The passing of John Madden gave me chizuk in Avodas Hashem.
Here you have a man who devoted most of his time and passion for 85 years to .... games.
When I was 3 years old I was really into my games but Baruch Hashem I matured and I am not interested in games anymore. Adults sit at the Shabbos table and talk while the children get up and play games. That is one of the differences between adults and children. We outgrow our need for games. Those who are still involved in games [and toys of all types] never really grow up. Life is not about games. We all know that. Even for adults games should be at best a diversion so that after the games one can get back to what life is really about. So seeing someone who never got past his games reminds me that life is NOT about games and that I should take my life and time seriously and not squander it on nonsense.
Another thing that gave me chizzuk is that he died with a reported net worth of 200 million dollars. What does a person need so much money for? Aren't there needy people out there?? Why should you have all that money you will never ever need when it could feed hungry people??? Leave 5 million for your wife, 10 million for each of your 2 children and give 175 million to Tzdaka to help make the world a place of less suffering??!!!
Instead - he lost 200 million dollars in ONE DAY [!!!!!!!!!!] and now his wife has 200 million dollars she will never need. She could live comfortably with her social security check and a few extra dollars to supplement it so that she can have her nails and hair done every week and give the rest to people who really need it. זה נהנה וזה לא חסר כופין על מידת סדום!!! [Actually - she has royalties from his video game which brings in millions and millions a year so she doesn't need an extra penny].
John Madden was not an evil man. I actually met and shmoozed with him once [he owned an apt. across the street from me]. It was really pleasant. He probably meant well. But we have to learn from him not to be misguided and that good intentions aren't enough. We can't turn him and people like him into heroes.
Life is not about silly [and incredibly violent] games but about bringing Hashem into our lives and into the world, working on our middos, learning Torah, doing chesed, giving tzdaka etc.
If we learn these lessons it could be לעילוי נשמתו!!!!
