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There is a high school baseball player in Las Vegas named Elie Kligman . It seems he is a very good hitter with power, an excellent pitcher who has thrown no hitters and is an excellent fielder who hopes to play at a high collegiate level or even the major leagues. Oh, and he is also Shomer Shabbos. Throughout his career his father has been able to persuade leagues and tournaments to schedule around Shabbos ( i.e. in winter to play after motzai Shabbos ). His father recalled that when Elie was 8 years old, he missed a playoff game and his father asked him how he felt. Elie replied that he felt left out but Shabbos was more important than the game.
He apparently is good enough that there are a number of schools willing to offer him athletic scholarships and work around his not playing on Friday night and Saturday.Sounds like Abie Rottenberg’s book
Sandy Koufax did not pitch in the World Series on Yom Kippur.
Here the issue is that World Series on YK is once in a while but Friday/Saturday games are, apparently the core of the sport. Maybe we need to ask for baseball equity for short guys in yarmolkas.
I don’t see why Jews should want to do discretional activities that pose a conflict with Shabbos, or any Jewish law for that matter. Even if they can farneigel some workaround that might work most times. Why put oneself into such a precarious position in the first place?
Why is this listed as “interesting story” when it is in reality tragic? To be enamored of, meshubad to, or chv”s involved in public sporting is a curse of the Tochacha (vayikra 26;38, a possible issur lav (אל תפנו אל האלילים) and against the mussar of הושע 9 1. We should have the sense and sensitivity to keep these things far from us and to teach our children why
Maodim l simcha
Twisted, the situation is all relative, if where were talking about a mainstream yeshiva teen, or even a teen coming from a very modern orthodox background, then I would completely agree with your assessment. However, after reading a few stories on him, it seems he comes from a rather non-religious family (I could be wrong about this, not 100% sure…). This being the case, we have a kid who potentially has the ability to fulfill his lifelong dream, play baseball for life, make millions, become famous….and he won’t even think about pursuing these dreams if it will interfere with his Shabbos observance. Perhaps we can all learn from him.
To ujm: Young Mr. Kligman is being considered for a $10 million contract. Who among us can honestly say that they would not consider breaching Shabbos for that much money? And Major League Baseball may accomodate him, or cut his pay for the extra days off and the related travel expenses.
Would you turn down a major donation to your shul from Sandy Koufax, because he pitched on Shabbos?
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