Shalom everyone,
   This happens to be a perspective that I personally take....I am looking forward to the day, that YHVH reigns as HIGH ABOVE ALL OTHER GODS!
   Meriam Brown

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Karaite Korner Newsletter #166

Another Perspective on the Olympics.

Yesterday we celebrated together with the entire nation of Israel over the
first gold medal ever won by an Israeli in the modern Olympic games.   Most
of the responses to that letter were congratulations of people sharing in
Israel's joy.  But a small few protested that we should not be proud of
Israel's participation in the Olympics.  For example, one Karaite wrote the
following:

<<<Hi Nehemia,  Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but I do not see Israel's
winning a gold medal as something to be proud of. In fact, I think it's a
disagrace that Israel paricipates in the Olympic Games in the first place.
If I remember correctly, the Olympics were a pagan event, dedicated to pagan
gods, especially Zeus. Further, they glorify man and human strength rather
than the God of Israel.  ...even if the Olympics were to be detached from
their pagan roots, the whole message of the Olympic games is an anti-Torah
message: that physical strength is what makes a person strong, worthy and
victorious. But David HaMelekh reminds us that "these by horse and these by
chariot, but we will mention the name of Yehowah our God." [Psalms 20]  So I
do not share in your enthusiasm over Israel's winning of a gold medal.
Perhaps, if you see fit, you could send out this opposing view to the
Karaite newsletter list as an anonymous opposing view.>>>  END OF QUOTE

There is some validity in the above statement.  The Olympics did start out
thousands of years ago as a pagan event.  In those days the games were
dedicated to Zeus and every participant partook in pigs sacrificed to that
pagan deity.  But today's Olympics bear none of this baggage.  They have
nothing to do with Zeus and no sacrifices are brought to anyone or anything.

I think the opposition to Jews participating in physical competitions may be
related to a common Jewish attitude that Jews should be mentally powerful
but not physically powerful.  This view stems from the medieval Ghetto when
Jews were forbidden by their Gentile captors from defending themselves or
partaking in physically demanding professions.  However, exhibitions of
physical prowess are a long-standing part of Israel's ancient pre-exilic
culture.  We can recall for example, the competition between the men of
Abner and Joab by the Pool of Gibeon (2Sam 2:12-14).  Another example that
comes to mind is the list of David's mighty-men, such as Benayahu ben
Yehoyada who "descended and smote the lion in the midst of the pit on the
day of snow" (2Sam 23:20).  Physical competitions are not anti-Torah as long
as the participants recognize that it is Yehovah who brings victory.  It is
when a person looks upon his accomplishment and declares that he did it all
by himself with his own might, while not recognizing the part played by
Yehovah that he is relying on horses and chariots rather than the name of
Yehovah (see for example, Dan 4:27).

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel