Kobe Bryant, one of the greats RIP!

[Yard sale]

What a sad outlook on life and Judaism. There are positive things and lessons to be found in everyone and everything. You can differentiate between the holy and the mundane, but to write something off as worthless is missing the bigger picture of why Gd created the world and what our job is.

No question about it. For example, I’m tremendously inspired by J. K. Rowling. Here was a woman who was dirt poor, on welfare, and practically homeless.  Most people would write her off, yet she had a latent talent that would express itself and impact billions of people. I think she is proof that every single one of us has latent talents and capabilities that if only brought out in the right way can make an unbelievable impact. Every person is truly able to be great if only he is able to find the right way to express his unique abilities.

This doesn’t mean that there is inherent value in her books and films- I’ll leave that for her fans and critics. But it does mean that there is a valuable lesson to learn from her story that can be a source of inspiration. I absolutely believe that there are similar lessons that can be taken from Kobe, regardless of whether there is any inherent value in his game. But let’s not fool ourselves; most of the frum Jews that are absorbed in the world of sports are not thinking such holy thoughts. They are merely influenced by the culture around them which identifies with sports figures or teams in a vicarious way. That is not an authentic Jewish way of thinking, Chabad or otherwise....

[aygart]

1. So you're willing to overlook character flaws in Trump, but not Kobe.
2. Nobody said he's a hero. Not sure why the need to insist that is the case persists.

I don't see how anyone is overlooking his character flaws by supporting his policies any more than when they appreciate the other's basketball abilities while thinking he may have been a flawed person.

[aygart]

So im ready to hear, as a jew, what lesson are you taking from this?

I don't know anything about him, but he was a human being who died a tragic death with his young daughter. That is sad in and of itself. I would imagine that people who follow sports would find it to be a shock. Why do people feel the need to be knocking someone who just died a horrible death? If people take out of this how fragile life is and how one never knows when his or her time may come then that lesson is a good one and let them use this tragedy to improve themselves. Why knock them?

[CountValentine]

NBA players are retiring Kobe Bryant’s jersey numbers to pay their respects
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/nba-players-are-retiring-kobe-bryants-jersey-numbers-to-pay-their-respects/ar-BBZpSNo?ocid=spartanntp

[Shkop]

What a sad outlook on life and Judaism. There are positive things and lessons to be found in everyone and everything. You can differentiate between the holy and the mundane, but to write something off as worthless is missing the bigger picture of why Gd created the world and what our job is.

Let's say something is truly worthless? Should we lie and make it into something that it is not?

[Dan]

What kind of chutzpa does it take to say that something created by Gd is worthless and offers no lesson in serving Him.

[skyguy918]

What kind of chutzpa does it take to say that something created by Gd is worthless and offers no lesson in serving Him.

This is nice idea in theory, but if you're being selective about how you apply it. Where was your thread about the worth and lessons to be learned from Suleimani, or Epstein?

[Dan]

Did I start this thread?
It's certainly my attitude in life.

[CountValentine]

I started this thread to separate the discussion I knew was going to happen so it would not happen in the other thread.

[aygart]

What kind of chutzpa does it take to say that something created by Gd is worthless and offers no lesson in serving Him.

בן זומא אומר: איזהו חכם? הלומד מכל אדם, שנאמרתהלים קיט צט): "מכל מלמדי השכלתי כי עדותיך שיחה לי".
Ben Zoma said, "Who is the wise one? He who learns from all men" as it says, "I have acquired understanding from all my teachers" (Psalms 119:99)

[aygart]

I started this thread to separate the discussion I knew was going to happen so it would not happen in the other thread.

Sad.

[Shkop]

What kind of chutzpa does it take to say that something created by Gd is worthless and offers no lesson in serving Him.

The fact that G-d created everything does not mean that man doesn't glorify in worthless things. Those are two completely different things.

[cmey]

This is nice idea in theory, but if you're being selective about how you apply it. Where was your thread about the worth and lessons to be learned from Suleimani, or Epstein?

מאויבי תחכמני. There are lessons to be learned from everything that one has contact with or hears about including the worst evil as well. That’s why the merits or lack thereof of Kobe Bryant’s playing are largely irrelevant to the above. In fact it may very well be intended that two different people take entirely different or even opposing messages for their lives from the same event. The רבש״ע is כל יכול, and has the ability to create individual life experiences comprised of millions of different events while simultaneously giving each other person on the planet the full range of experiences that he needs for his particular life’s work without one conflicting with the other. This is what we mean when we say בשבילי נברא העולם.

[Shkop]

What kind of chutzpa does it take to say that something created by Gd is worthless and offers no lesson in serving Him.

According to that logic we should be sad if a terrorist is eliminated. (I am not comparing anyone to a terrorist, I am simply making a point.)

