Super Bowl Party’s Condition

By Rabbi Anchelle Perl, Director of Chabad of Mineola in New York:

Each year as the Super Bowl Sunday rolls round I receive multiple invites to stop by. I don’t have a TV and I am not that interested in football, although I did play the position of left winger in soccer at the Lubavitch High School for Boys in London many moons ago.

But this year I have made a challenge:

If a family this year for the first time, makes the decision to serve only kosher food at their Super Bowl Party, and if they wish, I will be delighted and honored to stop by and help make the Halftime Show more meaningful with words of Torah and inspiration.

To help the wider community with that, here is a list of upbeat and funny ways “Making Your Super Bowl Party More Jewish”:

1. Blessings before eating. Do you know the blessings to be made on eating some of the more popular kosher super bowl finger foods? Test yourself!
Buffalo Sliders with Crispy Onion Rings. Guinness Marinated Bison Steak Sandwiches. Hot and Spicy Turkey Wings. Turkey Chili with Loaded Cornbread Muffins.

2. The Bathroom break! –Here is the text for the ‘bathroom blessing’ said after leaving bathroom & washing ones hands. Great source for health too!
Blessed are You, G-d, our G-d, sovereign of the universe, who formed humans with wisdom and created within him many openings and many hollows. It is obvious in the presence of your glorious throne that if one of them were ruptured, or if one of them were blocked, it would be impossible to exist and stand in your presence. Blessed are You, God, who heals all flesh and performs wonders.

3. Do you have at least one good kosher joke for your Super Bowl party? Proceed with caution if your rabbi is with you!
The Rabbi and his wife were cleaning up the house. The Rabbi came across a box he didn’t recognize. His wife told him to leave it alone, it was personal.

One day, she was out and his curiosity got the better of him. He opened the box and inside he found 3 eggs and $2000. When his wife came home, he admitted that he had opened the box and asked her to explain the contents to him.

She told him, every time he had a bad sermon, she would put an egg in the box. He thought to himself, “In twenty years, only three bad sermons, that’s not bad.” His wife continued, “And every time I got a dozen eggs, I would sell them for $1.”

4. Do you have a Torah thought ready to share with your family & friends?
Some suggestions below.

5. Thought-Goals & Gates
The objective of the game is to move a ball into a “goal” or “gate.” What can all this teach us regarding our daily endeavors and inner lives? The earth is a sphere. The objective of life is to move this “ball” into the gate of the Almighty. By fulfilling the mitzvot of the Torah, we move the world toward the goal of its creation.

6. Thought-Are you a Fan or a Player?
There are players and fans. The fans can leave when they like — they’re not part of the game. But the players need to stay and try to win until the game is over. This is a lesson in our commitment to Judaism. “You can be either a fan or a player. Be a player!”

7. Will you be wearing your yarmulke during the game? The San Francisco 49ers & the Baltimore Ravens will be wearing their helmets!
Watch this fascinating audio-visual film of Alan Veingrad, who played for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, speaks about his helmet and his Yarmulke! Visit website www.chabad.org/1621305

8. Who was the first to present a half time show?
G-d Himself! The Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt at midday in the yr. 2448!

9. Would you like Rabbi Perl to join you at Half Time to share words of Torah?
Call 516-739-3636.

10. Rabbi Perl, any thoughts on who may win?
Not really. Biblically speaking what comes to mind is that the Jewish people are 49ers. After leaving Egypt they made it successfully to Mount Sinai in 49 days! While the Raven in Noah’s Ark, couldn’t deliver the olive branch!