Chazaq’s Halftime For Torah Offers Torah Alternative During The Big Game

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During the Super Bowl on Sunday night, February 9, Chazaq featured Halftime for Torah with four inspirational speakers. The first speaker, Rabbi Gavriel Friedman, well-known inspirational speaker, said that we don’t want to be ordinary.

We want to be great. This game features greatness in football. How do we become great? You can become great if you understand what greatness means. In Parshat VaEira, the names of Moshe and Aharon are listed two different ways, with Aharon first and Moshe second, and with Moshe first and Aharon second. This is because they were equal like one. They were each the best they could be. “I have to be the best me.” Being great means maximizing who we are and fulfilling our purpose in this world. So, we have to make sure to work on growing each day to be the best we can be.

Next, Rabbi Joey Haber, well-known speaker, shared that now we are pulled by so many temptations. There is alcohol, betting, looking at inappropriate things, etc. Now, millions of people are looking to do more. This is not for Jewish people. In the parshah, Hashem told the Jews not to collect the Manna on Shabbos. If Hashem told you that you will get double, then why are you going out to collect against Hashem’s wishes? The answer is that we are wired for wanting more.

Our response as Torah Jews is to do the right amount and stay within ourselves. He shared how one of the released hostages, Agam Berger, had grown up in a secular family; but while in Gaza, she decided to keep Shabbos and to become frum. At the same time, her mother at home was also becoming shomer Shabbat and frum.

Being a Jew means to be comfortable with discipline. We keep fasts and Shabbos, and we don’t look at inappropriate things. You are watching this Halftime for Torah because you don’t want to look at anything inappropriate.

He shared that he once met a referee of the NFL on a plane. He asked him what the hardest part of his job was, and the referee replied it was staying calm. He also shared how difficult it is to eyeball a play properly as everything happens so fast.

We can learn from this that we need to work on keeping our composure and be sure to see the right things at the right time. “We’re not fans. We’re players,” he said. We’re b’nei Torah so we adhere to a different discipline.

Following this, Charlie Harary, well-known inspirational speaker, shared that the Super Bowl attracts people from all over. The players in this game spent their lives focused on training for this. Their commitment to the game changes their feelings about it. The more you give to something, the more you love it. At the end of the day, it’s really just a game that was made up. It won’t affect your soul; yet see how exciting it can be. Ruchniyut is deeper than this. We are in the middle of a time period right now when we can fix our relationship with Hashem. It depends on our commitment. Do I prepare as much for Shabbos as these players prepare for the Super Bowl? That’s what it means to be a player. Hashem says that He needs players, not fans. You and I have the opportunity to create a deeper, better relationship with Hashem if we commit ourselves at the same level to Yiddishkeit as the players do to the Super Bowl. Charlie Harary gave everyone a homework assignment. Set an alarm for 24 hours from now and see how much the Super Bowl means to you. Now, pick one thing about your Yiddishkeit – one small thing. Tell yourself for this one thing I will be a Super Bowl champion. You’ll find your excitement about Yiddishkeit will be greater.

After this, Rabbi Yoel Gold, well-known inspirational speaker, shared an inspiring story of someone who overcame physical challenges and then found solace and hope in Yiddishkeit, and he completely turned his life around. Rabbi Gold taught that every mitzvah done properly surrounds a person with spiritual light that protects him.

This program was a wonderful idea, and the divrei Torah were powerful and inspiring.