The sixth week of the Omer, is the week of yesod. Yesod is translated as foundation and is associated with the tzadik, or righteous person. During this week, I’ve been looking for foundational players or players who embody righteousness. Day 38 of the Omer is tif’eret sheb’yesod, demanding a player whose game is truly beautiful or who exemplifies balance. Day 39 of the omer is … Continue reading Day 38 + 39: Wonder Boy
Today is Day 37 of the Omer. Gevurah sheb’yesod. Strength that emerges from righteousness. Yesod (foundation) integrates and channels the energy of the upper sefirot into malchut. It is associated with Joseph because he was able to resist temptation and live a righteous life. One Day 37, that righteous, focussed energy manifests as gevurah (power, strength). While, there are only six players in NBA history … Continue reading Day 37: The Ojeleye Factory
Today is Day 36 of the Omer. Hesed sheb’yesod. Generosity that flows from justice. Was there any way that I was not going to choose Marcus Smart for Day 36? Absolutely not. The week of Yesod, which begins today is associated with the Biblical figure of Joseph, who is one of the most significant figures in the book of Genesis. And the parallels between Joseph … Continue reading Day 36: Marcus Smart
Today is Day 35 of the Omer. Malchut sheb’hod. Humility that leads to Kingship. I got to interact with Mark Madsen a bit at Stanford University. He was so genuine, so humble. There was nobody on those great Stanford teams that I was happier to see become an NBA champion. In college, Madsen was a hard working big man, who came to college after a … Continue reading Day 35: Mad Dog
Today is Day 34 of the Omer. Yesod sheb’hod. The Humble Pioneer. Day 34, ultimately came down to two 7 foot superstars with Nigerian roots: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hakeem Olajuwon. On yesod sheb’hod, you can’t go wrong choosing between two humble superstars who have become pioneers in professional basketball. Giannis is already a League MVP, but we’re giving the nod to Hakeem for being a … Continue reading Day 34: The Dream
Today is Day 33 of the Omer. Hod sheb’hod. The Ideal Humility. Hod is associated with Moses’s brother, Aaron, who is the ideal #2 in Torah. He complements his brother Moses, speaks on his behalf in Egypt, and serves as a priest and peacemaker for the Israelites while they wander in the wilderness. Finding that perfect #2 in the NBA is very difficult. Everyone grows … Continue reading Day 33: The Ideal #2
Today is Day 32 of the Omer. Netzach sheb’hod. Humility that leads to winning. Sometimes you have to look for the specific moment in a player’s career to really understand a combination of sefirot. Shaquille O’Neal is the definition of larger than life. At 7’1”, 325 lbs, Shaq was too big for even one nickname. The Big Aristotle destroyed baskets, dunked over everybody, and clowned … Continue reading Day 32: The Big Aristotle
Today is Day 31 of the Omer. Tif’eret sheb’hod. Humility that manifests in balance. It’s taken me a few days to wrap my mind around this week’s sefirah of hod and connect it to the world of basketball. In Ehyeh: A Kabbalah for Tomorrow, Rabbi Art Green writes that “Hod is the other side of wisdom, the self that bows before the mystery of what … Continue reading Day 31: The No-Stats All-Star
Today is Day 30 of the Omer. Gevurah sheb’hod. Humility that manifests as power. In only three years in the WNBA, Breanna Stewart has been a 2x All-Star, League MVP, and WNBA Champion, while averaging 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists/game. That’s a small sample size, but she’s simply been the best wherever she’s been. She was the high school player of the year, … Continue reading Day 30: Breanna Stewart
Today is Day 29 of the Omer. Hesed sheb’hod. Humility that manifests in generosity. The best NBA player to ever wear #29 was Paul Silas. Silas was a dominant rebounder and defender who won three NBA championships. The 2x All-Star and 5x member of the All-Defensive Team, nearly averaged a double-double over his 16 year career while scoring over 11,000 points and grabbing over 12,000 … Continue reading Day 29: Paul Silas
Omertime 