Olympic reflections

RABBI SHMUEL BIRNHAM

I was honored when I was asked by the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) to organize Jewish services at the two Olympic villages, and I am thankful to the many synagogues and their rabbis, cantors and laypeople that have responded to my call for volunteers. I am also grateful to have shared, at the VANOC interfaith planning committee meetings, a deep mutual respect among the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim communities.

Since becoming involved with the Olympics, several connections between Judaism and the Games have come to me.

• Timing. Split-second timing is crucial in the Olympics, and so too in Judaism. Thinking ritually, the difference of one second can spell the difference between matzah and bread, and even honoring or desecrating Shabbat. Thinking in terms of soul-life, a loving and compassionate response to another’s pain that comes seconds late can break someone’s heart. Bringing food to the hungry too late can mean death.

Split-second timing also happens in moments of decisions about behavior. This is the practice of mussar (ethics). An eternity exists in the second between the awareness of an impulse and the act based on that impulse. This is a place in which we can discover the divine. A thought or impulse comes to me. Maybe I’m feeling impatient or angry (or have a thought to do the right or wrong thing), but need I act on that feeling? The gun is raised. The athlete is poised. The blast goes off. Watch that tiny window of time before the athlete jumps forward. Watch your own impulses and the tiny yet infinite space between them and the actions based on them. Be deeply curious, be observant of yourself, and bring more light and love into the world.

• Concentration. Watch the faces of the athletes. They are focused. They are intent on doing their best. When you do a mitzvah – whether davening (praying), reciting blessings for food or visiting the sick and the lonely – how much holy concentration (kavana) do you bring to the situation? I guarantee that your life will be lived on a deeper level if you can deepen your kavana as you go about your day. Bringing attention to the daily gifts God has given us will change the way we see the world. How often do you pause and pay attention to your breath (neshima)? If you do, and simultaneously become aware of the breath of God within you, i.e. your soul (neshama), your entire day will be filled with many blessed soul moments.

• Practise, discipline, repetition. Just think about how much practise any athlete does, all the more so for an Olympian. If you want to deepen your spiritual life, you, too, will need discipline. Sure, many people have incredible spiritual experiences on a nature hike or when they look into the eyes of a loved one, however, any spiritual leader (from the Dali Lama to your rabbi) will remind you that it takes work to deepen one’s spiritual life: time praying, learning the prayers, deepening one’s understanding of Hebrew, time in synagogue with the congregation, learning the many depths of the weekly Torah teachings or daily prayers, learning how to meditate, etc. All of these things take practise and discipline. Most of us know, deep down, that most things of value require effort.

• Team/community versus individual effort. Sure an individual can do her or his own thing and not be part of a team, but ask any Olympian about the synergy of being part of a team. Often enough, I meet Jewish people who say, “Rabbi, I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Or “Rabbi, I do my spiritual thing alone, I don’t really need a synagogue.” Of course, one can do athletics or “spirituality” alone, but if one wants to do “Jewish spiritual,” one needs to be part of a community. In my congregation – and I’m sure in all shuls in town – there are many people hungry for spiritual depth, for profound ways of encountering God. Our teams include our families, shuls, fellow seekers, the Jewish community of Greater Vancouver, Israel and the world. The level of affiliation in this town is low. If you’re reading this and don’t yet belong to a shul, please start visiting them to figure out which shul or “spiritual team” fits your Jewish soul for 2010.

• Simcha (joy). Any athlete experiences deep simcha in his/her body, mind and spirit. I ran for 35 years. Often, on a long, slow run, I’d burst out in a laugh just enjoying the experience. I feel this often enough as I practise my Judaism: during Shabbat services, during learning and at other times. Simcha is a gift from God. How often we allow ourselves to experience it is up to us.

• Natural athletes versus ones who aren’t. Are there naturally spiritual people? Maybe, but I believe all of us have great potential within. Each morning we are meant to say, “Elohai neshama sheh’natata bi,” or “My God, the soul You gave me is pure.” Each of us is graced with a holy and eternal soul. How do you connect with that source of the divine within you? It is there all the time. Are you aware of it? If so, what does it mean to you? How will your day be different if you’re more sensitive to the holy that is imbedded in you? Can you become a soul/spirit/Jewish Olympian? Or even an excellent amateur?

• Transcendent moments. Just watch the athletes’ faces. What’s that glow on his/her punim (face)? It’s not just shvitz. Watch some people davening or feeding the hungry, lighting Shabbat candles or doing any mitzvot with kavana. What’s that glow on their faces? When I was 20, I ran the 1,500-metre relay. There were moments as I was running, alone on the far side of the track with the wind whistling through my baton, when time slowed down and I was aware of a greater presence. Have you not felt this walking through the woods, looking at snowy mountains on the North Shore or looking into the eyes of someone you love? I have been graced with those moments, too, thank God, but unless we cultivate our spiritual life with discipline and community, these moments will only happen by chance. When we actively participate in Jewish community, with regular religious/ spiritual practice, we will find many open doors that lead to kedusha (holiness).

I will stop here, but there are other topics connecting Judaism and the Olympics. These come to mind: personal bests, medals, starting and ending points, speed, leadership, ego/accomplishment, tradition versus innovation, goals, setbacks and injuries, and participation versus being a spectator. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts, so, when you take a pause from watching a race or game, or you find yourself stuck in the inevitable traffic jams, ponder these themes. Though we’ve been in the Jewish year 5770 for many months, 2010 is still very new. It’s time to choose to deepen our lives, and we have many ways to do so in this wonderful city of ours. Good luck.

Rabbi Shmuel Birnham is spiritual leader of Congregation Har El in West Vancouver. He can be reached at [email protected].

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