Sports Verses

(an Ascent original)

How do we know that the Torah recognizes baseball?

Its very first words are:

"In the big-inning"!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where is a tennis pro mentioned in the Torah?

"...Joseph served in the court of Pharoh...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who played hockey in the Torah?

"Moshe raised his hand and smacked the rock with his stick." (Num. 20:11)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where does the Torah instruct us on hoops?

"You shall take it... and you shall put it in the basket..." (Deut. 26:2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What famous Jew was a professional soccer goalie?

(Sorry, this one works only in Hebrew)

"B'yamim hahaim, u'Mordechai yoshev b'sha'ar haMelech." (Esther 2:21)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally: how do we know that Sandy Koufax, the Dodgers' Hall-of-Fame pitching ace who refused to pitch the World Series opener in 1965 because it fell on Yom Kippur, is a reincarnation of a member of the tribe of Benyamin who lived nearly 3000 years ago?

The men of Benyamin numbered at that time twenty-six thousand men of the cities that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Giv'ah who numbered seven hundred chosen men. Among all these people were seven hundred chosen men: lefthanded, each could sling stones at a hair and not miss. (Judges 20:15-16.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~