In the 1950's and early '60's R. Chaim Zimmerman (RY of HTC) openly played tennis matches in shorts and tennis gear (Fila equivalents?).
From what I am told he would arrive at the yeshiva after a game in his convertible still decked out in his tennis clothes.
See Shmuel Fausts latest piece in Makor Rishon on rabbinical hierarchy. It's always been there http://makorrishon.co.il/show.as...ow.asp?
id=12664
when I moved to a MO community for the first time I found it shocking that the rabbi went swimming with the congregants and they called him by his first name. But later on I was more shocked to discover how much of an am hharetz and hebrew illetrate he was, so I got over it.
My 6th grade rebbe played football with us. Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky saw this rebbe playing football with his students. He told him to continue doing it.
I just wanted to add that Faust sent around a corrected copy of that article as it was heavily edited. You can e-mail him for it
This is a beautiful, well articulated post. I couldn't agree more. My husband is of the same mindset. Our first shul out of rab school was less open minded, or I should say, his superior, a rabbi of many years at this place, was less open minded. Where we are now, we have the opportunity to connect with our congregants on so many levels, and we have a wonderful relationship with so many of them (it is a very large place with 4 full time clergy, so we don't know all of them - yet!). Any opportunity to bring people closer to Judaism on any level is one foot through the door. Then they let you take their hand and lead them into places they never thought they'd go. Sports is a particularly nice metaphor because there is so much connection between the teamwork needed to make it to a championship, and the teamwork needed to make K'lal Yisrael successful. Thanks for this post. I plan on linking it, if that is all right with you.
>At the back of R’ Michel Shurkin’s ‘Harerei Kedem’ Vol I, he has a number of stories about 20th Century gedolim (excluding RYBS himself, oddly enough). He has a story about how R’ Shimon Shkop would go swimming with his students during the summer. R’ Shurkin comments that despite the need for a Rebbi to be angelic, he still earned the respect of his students. A groyse chiddush. Maybe it’s exactly the opposite.
If I'm not mistaken, in Chaim Grade's 'Yeshiva' he has R. Avraham Yeshaya swim with and playfully splash a bachur. The character was, of course, based on the Chazon Ish and supposedly Grade's portrayal was quite accurate.
This is all part of the current mishegas that envisions each and every Jew as some kind of Tzaddik/Talmid Chochom. In their world view, there are no more pashuta yiddin, and as such, there's no need for these types of role models. It's asinine and absurd.
>My 6th grade rebbe played football with us. Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky saw this rebbe playing football with his students. He told him to continue doing it.
The Artscroll R. Yaakov biography tells of the summer he tried to learn how to ride a bicycle in Camp Agudah, something he wished he had been able to do as a kid.
S. - I'm currently reading some of Grade's books. They're great. Will post about them soon enough.
For some reason, I can't find the story about R' Shimon Shkop! I know I read it, and I am almost certain it was that book, though R' Shurkin has other books. Very odd.
I remember the Bostoner Rebbe speaking in Camp Agudah in the summer of '78 and making reference to Pete Rose's hitting streak.
This is part of the beginnings of objections to older kids playing sports too - they are aiming to copy every aspect of the chassidiche world (or E"Y world), including and sometimes I think especially those aspects that are obviously not working well for them.
As a kid in NY, I remember the Bostoner Rebbe visting my elementary school and speaking. He made some reference to the Boston Red Sox and everyone cracked up.
I think the point is that for some Rabbis this idea works, and for others it doesnt.
I really can't see R' Ovadya cheering Macabbee T.A. even if he wanted to. And if he did, it be a disaster.
However, ball-playing Rabbis are great.
I don't think it has to do with the Gadolness or non-Gadolness of a a Rabbi; rather the personality. We all know some Rabbis who just shouldn't try it, but those Rabbis probably don't care about it either.
Both sides should just leave each other along.
I can just imagine being on the court:
"Rav Lichtenstein, I'm open...No no, Rav Amital can't shoot!"
Natan - agreed; I don't think there's much need for a Rabbi to specifically cultivate an appreciation for a particular sport; I'll never be a soccer or hockey fan.
In that same art scroll book,.,unique for art scroll,R.Yaakov is swimming in the pool and tells the bochrim to please join him.
Didn't this Rov ever read Rambam ,hichos deot-a sound mind in a sound body.The adderebetzin is correct about kiryat sefer.How sad.
dy -
i know. we actually DO talk to each other.
i blogged about it here:
http://adderabbi.blogspot.com/20...me-i-
agree.html
During one of our weekly shiurim with The Bostoner, he told us that he used to be placed in Right Field due to his lack of athleticism as a child.
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