Browsing through a news website, I noticed that the World Series is just over. I haven’t followed baseball for 30 years, ever since making aliyah. When I lived in America, and thought I was an American, I loved baseball like everyone else. But baseball doesn’t interest me anymore. I don’t even know what teams were in the running this year. The World Series has absolutely nothing to do with the Redemption of Am Yisrael, so who cares?
But maybe we can borrow a few metaphors from baseball to help America Jews understand that Judaism in the Diaspora is the Little Leagues. Now that we all can come home to Eretz Yisrael, there’s no reason to remain in the exile, getting all excited about foreign Gentile pastimes, cheering Gentile center fielders and first basemen who date Hollywood floosies, in a world where one out of a thousand players is a Jew.
Let’s face it – The State of Israel is the Yankee Stadium of Jewry, and Jewish life in Israel is the Major Leagues.
For example, everyone knows that the real baseball is the Major League baseball in America. In comparison, baseball in Japan is a laugh. No matter how skilled the players may be, Japanese baseball just doesn’t look real. It’s out of place. Baseball doesn’t belong in Tokyo. At best, it is a poor imitation of the real major leagues, with the unmatchable CRACK of a Louisville Slugger bat pummeling a fastball into the bleachers at Yankee Stadium to the unmatchable ROAR of the crowd and the smell of American hot dogs, spilled beer and roasted peanuts.
Just as Japanese baseball is a poor imitation of Major League baseball, the Judaism of the Diaspora is a poor imitation of the Judaism of Eretz Yisrael.
You simply can’t compare Jewish life in Israel versus Jewish life in foreign Gentile lands. No matter how much private Yiddishkeit there is in Monsey or Boro Park, it’s the minor leagues compared to the NATIONAL Jewish life of the Land of Israel, which has all of the Yiddishkeit of Boro Park in Bnei Brak and Mea Shearim, plus a thousand things more. This is obvious.
The attention of the entire world is focused on Israel. In comparison, who cares what is going on with the Jews of Monsey or Melbourne? The real Jewish news is happening here in Israel. When it comes to being a Jew, there is nothing like it at all. To be a Jew in Israel is to be a part of the world-leading NATION OF ISRAEL, soon to be #1 in the world, and not just a member of the local community shul, and a foreigner in a foreign Gentile land.
Make no mistake, my good friends. When it comes to Judaism and true Jewish life, Israel is the Big Leagues. The real World Series is taking place here.