The Miniscule Man

I spent the pre-dawn hours of my day today, catching up on events from this weekend and after I had finished, I regretted that I didn't start my day a little differently. Now that I have had a few hours to think about it, however, I'm thinking that there is a lesson in the depressing events I had witnessed.

I had finished watching the NBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony when I realized that I had just seen one of the saddest things I had ever watched in sports. To be sure, I was not a big fan of David Robinson or John Stockton when they played in the NBA, but after this morning, I have a new found respect for both men. Conversely, I enjoyed watching Michael Jordan play basketball even when he was a shadow of himself with the Washington Wizards. I learned this morning that I had gotten it all wrong.

I watched with great admiration as David Robinson spoke humbly about his past, glowingly about his present, and excitedly about his future. He thanked everyone from his first coach to his last one, his teammates and all those who had helped him get to where he was. He spoke to each of his children separately and hoped that they would be proud of their name because of this accomplishment, but urged and encouraged them to forge their own path. He spoke lovingly about his wife who he called his rock and someone who made him feel like he wanted to be a better man each day. He spoke of how great the Spurs had been to him and acknowledged all those who came before him in San Antonio. Lastly, he spoke about walking with G-d and how He had overseen all the events of his life and now he, in essence, bowed humbly before Him, thanking Him for everything in his life.

Following that, I watched John Stockton talk of his humble beginnings and of how he was never the best player on any of the teams that he had played on. He felt lucky just to be where he was standing. He thanked all of the people who helped him get to where he was, spoke about each of his six children individually and how his wife was there for him and allowed him to do what he did each day. He spoke of the Jazz organization with appreciation for taking a chance on him and how well he had been treated through the years. Mostly, he seemed like he was a guy who felt out of place at the Hall of Fame and was just happy to be there.

Evidently, the HOF felt that they were saving the best for last. In what was quite assuredly the most arrogant, selfish, conniving, vengeful and self centered speech I had ever witnessed, Michael Jordan took the podium for close to 15 minutes and proceeded to do to his reputation, what defenders and opponents could never do to his game-destroy it.

In his immature and at times incoherent mumble fest, Jordan left no former enemy unscathed. Of Jerry Karuse, the old Bulls GM he said "He's not here tonight-I don't know who invited him, I didn't". He said Buzz Peterson could not have been player of the year in high school because he had never played against him. He used the pronouns I, me or my over 230 times and gave everyone a slight window into the head of what most in the ESPN cult like to call the greatest athlete who ever lived.

How sad.

Jordan used the platform to proclaim only his greatness in a way that you would expect a nine year old to do. When talking about Scottie Pipen he mused "...every Championship I won, Scottie was there." And here I thought basketball was a team sport. In a room full of high achievers, Jordan acted as if he was the only one in the building who was competitive-as he kept reminding us-or that he was the only one in sports who ever worked hard. He called Jeff Van Gundy Pat Riley's "little guy" I suppose forgetting that Van Gundy had himself worked extremely hard to get where he was and you can be sure that while Mike Jordan was gambling away millions of dollars in Atlantic city, Jeff Van Gundy was up at night trying to find a way to guard him.

But this poor excuse for a man left the best of his self-centeredness for his children. "You guys have a heavy burden-I wouldn't want to be you if I had to".

What a loser.

After I listened to him say other gems like "Someone like me who accomplished a lot" or "I hope it's given the millions of people that I've touched...." I thought for a few moments about what some of his apologists are saying. For instance, "this was why we loved him so much because he was so competitive" or "Jordan knows of no other way because he is just so great and competitive" as if Bill Russell, whose championships rings dwarf Jordan's, or Yogi Berra, who has four more rings than "his airness", were any less competitive. We didn't have to make excuses for those athletes because at their inductions, they weren't the kind of small man Jordan was. Jordan showed that he is in fact exactly what his detractors always said he was-a packaged, fake, fifth avenue marketing machine in a suit. The truth is Jordan is a petty, arrogant, immature, conceited and childish man who was incredibly gifted at what he did. Nothing else.

In the end, he showed us all that he's just a basketball player. That is all.

I thought about the two players, Robinson and Stockton, who spoke before him. They weren't from big market Chicago. They didn't play for Dean Smith. They didn't have anyone packaging them to make them something they were not. The Networks didn't love them. They were just two competitive men who loved playing basketball and were very good at it. They didn't promote themselves nor, does it seem, did they keep score by cashing checks. They were just two under appreciated athletes who had their priorities in order. There were no Carla Knafle's in their closets, no paternity suits and left no gambling debts in their wake. They were just two men, I wish now, I would have gotten a chance to appreciate more often.

As for Jordan, I think his work on Friday night speaks for itself. He let the world know that his grudges last forever and his pettiness could not be stifled on what should have been the pinnacle personal moment of his career. He is a shallow, empty man who the world perceives as having everything, but at his very essence, he has nothing. No character, no integrity, no humility and most assuredly, no class.