The fact that G-d creates everything for a purpose has nothing to do with man's free will. Bryant admitted to choking a woman and worse.

If so, why is everyone mourning?

Spoiler: They are not mourning over the loss of a human being. If they were, they would react the same about an unknown who was killed.

They are mourning talent. That's the reality.

From a Jewish perspective it is the exact opposite. We should not respect A more than B because of a meaningless attribute. Judaism doe not attribute greatness to someone for his ability to hit three pointers.

It goes against your grain? I can't help it.

[jj1000]

The fact that G-d created everything does not mean that man doesn't glorify in worthless things. Those are two completely different things.

According to that logic we should be sad if a terrorist is eliminated. (I am not comparing anyone to a terrorist, I am simply making a point.)

The fact that G-d creates everything for a purpose has nothing to do with man's free will. Bryant admitted to choking a woman and worse.

If so, why is everyone mourning?

Spoiler: They are not mourning over the loss of a human being. If they were, they would react the same about an unknown who was killed.

They are mourning talent. That's the reality.

From a Jewish perspective it is the exact opposite. We should not respect A more than B because of a meaningless attribute. Judaism doe not attribute greatness to someone for his ability to hit three pointers.

It goes against your grain? I can't help it.

I feel you didn't read this thread. Or are attributing things people said elsewhere to people in this thread.

[mochjas]

According to that logic we should be sad if a terrorist is eliminated. (I am not comparing anyone to a terrorist, I am simply making a point.)

The fact that G-d creates everything for a purpose has nothing to do with man's free will. Bryant admitted to choking a woman and worse.

If so, why is everyone mourning?

Spoiler: They are not mourning over the loss of a human being. If they were, they would react the same about an unknown who was killed.

They are mourning talent. That's the reality.

From a Jewish perspective it is the exact opposite. We should not respect A more than B because of a meaningless attribute. Judaism doe not attribute greatness to someone for his ability to hit three pointers.

It goes against your grain? I can't help it.

Ok so a guy does one thing wrong when he was relatively young and there is no coming back for him. I am sure you are perfect and never made any mistakes. He clearly learned from it and moved on and became a better person. I dont think what he did warrants him to be compared to a terrorist. And I know that you put in parentesis that you are not comparing him to a terrorist so why bring it up in the first place? You clearly are trying to compare him to a terrorist which is a horrible thing to do.

For the millionth time... No body here is looking up to him as a person. All we are looking up to are his accomplishments and his worth ethic and clearly the impact he had on millions of people. There is nothing wrong with that. No one is putting him on a pedestal. But this whole situation is very tragic.

If any person has a half a heart they would realize how devastating it is to lose a husband and child in the same day. But y'all want to come in here and say oh hes a this or that so it doesn't matter.

Honestly you guys do not belong online on public forums with these horrible outlooks and opinions.

[CountValentine]

John Altobelli and family are paid tribute at Orange Coast College baseball opener
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/john-altobelli-and-family-are-paid-tribute-at-orange-coast-college-baseball-opener/ar-BBZqME0?ocid=spartanntp

[Shkop]

Ok so a guy does one thing wrong when he was relatively young and there is no coming back for him. I am sure you are perfect and never made any mistakes. He clearly learned from it and moved on and became a better person. I dont think what he did warrants him to be compared to a terrorist. And I know that you put in parentesis that you are not comparing him to a terrorist so why bring it up in the first place? You clearly are trying to compare him to a terrorist which is a horrible thing to do.

I am not comparing him to a terrorist. I am using an extreme example to make a point. Strike one.

For the millionth time... No body here is looking up to him as a person. All we are looking up to are his accomplishments and his worth ethic and clearly the impact he had on millions of people. There is nothing wrong with that. No one is putting him on a pedestal. But this whole situation is very tragic.

My point exactly. Its about lost talent. But whether you like it or not, the correct Jewish perspective doesn’t elevate a man for basketball talent. Therefore, Mr. Bryant should not be mourned more than anyone else in the world killed in an unfortunate accident. The fact that he is, is wrong. 

Strike two.

If any person has a half a heart they would realize how devastating it is to lose a husband and child in the same day. But y'all want to come in here and say oh hes a this or that so it doesn't matter.

You just contradicted yourself so bad I got whiplash. "For the millionth time its not about the person, its about his accomplishments..." Now its about the person.

Well, it is not about not mourning over lost life. Let's be sad about the loss of G-d given life. But let's mourn every accident equally. Why is he better than anyone else? Answer: People are in fact not overly sad about lost life. They are sad about lost talent.

Strike three.

Honestly you guys do not belong online on public forums with these horrible outlooks and opinions.

You are out already so I can’t respond to what you just wrote.

[as2]

You're a bit muffled, stand up and turn around so we can hear you better.

[aygart]

https://www.nba.com/amp/lakers/news/160131_yitziteichman