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In 1936 the Olympics held in Berlin gave Hitler a free ride into world respectability. In order not to offend his delicate sensibilities, the American Olympic committee under the anti-Semitic leadership of Avery Brundage and his like excluded Jewish athletes from the team. How embarrassing it was to Hitler that an American black, Jesse Owens, was the star of the games. But Hitler got over it and took his revenge. Because of him there were no games in 1940 or 1944. How sad, for really the games should have gone on. In the Cold War era, the Soviet Union, East Germany and other Communist bloc nations prided themselves on the accomplishments of their specially trained and heavily subsidized "amateur" athletes. Their exploits were meant to prove to humankind the superiority of Marxist ideology over the decadent capitalistic West. But the Olympics took no notice of this because the games must go on. In 1972 eleven Israeli athletes and coaches were murdered at the games. But that also meant nothing because the games must go on. Today such noble countries as North Korea, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Iran among others, pledged to destroy and starve millions of human beings, are honored guests at the games. And there is a delegation there from Palestine, a country which does not exist but is there only to vex the Jewish people for the world’s error in allowing a Jewish state to come into existence sixty years ago. But no matter, the games must go on.
And how about the host country, China? Thirty six concentration camps that house hundreds of thousands of poor unfortunates, a record of abysmal human rights abuses over the last decades and a scorecard of devouring at least eighty million of its own citizens over the past sixty years are all of no account because the games must go on. The main problem with China in hosting the games is the smog in Beijing. But even so, the games must go on. The rabbis of the Talmud abhorred the Greek sports spectacles. They correctly felt them to be pagan, violent, indecent and eventually disrespectful of humanity and its true values. I doubt if they would change their opinion today, seeing as to how the games are being run. And here in Israel we witnessed the tragedy of one of our athletes losing his father the day before the games were to begin. I am not one to judge anyone in their hour of pain and sadness. But saying that he knows that his father would have wanted him to compete anyway only shows how deep the mentality of the games must go on has penetrated our society. What about the Jewish tradition of shiva and respect for an elder, a father, a parent? What about some Jewish self-pride? In American professional sports all players in such circumstances take bereavement leave. MK Ruby Rivlin stated that "I would not allow such a thing as continuing to compete under such circumstances to occur in my family." Too bad Ruby, you just don’t get it. No matter what, the games must go on.
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The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
