What is NBA star LeBron James doing with a Rabbi?
And judging by the look on his face..what is he thinking to himself?
According to TMZ:
TMZ has obtained this exclusive photo of LeBron James in a business meeting earlier today with Rabbi Yishayahu Yosef Pinto … a man known around New York
as the “Rabbi to the Business Stars.”
Sources involved with the meeting tell us LeBron had hired Rabbi Pinto for spiritual guidance for a “big merchandising meeting” that took place on a private yacht
Rabbi Pinto — a 37 year-old-man who speaks only Hebrew – has met with all sorts of business moguls in the past … and is considered by some to be a “spiritual guide” who consults on business matters.
We’re told LeBron paid in the neighborhood of 6-figures to get Rabbi Pinto to sit in on today’s meeting … in which LeBron heard presentations from several “big time” retail execs.
It’s been a big summer for the Jews — with Amar’e Stoudemire meeting with rabbis in Israel … and Shaq learning Hebrew.
Color me cynical but it looks to me like we may have another Shmuley on our hands.
Update: Rafi notes that LeBron has in the past expressed admiration for a Jewish philanthropist who “supported the translation and elucidation of the Talmud Bavli into English, Hebrew and French.”
Things are getting mighty weird..
" We’re told LeBron paid in the neighborhood of 6-figures to get Rabbi Pinto to sit in on today’s meeting …"
Definitely a good businessman.
Stan
Who is he fooling?! That's Woody Allen!
Well, I would say Shottenstein IS admirable. I prefer the pure stuff, but the Artscroll / Schottenstein Talmud has helped a lot of people, both here and in the U.S. I've seen guys from Ner Israel working on it with their laptops. (My Dad prefers the Hebrew Shteinzaltz, which is on a similar level to the English Artscroll, AFAIK.) So if he inspires him to do goos with his money, more power to him.
good
Perhaps you've got both good goos and bad goos for us? :p
goo-goo
I love the Hebrew Schottenstein!
I always wished they'd taught us Aramaic as a 2nd language in our teens. I've heard of old Iraqis who hold their Daf Yomi shiurim in Aramaic.
What advantage do you feel it has over the Hebrew Steinzaltz (I mean aside from the politics, which doesn't affect either of us)?
I remember one of the guys asking to use my Guide for the Perplexed (Hebrew translation by Rav Kapach, of course) to work on a dififcult piece. I was proud, since I donated it in my mother's memory.
I go over Chumash every week with the Targum. I could recognize a little clip I saw from the passion movie, but not what I heard in a romanticized youTube clip about Aramaic-speaking Christians in Syria.
I generally call the Talmudic language Babylonian Yiddish. It has similar spelling, and it also makes statements in the form of questions. What drives me crazy in modern Hebrew is they talk all of that out, and then they put the vowels back – but in a different way, so that it doesn't look like Hebrew ever looked. (Luckly you don't have to use that spelling.)
take
Better Lebron should consult Morris the "Telepsychic" from Manhattan Cable's Public Access. "I see good things from Nike, Addidas and Right Guard. But tell the Popeye's Chicken people to take a hike for that kind of money."
u got this story before ynet!
Yes, things are getting "mighty weird". I love Shaq saying Shana Tova and Baruk Hashem! o/