Let's Go Cavs!
Here are 5 lessons I learned from the Cavs' great championship win:
1) Do you believe in miracles?
In his emotional post-game interview on Sunday night, LeBron said the following: "I don't know why the Man Above gives me the hardest role. The Man Above don't put you in situations you can't handle. Instead of saying, "Why me?" I say, "This is what he wants me to do."
LeBron's belief in, and invoking of, G-d (aka "The Man Above" - talk about an anthropomorphism!) after the game was one of my highlights of the night.
Way before King James, (l'havdil) King David taught us that "G-d is your shadow." The more you believe in Him and look for him, the more He seems to appear. But does He really care about basketball? Yes, He cares about anything and everything that affects His creations. I agree with LeBron: This was a win orchestrated by the Man Above.
We partner with Him to make a difference in our lives. We try our hardest, and after that, He takes over.
2) Challenges
LeBron's great message, that G-d only gives us challenges that we can handle and grow from, is a classic Torah and Mussar concept. What a great reminder to keep your chin up during times of adversity. I did not see that one coming. Mussar messages can come in all kinds of interesting packages.
3) Home Court Advantage
Part of the "miracle" of the Cavs' 3-1 comeback victory was the ability to win the last two games on the road. The Warriors' home court advantage added much to make them the absolute Vegas favorites by a long stretch. The statistical NBA Championship home court advantage is staggering: 15-3 for home teams all-time in Game 7 of finals.
What exactly is the benefit of home court advantage? It's not rational. It's hard to explain how or why it works. It just does. There's just something about being cheered on by fans at home, in a familiar setting, that seems to work.
As Jews, we have a powerful home court attraction: Israel. Ask a secular American Jew what his or her connection to Israel is. There is no good rational explanation. There's a deep natural pull that we all feel to that land, to those people, to that place.
In sports the home court advantage is primarily a psychological reality, but regarding Israel, our home court advantage it's mostly spiritual. Stay tuned the next two weeks for updates on the "JFX 8" home court advantage on our Israel trip!
4) Never Give Up!
After the Cavs were down 3-1, nobody, and I do mean nobody, gave them a fighting chance. But they fought, one game at a time, and beat all odds. Not in spite of, but because of, the fact that we were down 3-1, the arduous climb up, and the victory were that much more meaningful.
Jewish history and Jewish tradition have taught us this lesson, time and time again: never give up. The hallmark of a righteous person is someone who falls, but dusts himself off and gets up again. This is true personally and religiously, but it's also true nationally. The Jewish people have been waiting for a lot more than 52 years to come back home. We've survived against all odds. Our triumph will be so much sweeter because of all that we have been through.
#amyisroelchai!
5) So Now What?
The unity that we all felt this week was palpable, with strangers hugging each other in the streets of Cleveland. But can we make that feeling last? The next day everyone had to go back to work with his pile of problems waiting for him. Can the euphoric joy and camaraderie last, even a bit? New York has won 55 major sports championships. Is that city a friendlier, more unified place? I think not.
The Torah teaches us that in times of joy and inspiration, the key to holding on to those fleeting emotions is by making some kind of pledge, a commitment to improve our character in a small but concrete way. For instance, I will not gossip every day from 12:00-12:05. That will be my daily 5-minute no-gossip zone. This way, through the pledge, we bottle some of that inspiration, and keep it with us for a long time.
Come on, Cleveland. We can do it! #allin
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Koval