For years I had heard how awful it was that a Jewish basketball player had to be burdened with the moniker "the Jewish Jordan". It was a mistake to do that to Tamir, but the public ran with it no matter how much he and everyone around him tried to stop it. They said he could never be Michael Jordan--lucky for Tamir. Tamir Goodman is far too much of a man to ever be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan. The world thinks calling him the Jewish Jordan was an insult to Michael Jordan. In all honesty, it's was an insult to Tamir Goodman.

I hope all my children and my friends children, get a chance to see this particular Jordan performance above all his others, so they know he is nothing to aspire to. As for me, I would not trade one moment on the clock of my life, for any second of his if it meant that I had to be Michael Jordan for any length of my short time on this earth. How sad his life has turned out to be. He is an immature child, who I dare say, is trapped in the body of a miniscule man.

The Day After

I, like everyone else, have no idea what G-d's master plan is for this world or this country. What I do know is he is the Creator of all things. He is the supreme judge and jury. I believe he has a sense of justice that man cannot comprehend nor see even if they think they can.

I heard a great thought from a Rabbi years ago when he was discussing the verse in the Torah "To the righteous you shall do bad and the wicked one you shall do good." He asked what kind of logic is this? How are we supposed to understand what this verse means. It defies our common sense and makes everything else the Torah has said before it, seem contradictory. Can this really be what the Torah means?

The rabbi responded with a simple, but very deep answer. He said we cannot know what Our Maker has in store for us, but know that there is most definitely a master plan which in time everyone will know all about . However, to gain insight into a particular event we must understand this verse as follows. Take a look at a crochet picture from behind. It is a sorry mess of random strings wandering aimlessly with no particular rhyme or order. Then turn it over and look at the beautiful picture it makes when it's all put together. A mess of incredible strings with seemingly no purpose, turned over onto it's front and now it all makes sense.

Events happen in this world that seem to be random instances of day to day events. Understand and know that NOTHING is just random. Each event leads to the next one which leads to another some forty years later, to another some sixty years later, to another some two hundred years later and so on. My personal opinion, and I may be way off here, is that the first slave to land foot on American soil, was done so that all those who have descended from slaves, can know that G-d above heard their cries and now has answered their prayers. Unlike others, I do not believe he doles out justice only to his people although I do believe it all comes back to his people BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE HAS SAID and things happen only for that reason. I believe that the first slave trader was put here BECAUSE Barak Obama was supposed to be exalted at this moment in this place. While I am worried for my people in the worst way, I am uplifted by the events of last night because it assures me that while I may not understand His plan, I am comforted by this perceived if not actual Justice for an oppressed and maligned people, that the promises he made to my forefathers are alive, burning and await their fulfillment.

That being said, I am reminded of the movie The Ten Commandments when Nefratiri comes to Moses' house to save him because Pharaoh has ordered the first born of all Jews to be killed which meant that the tenth plague would be the killing of the first born from the mouth of Pharaoh himself. She begs Moses to come with her so she can save him and Moses looks at her and says something to the extent of "You are the vehicle that G-d is working through." My own belief is like everything else, there is a reason a man who is surrounded by haters of the Jews and Israel won the Presidency of the United States last night. It was a grand moment for him, those who cried in pain and anguish for hundreds of years and all others who support him. And rightfully so. But it is very possible that through the execution of his Judgment and Justice he has uplifted an entire race of people, while at the same time passing heavenly judgement on His chosen people, His nation, to be carried out through the exalted Barak Obama.

Today is a day for celebration for any believer of G-d.

Today he has uplifted an oppressed people.

Today he has made the embarrassed, proud, the humiliated, honored.

What it means for the Jews in the short run is much more anguish and pain. More murder and moral equivocation. More appeasement of evil. More cowering in fear by Europe, the UN and now America in order to fulfill the verse "To the wicked you shall do good." More Jewish parents burying their young sons and daughters. More cries to the heavens for the Redeemer seemingly falling on deaf ears. It will be hard to live with. It will lead to many days of sorrow and fear, depression and pain. But do not let that discourage you. For just as He has exalted those that want to do us harm, He is making sure that no stone is left unturned. That when the day the Messiah finally comes to deliver His people to lead the world in Servitude to Him, no one race of people on the entire planet can come to Him with a claim that they did not oppress the Jewish People or cause them to be harmed. The prophet Isaiah in Chapter 53 makes sure that the world knows that their claims of innocence will go unheard. There will be no mercy for those that chose to do harm to the Jewish people and no time left for their repentance.

Therefore, I am celebrating today. I am happy for my African American friends who have long awaited this day and glad to see their happiness and joy. I am also glad for the believers of Hashem. For just as he has fulfilled the words of Isaiah and Deuteronomy, so too will he fulfill the words of the prophets who have told us of our ultimate redemption. The Torah is alive and it is Life for all those who embrace it.

Last night, Hashem showed once again, that there is a time for everything. I am rejoicing today because I know His words are true and His promises are real.

May it be His will that I am alive to witness the redeeming of His people so that they can serve Him with joy and happiness and let ALL the world know that He is One and His Name is One.

May it come speedily in our days. Amen.