This past Sunday I very abruptly found myself quite friendless. Those of my mates who had not carted over to Miami remained resolutely indoors, their noses glued to their flat screens, drinking in the football.
Super Bowl Sunday has evolved into a national religious holiday. Indeed this morning CBS reported that due to the massive snow storm that ravaged Washington, all power lines had been damaged. Residents were warned that it would be several days before electricity would be restored, and that, quite tragically, they would likely have to forfeit watching tonight’s game. I often find myself wondering what can possibly be so intriguing about a ball being kicked across a field. I have since concluded that perhaps it is indeed the odd shaped ball that attracts over 90 millions viewers, with 30 second ads selling for a staggering $3million.
Perhaps the reason is because G-d Himself together with the angels have been watching Super bowl for the last 3300 years. Ever since the giving of the Torah where the Jewish nation was given its mission statement, we have been playing the game.
Each Jew contains his own personal field. The teams are comprised of our two warring souls: the G-dly and the animal. Each side battles for dominion over the body, craving sole authority. The war trumpets sound every time we use our senses, for everything can be experienced through the eyes of the spiritual soul or the physical soul. One may choose to gaze at the blazing billboards of Fifth Avenue, skim through glossy magazines, or one may feast his eyes on the inspiring pages of the holy Torah. Similarly, one may use his hands to strike his fellow, or more positively, to don Tefillin or light Shabbat candles. A two point conversion would be if after putting on Tefillin you pray with a minyan as well.
Many times over the years, due to our slackening skills on the field, G-d has been tempted to abandon the game. At times He came pretty close, even destroying two Temples. Once G-d even caught the Satan roaming aimlessly around the Heavenly Court. “Why are you not working?” G-d admonished him. “There is no work for me to do. I merely suggest a sin and the Jew has already gone ahead with it.”
We know that ultimately purity & morality will triumph over the forces of darkness & evil - that is what Moshiach is all about but in the meantime let the teams that plays best win!
Julia wrote...
Mike wrote...
Alberto wrote...
idolatry means hanging tremendous significance on something undeserving and useless, ie deity on a statue. in football we attribute great meaning and interest into something (a sport) and onto someone (the players) that dont deserve it. the players are innocent enough they are merely talented athletes who are making as much money as they can, from those that are only too eager to pay them.
but is is the hype created by the media that reminds us of the insanity of ancient paganism.
for 2 weeks the entire country is worried and obssesed about 'will dwight freeney play or wont he?' intelligent and successful people are investing their intellectual and emotional capital into a ridiculously irrelevant issue, instead of onto a more deserving focus of attention.
true football is 'merely entertainment' but to be enteratained means to escape, to be distracted, to fantasize.
the real question is: "why is our reality so painful that escape equals pleasure?"
rabbi vigler, i would love to hear your thoughts on this...