Rabbi Ari Shvat
Question
I want to be a professional basketball player but I dont know if thats the path God chose for me. How could I know if being a basketball player is the path God chose for me? I was thinking about asking him for a sign to know, but Im really confused and I dont know what to do.
Answer
Your question reflects deep faith and belief, and true, everything that happens in life is from Hashem and a result of our actions and for our benefit. Nevertheless, we are not prophets, and it’s impossible for us today to know why sometimes things go wrong. A wealthy man once visited Rav Aviner’s yeshiva, and as he was about to write a check for a donation, he found that his pen had run out of ink. He said, “Maybe it’s a sign from God that I shouldn’t write the check!”. Rav Aviner replied, “I think it’s a sign that you need a new pen”! So no, we can't ask God for signs, for we must obey Him, and He doesn't need to obey us! In general, already in the book of Esther 2,500 years ago, He stopped doing supernatural miracles (to raise us to a higher level of free-will), so you can ask for a sign, but there's a good chance, you will not receive one. Even when He does intervene, there may be events which you won't know how to understand properly for we don't have prophets today to explain them (e.g. it may just be a test, so you may break your shooting hand, but this may just be a gift to strengthen your drive to the left!). In short, God wills us to have free-will, and the best directive is to follow and observe the God's commandments, and that way you're sure to get to the right place! It's a good idea to check and improve your actions according to the mitzvah “checklist. First, check the obligation checklist, and you’ll probably find things that can always be improved (like not speaking bad about others, praying with proper concentration, etc.). In your case, for example, I understand that you are Jewish, so by observing the Shabbat, it may prevent you from playing in the NBA, but it may just be sending you the idea to play professionally in Israel, where it's not difficult to observe the Shabbat, and that way can help the entire Jewish Nation! In truth, that's good advice anyway, for it's most common and realistic for good Jewish basketball players, for very few, even outstanding players, ever make it to the NBA, but Jews have that other option, to play in our Homeland!). All the best and please let me know if I can be of help in the future! Rav Ari Shvat
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