Dear Friends, It’s that time of the year again. Sometime this evening, if they can find enough adequately inflated balls, 2 NFL teams will play the Super Bowl. Millions of people across the USA, many with no prior knowledge of the sport, will tune in and attend parties to watch the game.

Many of them will be Acheinu B’nei Yisroel.

There are many stories of Gedolim who inquired as to when an event was taking place so they can counter the upcoming Bittul Torah with extra Torah learning of their own. I think the same is relevant tonight.

I’d like to humbly request, L’Kovod HaTorah, if one has any extra time between 6:30 & 10:30, to please try to learn a little extra. It doesn’t really matter what or how, just make an effort to learn a little something extra.

As was mentioned in last years posts to this same request, Rabbi Senter, in his yeshiva in Yerushalayim, has an amazing program for his talmidim on this night; Super Seder. Its an all-nighter (kickoff is 1:30 AM their time) with exciting speakers, hot food & Vasikin at the Kosel. I’m not one to start a similar program here in the U.S. but it should definitely be a motivation for us. If 100 very worldly, with-it American Bochurim learn a whole night, and don’t watch one snap of the game, surely we can, at the very least, learn a little extra tonight.

Just by the way, this should not be construed as a criticism for those who watch the game. If a person feels he needs a little break or a release, far be it from me to give him mussar and tell him what to do. I’m just asking everyone else to learn just a little extra.

Last year, we had some beautiful posts of people going to learn with their sons in a shul somewhere. Please post details of your extra learning sessions. It’ll be a chizzuk to all and a real kiddush H-shem.

Tizku L’mitzvos & Keep Strong

Dudi B.

My kids still don’t let me sign my full name.