HALFTIME FOR TORAH 2026 | CHAZAQ

[music] He [music] goat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> You fall [singing and music] down, you get back up. You fall [singing and music] down, get back up. >> [singing] >> There was a very famous coach in the NFL. His name was Vince Lombardi. Vince Lombardi said such a powerful line that we've all heard before. We've all heard this, but he said the following line. It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. You see, as a football player, you're going to get knocked down. It doesn't make sense. You're going to go your whole career, you're not going to get knocked down. But make sense. That's what we do. It's what they do. They knock him down over and over again. I want to share with you a letter, a very famous letter. This letter was written to a great sage by the name of Rav Hudner. Ra and Tom wrote to him and he said, "I'm really struggling because when I was in yeshiva, I was really doing well. I really was growing, but I feel like I've lost it all and I wonder like what happened to me." And he wrote back to him and he explained to him powerful letter. He explained to him, "Whoa, whoa, slow down." You think that, uh, this is unusual. You have to understand, everybody goes through struggles. Everybody has their downs. Everybody has those days when they feel like they got it. They pull back, they call hike, they move back, and they don't see it. Out of nowhere, boom, they get sacked. They get taken to the floor. It's not about, it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. says of Hner says that writes in paral come see someone who's not really doesn't really get it who's not really a learned person they would think it means even though a sadic falls seven times he's going to get back up he's going to rise up but this is what we have to really get into our bones that's like that's the basics and someone hasn't really learned They think like even though he'll get up says of Hutner, but the person who's really learned, the person who really gets it, the wise one is going to know, uh-uh, because a sadic falls seven times, he's going to get up. The actual falling itself is what causes us to rise even higher. You read the understanding that yes, we don't actively go down, but we're going to have challenges. We're going to have things that are going to bring us down. And those challenges even though yeah maybe we think we don't want them we don't realize that it's the very challenge that allows us to grow. It's the fact that we're in a situation that we have challenge that gives us the opportunity to become big. You know the puss says continue on his letter he says the says that saw everything that he made he saw that it was good and the med says when it says good when it says good that that's talking about what that's talking about but actually the he saw that it was very good and when it says very good it's not referencing to the very good is referencing the it's the fact that we have a it's the fact that we of struggles that gives us the opportunity to rise and become greater and to become even bigger. That's something very crucial we have to understand over here that we're going to go through things. But recognize it's those very things. It's because we fall that we're able to get higher. It's because we struggle that it elevates us and gets us to an even an even more elevated place than we ever could have imagined. Once again, we diving every day. Please don't test me. Don't put me through these challenges. But you know what? If you do test me, if you do test me, understand that those tests are opportunities. Those tests give us an opportunity to be able to like we know comes from lotion of nace. It's a banner after I go ahead and overcome that challenge that struggle. I can hold a banner proud and high to say I passed this struggle. I passed this test. I overcame it. And understand what Hutner ends off his letter by saying something so so beautiful. He says that if you would have written to me all of your mitzvah and all of your good deeds, I would have said it's a good letter. Okay, thank you for sharing with me all your good stuff. But now that you tell me of all your falls and all of your stumbles, now I want to say I got a very good letter. Not just good. Hashem saw everything was good, but rather something which was very good. Aka the understand there's going to be struggles. We dive into Hashem that we don't have to go through those struggles. But we also appreciate, we recognize that even if I have them, even if I have them come, Hashem, thank you, Hashem, for that challenge. Thank you for that struggle. Help me overcome it next time, but thank you for this opportunity to be able to get even closer to you. I'm deeply grateful to Robbie Abof and the officers of Kazak for inviting me to speak to all of you at this halftime show during the Super Bowl. I just want to say that all of you that are watching this program, you shouldn't only be watching the Super Bowl, but you should be learning from the Super Bowl. And the reason that I say that, as you will see in a few moments, there's something if there are many things that if we analyze what's going on in front of our eyes, we'll be able to see certain important life lessons from this game that is being watched by millions. Now, I once heard a great expression regarding somebody who's going through a challenge as I am right now. Some of you know me that I a year ago I had a stroke and I once heard about challenges. Don't just go through it, but grow through it. In other words, every opportunity that Hashem presents to you, whether it's something that's very, very happy or otherwise, there's something to learn from it. So, if you are watching this Super Bowl, there's something that you could learn from it. Now, the first thing that I would say, whether Seattle or from the West or New England Patriots from the East, whoever wins this game, one of the most important things to remember is that the game is not being won only today. It's being won because what happened, how they prepared for it in days and months and maybe even years before. every single team and every single player goes through hundreds and hundreds of drills and practices to make sure that they got to where they are and that they can function properly. Now, for example, if let's say in today's game, you see a 40 yard touchdown pass. That quarterback in his drills and practices threw 500 passes like that so many times. And if a receiver caught a ball and ran 20 yards into the end zone, he ran 100 sprints many many times 30 yards, 40 yards, 50 yards. And that's all in the practice and the preparation and that's one of the first lessons that we have to learn that those who reach the pinnacle of reaching this game and those who will win this game, it's not because of only thing what they did during this game. It's in the preparation. So any of you whatever you have to do whatever you have to prepare you have to prepare a class you must be totally prepared [snorts] and for example I can tell you from personal experience if you have to be give a speech you have to be totally prepared now I want to show you something you may not know this but when I speak I've been speaking now for 40 years public speaking I'm always always prepared I never had lib and you see this box that you could see here. This has cards. I've looked up every