Super Bowl Shabbat

This week’s parsha starts with Moshe meeting with his father-in-law, Yitro after the Exodus from Egypt. Yitro observes Moshe judging over the Israelites and notices that Moshe is trying to assist his people in every way possible. Yitro tells him that he needs to delegate his responsibilities because judging over everyone is too much for Moshe to handle. He tells Moshe to appoint judges from his people, and when an issue cannot be handled with the judges, Moshe will then take over.

I know it’s a stretch but trying to keep with the Super Bowl theme of tonight, I thought I would relate this portion to football. Just like with the Israelites, football teams don’t just rely on the head coach, but have defensive, offensive, quarterback, and special teams coaches to name a few. The head coach must rely on the other coaches to train and prepare their players for any call that is made on the field in order to defeat the opposing team. In essence, the head coach has his own support system, in that he relies on the other coaches to help him build a successful team. In life, we must remember that when we are overwhelmed, like the head coach may be on game day, it is okay to ask people for help, just as the head coach asks for assistance. We cannot always be successful on our own and if we have the humility to ask for help, it gives us a chance to learn from others.

In the second part of this week’s parsha, the Israelites prepare to receive the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. They prepared for two days by purifying themselves physically and spiritually as they waited and assembled around the major spectacle. Just like at the Super Bowl, where bright lights shine over the field and fans cheer loudly, there were intense sounds and lights as the Israelites gathered around Mt. Sinai. It could be considered the greatest gathering in the world where they received one of the ultimate gifts from Hashem. Fans argue that the Super Bowl could also be considered the greatest gathering of the year as millions of viewers watch around the world. Similar to how the Israelites prepared for the receiving of the Ten Commandments, football players also train for months to reach their objective of playing and winning in the Super Bowl. When comparing ourselves to the Israelites, the Ravens, and the 49ers, it is important for us to remember that in order to get the prize we want and accomplish our dreams, such as passing a test or winning the Super Bowl, we should only expect our ambitions to be accomplished if we work and prepare for them. In order to be successful, it is imperative to put our best foot forward, ask for help when needed, and not give up on reaching our goals. Shabbat Shalom.

Nikki is on the left.