these are the theaters and the circuses in Edom where the officers of Judah are destined to teach Torah in public.
אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן כָּל בְּהֵמוֹת וְלִוְיָתָן הֵן קֶנִיגִין שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, וְכָל מִי שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה קֶנִיגִין שֶׁל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, זוֹכֶה לִרְאוֹתָהּ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, כֵּיצַד הֵם נִשְׁחָטִים, בְּהֵמוֹת נוֹתֵץ לַלִּוְיָתָן בְּקַרְנָיו וְקוֹרְעוֹ, וְלִוְיָתָן נוֹתֵץ לַבְּהֵמוֹת בִּסְנַפִּירָיו וְנוֹחֲרוֹ. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים זוֹ שְׁחִיטָה כְּשֵׁרָה הִיא, וְלֹא כָּךְ תָּנִינַן הַכֹּל שׁוֹחֲטִין וּבַכֹּל שׁוֹחֲטִין וּלְעוֹלָם שׁוֹחֲטִין חוּץ מִמַּגַּל קָצִיר, וְהַמְגֵרָה, וְהַשִּׁנַּיִם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן חוֹנְקִין. אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (ישעיה נא, ד): תּוֹרָה חֲדָשָׁה מֵאִתִּי תֵצֵא, חִדּוּשׁ תּוֹרָה מֵאִתִּי תֵצֵא.
Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Shimon said: The Behemoth and the Leviathan will engage in an animal fight before the righteous in the future. Anyone who was not a spectator at the animal fights of the nations of the world in this world, will merit to see it in the World to Come. How will they be slaughtered? The Behemoth will stab the Leviathan with its horns and tear it open, and the Leviathan will smash the Behemoth with its fins and stab it to death. The Sages say: Is this a valid ritual slaughter? But did we not learn: Everyone slaughters, and one may always slaughter, and one may slaughter with any item, except for the serrated side of the harvest sickle, a saw, the teeth of an animal, and a fingernail, because they strangle? Rabbi Avin bar Kahana said: The Holy Blessed One said: “For [a new] Torah will emerge from Me” (Isaiah 51:4); a novel Torah ruling will emerge from Me.
Should religious people watch the Super Bowl? by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin 2022
Here is the amazing thing.
Rome did not lack for sensitive individuals — poets and playwrights and philosophers.
But, almost none of them protested this madness.
The Jews were the only people in the Roman Empire who dared open their mouths in protest against this barbarism...
In ancient Israel, confronting the culture of the ancient Canaanites; in the time of the Greeks, in the time of the Romans – we knew that we were a radical minority. We knew our values, and we knew that there were times when we had to scream out: No!
That Talmudic text was the first Jewish critique of mass culture. It served as a Jewish protest against violence.
It did not advocate censorship. It did not say that the games should not exist.
But, it did say that there were certain things that Jews should not do – because those things violated Jewish values.
And yet, it would be easy for Jews to simply withdraw from the ambient culture, as much as is possible. Some Jews do precisely that.
The passage from the Talmud actually counsels against that. It says: No, don’t stay away! Show up! Make your voice heard! That is what it means to be a Jew in the world! Perhaps your single, solitary cry will be the cry that spans the distance between life and death.
That would be my Judaism.
Not one of withdrawal from the world.
But, one of active protest.
You never know whether it will be your voice that turns the moral tide.