Jewish Educational Media - JEM
Share
07/07/2026
The Rebbe’s Surprising Lesson from Soccer
As millions tune in to the World Cup, here’s a fascinating lesson the Rebbe drew from the game of soccer.
The Rebbe compared the soccer ball to the globe, the world we live in.
Every one of us, he explained, has been given a part to play in moving the world toward its goal, its ultimate purpose:
to become a place where goodness, kindness, and G-dliness are more fully revealed.
But every game has an opposing team.
Just as one team is determined to score while the other fights to stop them,
life is full of forces pulling in the opposite direction.
The Rebbe explained that this opposition isn’t a flaw in the game,
it is actually what awakens our deepest determination to succeed and brings out strengths we didn’t know we had.
And there’s one more lesson.
Soccer isn’t won by strategy alone. You have to move your feet, and physically run the length of the field.
Similarly, changing the world doesn’t happen through just having good intentions. It happens when we take action,
one mitzvah and good deed at a time.
Tag your soccer friends to share the deeper meaning behind their favorite game.
The Jewish Response to Opposition
Most people see opposition as a sign to slow down, or change course.
But throughout Jewish history, something entirely different unfolds, time and again.
When Jews have been challenged, criticized, or pressured to hide who they are, it has the opposite effect.
Instead of weakening Jewish life, opposition has often awakened an even deeper sense of purpose and commitment.
This resilience is woven into the Jewish DNA: when confronted with resistance, we don’t just sit it out—we find the strength to do even more.
The next time you’re faced with a hateful headline, a personal attack, or pressure to shrink back,
remember this response.
Don’t be discouraged, double down, and add another act of kindness in its place.
FOLLOW Jewish Educational Media | The Lubavitcher Rebbe for more authentic Jewish wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Liluy nishmas our dear grandparents:
ישראל בן חיים ע”ה
בינה בת יעקב ע”ה
By Howard Katz and Linda Saiet
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Category
Contact the organization
Website
Address
781 East New York Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
11213
