Super Bowl LI: A Message For The World

Tom Brady

By Rabbi Yaacov Schwartz

A lighthearted look at 11 reasons that this was the most important Super Bowl event ever!

There is an iconic Jewish joke about the American Jewish kid who runs over to his immigrant dad in shul on Yom Kippur and says: “Dad! Babe Ruth just hit a home run in the World Series!”

To which his father replies, “OK, son. But tell me—is it good for the Jews or bad for the Jews?”

I must admit, having grown up in my father’s synagogue, where former NY Jets owner Leon Hess, ob’m, attended (at least on the High Holy Days), that I am a New York-born Jets fan from my youth. Mr. Hess even provided free season tickets for my father and me, at least until my bar mitzvah year. Needless to say, watching the success of the New England Patriots crush the Jets and everyone else for decades has not been a source of personal inspiration. Until now.

Living in Israel since 2012 as a Torah teacher and therapist, I have been sheltered from the ubiquitous craziness and hype surrounding Super Bowl Sunday. I slept through the Super Bowl, to rise early for Torah study. Afterwards, out of curiosity I checked on the winning score, in time to hear of the Patriots’ miraculous comeback culminating with a dramatic overtime victory, overcoming a seemingly insurmountable 25-point deficit.

My takeaway on this world-renowned event is that, perhaps, G‑d was trying to get the world’s attention—sort of a “celestial Super Bowl ad,” to speak in a positive way to the Jewish people and those who support Israel.

1. Supporters of Israel won big. Much attention has been paid to the fact that the game’s hero, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, shared a friendship with newly elected President Donald Trump, as did the Patriots’ Jewish owner, Robert Kraft, who, like Trump, has vocalized and demonstrated open support for Israel. In November 2015, Mr. Kraft ordered a moment of silence, at a nationally televised Patriots game, in memory of U.S. citizen Ezra Schwartz, a yeshiva student and huge Patriots fan, who was slain by Palestinian terrorists in Israel.
2. G‑d’s hand in history was affirmed once again. The affinity between Mr. Trump’s improbable victory and the Patriots’ improbable comeback was tweeted by President Trump himself when the score was 21–0 against the Patriots. He noted that the odds of them winning were similar to the odds of him winning, and offered his encouragement.
3. Triumph of human goodness. A patriot is a human being who shows noble, caring, and courageous qualities in defense of his homeland and his fellow citizens. They overcame the Falcons, birds of prey, associated with death and carnage.
4. The Jewish contribution to saving the world. One of the evening’s main heroes, who kept the Patriots alive with an astounding catch, surrounded by three defenders, was Jewish wide receiver Julian (“Jew-Lion”) Edelman, which means good all-around guy and a not-so hidden reference to the Davidic dynasty from the Tribe of Judah, which is symbolized by a lion.
5. Teaching belief in G‑d’s Oneness: Edelman’s number is 11, an important Jewish symbol, representing the two ones of Jewish theology as recounted in the most famous of Jewish prayers, the Aleinu, which concludes that in the end of days, G‑d will be One and His Name will be One.
6. Never give up. The brilliant comeback encouraged people to believe in miracles, which can revive their faith in the possibility of great, dramatic, and positive change in the world, i.e. the Messianic Era, a major tenet of Jewish belief, no matter what condition the world is currently in.
7. Jewish return from the Diaspora to Israel. Brady was exiled for four games, just as the Jewish People have endured four stages of exile, before now returning to their homeland.
8. A sign of world redemption and freedom from tyranny. The word “kraft” in Hebrew includes the word פטר, which means “redeem,” also mentioned in this week’s Torah portion recounting the exodus from Egypt, the redemption of the firstborn, and the sanctity for the first born of Jews and animals in the service of G‑d.
9. Preparing for the ultimate Sabbath. This was the 51st Super Bowl. The digits in “51” add up to 6, representing the 6 days of creation leading to the Sabbath, which is the time of redemption for the Jewish People and mankind.
10. The last part of the journey requires extra effort to overcome opposition. The game’s last play took place 2 yards from the end zone, and it was very, very tough for the running back to get the ball there. We are also struggling very much to see society peacefully overcome resistance to holiness and reach the end zone, known as the Messianic Era.
11. A story we’ve been telling for thousands of years. Finally, the Super Bowl is spelled in Hebrew ספר, which means to tell the story of redemption into the ears of our children and our children’s children, the central command of the Seder night which recounts man’s freedom from slavery and entry into the service of G‑d, a story worth telling. In fact, former president Obama, in each of his years of presidency, and just prior to his election, began holding an annual Seder with his Jewish supporters, showing that this story is one that belongs to all of us, and should be the focus in every house, Jewish or otherwise.

So in response to the age-old question of “was it good for the Jews?” perhaps it was good for everyone. Except the Falcons, of course.

Rabbi Yaacov Schwartz, formerly of Lawrence, is a popular Torah teacher, rabbi, and therapist in Israel based in Ramat Bet Shemesh. For links to his articles and Torah videos, contact him at rjyschwartz@Gmail.com.