Tisha B'Av=Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) destruction
Chanukah=Greeks Attack Temple
This Year:
Olympics Begin on Eve of Tisha B'Av
Origin of Olympics=Greece
Yes, the world, including Israel, is obsessed with the Greek circus, that competition in which people will do anything to win.
An Israeli swimmer has taken on the goyishe "show must go on" instead of properly mourning his father according to Jewish Law. But an Iranian swimmer was more "idealistic" and gave up his chance rather than be in the same pool as an Israeli. The Israeli thinks less of his father. This saddens me.
During my senior year in high school, just over a year after making my decision to become a Torah Jew, I read Antigone and was mesmerized by her idealism.
Today is the 9th of Av, Tisha B'Av, the day we commemorate with a 25 hour fast, many of the tragedies in Jewish History. Davka this focus on the Greek inspired Olympic Games during the saddest day on the Jewish Calendar...
6 comments:
I am so with you on this one. I can't begin to understand this excitement about the Olympics.
Besides the Greek origin which is so unJewish, we also have that horror of the 72 massacre and of course China is such a bastion of democracy and freedom that it all comes together.
OY!
I beg you not to judge this man, whose shoes we hope to never fill, on a day of such tragedy in our history.
His decision was obviously a very complex one, motivated in part by his father's lifelong dream that his son compete in the Olympics.
His decision remains between him, his father, and G-d. We should give him the benefit of the significant doubt on this issue.
Where the simple application of the halacha seems quite clear, the broader application is not.
I am with Anonymous here. We may never understand why a child decides to honor his father in this way, however, it is his decision and it sounds to me that this was a family decision; one that in my opinion must be honored.
When my mother died less than two years ago I did a lot of learning on the ways of mourning. One thing I learned, and I wish I could quote it, is that the ONE thing that is considered sinful is for one Jew to make the sadness of mourning harder for the mourner. When a person is in mourning a fellow Jew is ONLY supposed to support and make life easier for them.
My shiva situation was unique and people could have judged me, instead, my neighboring community ONLY gave me support. Although I am a conservative Jew in theology and practice (yes, I am quite observant), my nearest community is a Chabad one. That rabbi supported me the best he could even though I know that in his heart of hearts, the rabbi didn't agree. The short of it is that my mom died near midnight on a Wed, but her body was being shipped out of state which meant she died on Wed and wasn't buried until a Sunday. We aren't supposed to mourn until the body is in the ground, but this was my mother and that wasn't going to happen.
Anyway, my point is, all we can and are supposed to do is show comfort and love to this boy who lost his father. It's not for us to judge nor to understand. It's between him and G-d.
risa, I love that picture! Thanks, no surprise that we're on the same side.
a, Jewish values, laws consider mourning the highest level.
It's a matter of priorities, Olympic participation or the "time out" that Jewish mourning entails.
tamaraeden, according to Jewish Law, shiva can either start as soon as you get notice of death or burial. It is perfectly acceptable, and frequently preferable, for someone who will not be at the funeral to begin shiva earlier.
The swimmer and his family made their decision according to their values, not according to Jewish Law.
Shalom!
Batya, you made a very important point and it's worth emphasizing. We truly honor our parents only when we follow Jewish Law, especially when it concerns them.
Hadassa
thanks Hadassa
In the long run, it's not the Olympics which is important, it's our lives as Jews. I just read an interview with the legendary Mark Spitz, kvetching about the fact that he wasn't given a free ticket to watch Phelps try to beat his record gold medals. He really sounded pathetic.
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