By Laura Seymour
Dear Families,
Sometimes there is nothing better than a good metaphor to describe what is hard to describe. Rabbi Eric Leiderman writes in aish.com about Judaism being the ultimate sport and defines the various aspects of sports relating to Jewish observance. Here is his opening statement:
“Judaism is the ultimate sport. Every day, we show up for practice. Every week, we suit up for game day. And once a year, we play in the championship of all championships — the Super Bowl of the soul.” This is how he divides the sport of Judaism and I will leave his opening for the ending, because you will see that is the most important.
Shabbat Is Game Day: The rituals are there ready for us to get into the spirit. Some days we go through the motions, true, but to have a great game, you gotta do it right. And it isn’t about winning but about showing up!
Havdalah Is the Post-Game Press Conference: Here is where we process Shabbat and reflect before we go back into the week. It is the final pause!
The Super Bowl Is Yom Kippur: This is truly the big game, but Rabbi Leiderman gives two important messages: First, you can’t fail Yom Kippur; however there is one way — don’t show up! And second, we are not playing to win, only to grow.
The Endless Season: In Judaism, there is no “off-season.” The cycle of Jewish life gives us constant practice and play time and we are always growing.
And now for his opening — PRACTICE! To borrow from another field of growing and achieving, the musician asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The answer (no one knows who gave the famous answer) — PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! In sports, the best athletes spend hours practicing and the repetition can get boring, but it is essential for achievement. Judaism has practice drills: daily prayer, mitzvot, acts of kindness, study, reflection and more. Often these are done by rote, but then there are those moments when a simple repeated act, perhaps a blessing over bread when you are really hungry, separates that moment, that habit, into a sacred act.
In any activity — sport, music, learning a new skill — we know that practice is part of the process and often the most pleasurable part. The practice teaches us that we may never attain perfection (whatever that may be), but the joy is in the growth and change. As Rabbi Leiderman sums it up, “The beauty of Judaism is that we’re not expected to be perfect. We’re expected to show up.” This is seen in so many Jewish experiences, from being part of a minyan to making a shiva call to wearing a Jewish star proudly out in the world. Whether practicing or playing, remember that the goal is not always about winning but about showing up, growing and doing better than you did yesterday.
Laura Seymour is Jewish experiential learning director and camp director emeritus at the Aaron Family JCC.