L'zecher nishmas George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin
I read a piece where someone told of his father who would prepare his daf yomi shiur that he has been giving for decades, while watching a Yankees game. He was devoted to the daf - and the Yankees. So he got both. This was related in praise of his father. [I assume that when he gave the shiur he would interject with lines like "as I was pondering this svara, Mattingly hit a two run double". Or "I didn't fully understand Tosfos' answer because as I was learning it, Winfield struck out with the bases loaded and I was completely bummed out"].
I read a piece where someone told of his father who would prepare his daf yomi shiur that he has been giving for decades, while watching a Yankees game. He was devoted to the daf - and the Yankees. So he got both. This was related in praise of his father. [I assume that when he gave the shiur he would interject with lines like "as I was pondering this svara, Mattingly hit a two run double". Or "I didn't fully understand Tosfos' answer because as I was learning it, Winfield struck out with the bases loaded and I was completely bummed out"].
On one hand - the Gemara says that Yerushalayim was destroyed because they didn't say Birkas Ha-Torah. The commentaries wonder why such a seemingly minor offense should mandate such a harsh punishment. The famous answer is that not making a bracha symbolized the lack of importance Torah had for them. It didn't even warrant a bracha in their eyes. So the punishment was because they weren't "מחשיב" Torah.
So when someone has a Gemara in front of them and is at the same time watching the Yanks - what does that say about the value he places on Torah??! [I say that as a recovering, die hard Mets fan so take that in context.]
ON THE OTHER HAND - I would like to take a Rav Levi Yitzchak-esque approach and proclaim: "MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE - Look at your holy people!!! Even when they watch baseball, they learn Torah!!!"
Also, I had a friend [who died tragically young - עליו השלום], who had a chavrusa from the local Kollel [in Israel it is called 'Koillel'] come and learn with him [I presume for pay] and would watch football as the Gemara was being taught. He had serious ADD and this was the easiest way for him to learn. His chavrusa said that despite the distraction, he always had remarks and thoughts about the Gemara being learned. So he was willing to shell out money and have the distraction from enjoying the football game in order to learn Torah. מי כעמך ישראל!!!
So for some people, the game on the screen aids and abets their Talmud study.
And THAT is our limmud zchus for the day!!!😊😀
