The Michael Jordan of Stories
Rabbi Akiva and his wife were struggling financially; they were extremely poor and would sleep on a bed of straw in a barn. One day a beggar came to the barn and asked Rabbi Akiva for whatever he could spare. Rabbi Akiva had less than nothing to give him. He offered the beggar some of his straw and the man accepted it gladly. The Talmud states that this poor man was none other than Elijah the prophet.
When Elijah came to Rabbi Akiva in his time of need he could have built him a palace and given him pounds of gold. Why did Elijah ask Rabbi Akiva for a donation and come as a homeless man asking Rabbi Akiva for help instead of giving him a huge palace?
Before he was born Yackov (Jacob) began battling in utero with his brother Esav. In this week’s Parshah the battle ends. Yackov struggles with Esav's angel until sunrise. After this ordeal Yackov is wounded physically but he has attained a higher spiritual awareness. Yackov is a different person and so God changes his name to Yisroel (Israel).
A popular myth about Michael Jordan was that he was cut from his High School basketball team. In truth he was not cut from the team he made the JV team, this was the team for his age group (he was in 10th grade, the JV team is for 9th and 10th grade.) He was upset the day the two teams were posted not only because he did not make varsity but also because he saw his friends name on the list, Leroy Smith. Leroy was a friend of Jordan and the only 10th grader to make varsity.
Michael Jordan, a master of marketing, was the source for this distorted tale. In Michael’s mind this moment was crucial to his formation, he might as well have been cut because he did not make it and his friend did.
Leroy Smith motivated Jordan to new heights that season.
"Over the next three decades Jordan would become a world-class collector of emotional wounds, a champion grudge-holder, a magician at converting real and imagined insults into the rocket fuel that made him fly. If he had truly been cut that year, as he would claim again and again, he wouldn't have had such an immediate chance for revenge. But in fact his name was on the second list, the JV roster, with the names of many of his fellow sophomores. Jordan quickly became a JV superstar"- Thomas Lakes: Sports Illustrated
If Michael Jordan had made the varsity team he would not have as much to prove, nothing to struggle with. He might not have tried as hard as he did that season. Rabbi Akiva would not be the great scholar he was destined to become if during the struggles in his life Elijah came and gave him everything he needed. If that happened we would have never heard of Rabbi Akiva. Yackov would not be who he was if he did not go through the struggles in his life. Esav is Yackov’s Leroy Smith, Esav made Yackov great.
Jordan would often check into hotels under the alias “Leroy Smith” throughout his professional basketball career.
If Michael Jordan had made the varsity team he would not have as much to prove, nothing to struggle with. He might not have tried as hard as he did that season. Rabbi Akiva would not be the great scholar he was destined to become if during the struggles in his life Elijah came and gave him everything he needed. If that happened we would have never heard of Rabbi Akiva. Yackov would not be who he was if he did not go through the struggles in his life. Esav is Yackov’s Leroy Smith, Esav made Yackov great.
Jordan would often check into hotels under the alias “Leroy Smith” throughout his professional basketball career.
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