Us Jews are just not that athletic

With all the hype around the Paris games, there is no shame in saying it: we Jews are not very athletic. Occasionally, we produce a Sandy Koufax or a Mark Spitz, but the fact that there are more Jewish NFL owners than players speaks for itself.

Great Jewish minds like Maimonides and Nachmanides were involved in medicine, while sports were, for the most part, the domain of Greeks and Romans. This was not because we could not play, but because we chose not to.

Greek theology, in a strange way, believed that physical perfection and athletic talents were manifestations of divinity. There was virtue in being the fastest runner and glory in the muscular body. To them, “my body is my temple” meant that by developing the body, one would develop something divine.

Indeed, the Torah teaches that “my body is my temple,” but its meaning is quite different: it refers to the space and tools given to worship with.

Jewish law states that “the body is the property of the Holy One, blessed be He,” and “a person has no authority whatsoever over his own body.” Our bodies are loaned to us by our Creator, and we may neither deface nor destroy them. Thus, tattooing and cremation are prohibited by the Torah.

Jewish thought delves deeper:

Our bodies are not just tools of worship; the goal is to transform the body itself. Only in a place of darkness can we shine light, and only by confronting wrong choices can we make the right ones.

Thus, the Creator chose the body as the place of service. In the tensions between selfishness and selflessness, with its needs for food, shelter, and sleep, the body becomes an instrument of transformation. When I direct my emotions and energy toward a higher purpose, I am creating the home the Divine envisioned.

Indeed, my body is my temple, and I must care for and revere it. But not because it runs fast; rather, because only with it can we care for the widows and orphans. When we hear the shofar, put on tefillin, or light Shabbat candles, we cover our temple in gold.

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For a deeper explanation on the Kabbalah of the body see A Knowing Heart section XII

Questions, comments? I would love to hear from you! Email me at RabbiMotti@JPortland.com