By Rabbi Paysach Krohn In the competitive world of the 1990′s, one wonders whether the
old adage still holds true: "It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the
game." The following true story illustrates the power of human concern – even in the
face of intense competition.

In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning-disabled children.
Some children remain in Chush for their entire school careers, while others can be
mainstreamed into conventional Jewish schools.

There are a few children who attend Chush for most of the week and go to a regular
school on Sundays.

At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that
would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything that God
does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do.

My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God’s
perfection?"

The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father’s anguish, and stilled
by his piercing query.

"I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like
this into the world, the perfection that He seeks is in the way people react to this
child."

He then told the following story about his son Shaya: Shaya attends Chush throughout
the week and a boy’s yeshiva (Torah institute) on Sundays. One Sunday afternoon, Shaya and
his father came to the yeshiva as his classmates were playing baseball. The game was in
progress and as Shaya and his father made their way towards the ballfield, Shaya said,
"Do you think you could get me into the game?"

Shaya’s father knew his son was not at all athletic, and that most boys would not want
him on their team. But Shaya’s father understood that if his son was chosen in, it would
give him a comfortable sense of belonging.

Shaya’s father approached one of the boys in the field and asked, "Do you think my
Shaya could get into the game?"

The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters
into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs and the game is already in
the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him up to bat in the
ninth inning."

Shaya’s father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove
and go out to play short center field.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya’s team scored a few runs but was still behind
by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya’s team scored again – and now with two
outs and the bases loaded and the potential winning runs on base, Shaya was scheduled to
be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance
to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shaya was told to take a bat and try to get a hit.  Everyone knew
that it was all but impossible, for Shaya didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly,
let alone hit with it. However as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved in a
few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should at least be able to make contact.

The first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya’s teammates
came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next
pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shaya.

As the next pitch came in, Shaya and his teammate swung the bat and together they hit a
slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily
have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have
ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right
field, far and wide beyond the first baseman’s reach. Everyone started yelling,
"Shaya, run to first! Shaya, run to first!" Never in his life had Shaya run to
first.

He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached first
base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman
who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the rightfielder understood what the
pitcher’s intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s
head, as everyone yelled, "Shaya, run to second! Shaya, run to second."

Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases
towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran towards him, turned
him towards the direction of third base and shouted, "Shaya, run to third!"

As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, "Shaya,
run home! Shaya, run home!"

Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and
made him the hero, as he had just hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his
team.

"That day," said the father who now had tears rolling down his face,
"those 18 boys reached their level of perfection. They showed that it is not only
those who are talented that should be recognized, but also those who have less talent.
They too are human beings, they too have feelings and emotions, they too are people, they
too want to feel important.

Have a very special day, as special as each of you are.

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