Keeping Score with Shabbat
A star soccer player in France gained acclaim as a champion whose team never loses. One of the competing teams wanted to win him over to their side and invested tons of money into this undertaking.
The man switched to the other team, but lo and behold! In spite of his good name, he did not pull in one victory. He felt terribly frustrated that he was not living up to his name and not justifying the money that was poured into him.
Then he met his friend, Mr. Ochayon. He related that he had been released from jail by the hand of Hashem, in the merit of the tzaddik, Rabbi Chaim Pinto, zy”a. (His story is told in Flying High.) Mr. Ochayon recommended that this player ascend to the grave of the tzaddik and ask Hashem for success in his games in the merit of the tzaddik.
The man did as his friend had suggested. From then on, his team brought in winnings. He earned third place among the French soccer players.
I once met this soccer player. He related his early losses and then his later successes after praying at the tzaddik’s grave. During the course of our conversation, it became clear to me that these games sometimes take place on Shabbat. Obviously, they incur Shabbat desecration. I roundly rebuked him for this. Did he honestly think that Rabbi Chaim Pinto was pleased that he abused his blessing by violating Shabbat?
“You must cease this sin immediately,” I ordered him. “Your successes on Shabbat do not come from a good place. They have nothing to do with the tzaddik’s blessing. They come from the power of the Yetzer Hara, who confuses you into believing otherwise.”
I do not know how this story ended. But I was aggrieved at the thought that this man lived with such deception, thinking it was Hashem’s will that he should literally kick at the sanctity of Shabbat.
