PLAYING CHESS ON DECEMBER 24

In a comment-slew on Dovbear's blog, Conservative Apikoress (CA) asks:
"Is it an inyan to eat Chinese food and go to a movie on December 25?"

[Dovbear's blog: http://dovbear.blogspot.com/ ]


The posting, in case you couldn't guess, is about inyonim. You may peruse it here:
http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2009/03/finally-trump-card-reply-for-too-pious.html


The Bray of Fundie hastened to reassure CA, writing:
"No Moabite. But it is an inyan to eschew the Bais Midrash and play chess on the evening of December 24th."


Question: This inyan is well-established, especially among Jews of Gallitzianer oder Russishe ursprung. Ober vorem?

Answer: Because the Cossacks who live next door borrowed your station wagon (without even asking, gevalt!) for a crazy vodka-fueled midnight ride to Bayonne. Chess soothes the mind, and that, in its turn, contributes to the total calmness of the universe - which will also have an influence on those shikkere mechutzefim who stole your car, and thus lead to its and their safe return. To do otherwise is to virtually GUARANTEE that they smash it through the garage wall and into your kitchen. You don't want that to happen, do you? So play chess! Otherwise those drunken Cossacks might do something nasty.

Can't trust those stupid Cossacks. Might be best to move somewhere where there aren't any.

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It's also, apparently, an inyan to eat egg salad with onions on shabbes. Gehakte eier mit tzibbeles! Echt un ba emmes!
Which does not square with associating with other people on that day - this inyan would make one poresh min ha tzibbur. And if you have no consideration for your neighbor, at least show some for your eishes chayil.