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 fundraising 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:
 
   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 ball field, 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 right fielder 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.