A photo of Sandy Koufax signed to baseball fanatic Sheldon Bard.

This excerpt written by Jeremy Fine, the associate rabbi of Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota, is about the ongoing mystery of whether the greatest pitcher in baseball history attended synagogue on the first day of Yom Kippur during the World Series of 1965. It is also a story about the power of Midrash, the importance of stories to illuminate biblical text bringing faith to life. Having three uncles who are baseball fanatics (including Uncle Sheldon, who provided the photo for this article,) helped shaped my appreciation of baseball and the craft of a well-told tale. --Julie Russo

by Rabbi Jeremy Fine

  Midrash is the text behind the biblical text. It helps bring biblical stories to life. But in many cases, rabbis teach these stories as if they are a part of Jewish history. While Judaism is made up of laws, rituals, and customs, its heart has always been in midrash. 

  In 1965 a story was formulated that, for many Jews, is on par with biblical magic. The story goes that on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, the greatest baseball pitcher of all time, Sandy Koufax, put religion before baseball and sat out the first game of the World Series. Most Jews have heard this story. Religious school teachers always tell this story in their classrooms this time of year. But this article is not about whether Koufax pitched or did not pitch; the question is, if Koufax was not on the mound on October 6, 1965, where was he?

  To learn more about this mystery, visit the rabbi's sports blog at http://www.TheGreatRabbino.com or read the full article in the fall 2014 issue of CJ Voices at http://www.cjvoices.org.