Shabbat Shalom, BAI!
The Olympics have been a marvel to watch, not least because it’s afforded some rare ‘family’ together watching, armchair analysis, and pure escapism.
As we were watching one of the events, maybe it was the the surfing, or volleyball, or women’s skateboarding (although all the finalists in that event were under the age of 15 so ‘women’ was a bit of a misnomer) I commented on how the Olympics made the world seem so vast, so many billions of people in so many far off places, yet gathered in Paris for two weeks.
My daughter had the exact opposite reaction to watching the games, saying how the games made the world feel closer and as such more connected. I got her point and agreed with her. I think I am holding both truths, and I’ll add one by way of metaphor:
The balance beam routine is the one that really takes my breath away. The balance beam is 10 centimeters wide. That’s it. It’s the same dimensions for every athlete. No one gets a wider one or a longer one.
It is also an event that only women compete in. There is no ‘men’s balance beam’ competition. (Men have the pommel horse to deal with, and that one is equally hold-your-breath level awe inspiring)
Watching these women spin, leap, fly, wobble, nearly fall but stay on, (sometimes fall and then get back on), and then finally spin, swoop, dismount and land. My God.
I find myself cheering and clapping and smiling, I get so lost in the moment I don’t even care what team or country it is. It’s just the peak of the peak of human endurance, training, spirit and will.
I’ll close by paraphrasing Reb Nachman of Bratzlav, who I am sure, had he ever seen the balance beam routine, would have been fine with a slight variation on his famous quote that we sing and offer as a prayer for our own precarious world:
“The whole world is a narrow balance beam,
a very narrow, 10 centimeters wide balance beam.
We dance, flip and do everything we can to stay on it,
To not fall, or slip.
Sometimes, we do.
We, that is, me, that is us, that is our world.
The essential thing is to not freak out, to keep breathing
Stay focus on what really matters
And of course, to stick the landing, smile, wave, and then run off, and hug your fellow teammates.”
Shabbat Shalom!
Hazzan Harold
