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Talmudic Discourse 23
Shalom:
Nice medical summary of the deleterious effects of steroid use by Chavar Tom.
It can be followed with an other Talmudic observation long before our sages knew of steroids.
Steroids, as Chavar Tom, elucidated, puffs out the one who takes them. It makes him (or her) appear bigger and greater than they actually are and hence even perform this way.
When the Talmud discusses stealing, it talks about cheating. Not surprisingly, Judaism condemns cheating, but our tradition recognizes that cheating involves more than breaking the rules. A Hebrew phrase used in the Talmud to indicate cheating is geneivat da'at, which literally means the theft of the mind; in other words, cheaters who intentionally mislead or deceive others to gain undeserved goodwill are considered thieves. "There are seven kinds of people who are guilty of stealing," our sages teach. "First among them are people who misrepresent themselves to others" (Tosefta, Bava Kama 7:3).
Certainly, a puffed up exaggerated steroid user in professional sports fits this bill, no differently than a fellow or gal in a $5000 business suit selling junk bonds or a $200 suit selling sub prime mortgages without full disclosure to a truly understanding client. All are 'con' men or women.
Chavar Tom's policeman friend's advice of 'following the money' (the same advice "Deep Throat" Felt gave to Woodword and Bernstein during their Watergate investigative reporting in the early 70s), is interesting in the above context, as the Mishniac word for money or riches, (mamon..."charity is the salt of mamon" {Kethuboth 66B]) has its Aramiac roots from the same root word as 'confidence,' which of course is what a 'con' man is entrusting one with.
As implied in my previous post, the problem with steroid use in Baseball, if indeed Baseball is as an American as apple pie and a microcosm of the USA, is the tip of the iceberg of a nation and its people, who might be statistically the most church or synagogue 'belonging' people, but who truly do not have 100% faith, trust, nor even belief in God, and put their 'confidence' in mamon.
Our kesef may record the words "in God we trust," but our image of the American deity, has emblazoned on it, "in riches we trust." Steroid use is our athlete's version of a Wall Street broker's insider trader or our politician's stealing an election. And 'there is nothing new under the sun,' {Eccl 1:9} as theft and worship of riches, have been taking place long before men (and women) were rounding bases.
Shabbat Shalom:
Rabbi Dr. Arthur L. Segal
JEWISH RENEWAL:
JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL
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