single source that I've ever quoted in Kish, in Tanakh, in Gomorrah, in Medish. And in of these cards, do you know how many cards I have in 40 years? Over 10,400 cards. That means that I've looked up all these sources. And especially the sukim, I put the nudes there. I'll never forget as a little boy I once went to Ainos with my father over shalom and the speaker quoted a puss and my father whispered to me he did not quote the properly thera was wrong and that's why in this over here that I just happen to pick up now in I write out And you know, if you don't quote it exactly, you sound like an and you sound like you're not prepared. So that's the first thing that we learned from the Super Bowl. All those players here, every single one had to prepare over and over and over. And many of them had specific coaches. Do you know that the average team has over 12 coaches? Besides the head coach, there's a quarterback coach and there's a special teams coach. Each one of us has to be guided by a coach. And that's the second lesson that I think that we have to learn. Every person has to have a RV, a rebi or rashiva that guides their lives. And your family should know that. Now, my own children and grandchildren, they know that the ro that I always go to is Abd Cohen Slita. And I always ask him the shas because he has tremendous knowledge in and in many times a person can't see his own faults or can't see in which way he's going. But that's what a that's what a rebi that's what a coach is all about. And that's why there's a quarterback coach and there's a special teams coach and receiving um and defense coach. All kinds of coaches that there are on the team. And so that's the second lesson. The first lesson is you must be prepared in anything that you have to present. Anything that you have to do, you must be there with proper preparation. And the second thing as we said is that you have to have a coach. Don't be embarrassed to ask and to be guided by a ro or rebi or rashiva people who have life experience. I remember Abdullah Shalom he was once talking to you about marriage and he said that guys that are going out they make a mistake and they start asking young guys who were just married about marriage advice now they don't have the experience they're not the ones to ask and Rob Gif was very strong about that you have to ask somebody who's been married quite a while you have to ask a ro you have to ask somebody who's been involved in marriage therapy and marriage counseling you have to know who to ask and that's what the importance of a coach is and that's Why each one of us not only has to be prepared but has to have a proper coach and a proper ro rebby or rashiva. That's the second thing. Now the third thing is I want to analyze with you the greatest catch ever made in Super Bowl history. And of course I'm thrilled with it because it happened with the New York Football Giants and they beat New England many years ago. And if you would see the video of that play, how they analyze it, it is so incredible. Those of you who are meim of football will remember that Eli Manning threw a pass to a guy by the name of David Tyrie. And David Tyrie jumped up and caught the ball and he he he wasn't even sure that he had it and he had the ball against his helmet. So he was holding and as he was catching the ball against his helmet, he was hit by two players and yet he had the unbelievable concentration. The unbelievable concentration to realize that the ball could slip. So he took his second hand and he put it on the other side of the football on the other side of the helmet and he held the ball with both hands on his helmet as he was falling down as he was being tackled by two players. And that's a third thing in everything that you do especially davening on learning there has to be total concentration. Yeah. You you have to be in a place where you can focus. Exactly. You're in sh or you're in home wherever you're adopting wherever you're learning. There should be total concentration and no disruptions. And if you concentrate you can accomplish tremendous things. And David Tyrie himself said he didn't realize that he that he would be able to catch the ball. He just jumped up and they said like a basketball player, he caught the ball almost one-handed, slammed it against his helmet. And could you imagine? He's holding the ball like this. He's being tackled by two players. And as he's going down, he has the ultimate concentration to understand that he has to bring up a second hand, which I can't do right now. And put the ball put the hand on the second side of the football against his helmet. He fell down, but still the ball did not leave his hand because he had that total concentration. So that's a third thing. The first thing we must learn from the game is preparation. The second thing is that you have to have a good coach. And the third thing is total concentration. [snorts] And another thing that I think that is so important is that you know I've heard many times after the stroke that there's an expression don't give up and don't give in. Now for example if a quarterback is sacked that means then he's been tackled he still gets up and he's ready for the next play. Don't ever give up. Failure is part of life. Cheva Sadi Vakcom a person falls at Sadi falls but Vakcom he gets up the quarterback even if he sacks he's getting ready to go back into the play he was just clobbered by defenseman that were 300 lbs this poor guy is not even 250 and he's being crushed but he gets up and he goes to the next play don't give up and don't give in failure is part of life and that's unfortunately what gullis is all about gulla says that we go through difficult times and for whatever reason wants us to go through it but you can't give up. So we've got the lesson of preparation, we got the lesson of coaches, we've got the lesson of that we don't give up when we don't give in and total concentration. Since 2006, Kazak has inspired thousands of people via its numerous life-changing programs. >> From little children to teenagers, [music] from men >> to women, >> from yeshiva students to young rabbis and everyone in between. Kazak touches them all, educating, inspiring, and guiding thousands throughout. >> About 20 years ago, I took my oldest son, who was around 14 at the time, to a Philadelphia Eagles game. Yes, I'm from Philly. Yes, I'm an Eagles fan. No, I'm not happy that they're not playing today with a chance to defend their title from last year. But life goes on and here we are. So, we're at this Eagles game. It's a regular season game 20 years ago. And the Eagles are about to lose. The other team, the Chargers, is about to kick a field goal. It's going to ice the game. But lo and behold, one of the Eagles players blocks the kick. The ball hits the ground. Another Eagles player picks it up on the dead run and takes it to the house for a touchdown. And the place goes crazy. My son and I are jumping up and down. We're dancing. We're high-fiving strangers. We're celebrating with 60 or 70,000 of our closest friends, our fellow fans. And after the win, we get home and my wife says, "How was the game?" And my son is so excited. He's like, "Mom was unbelievable. They were about to lose. They blocked the kick and they ran it back and they won the game." Now, my wife could not possibly be less interested in professional sports. But this was important to our son. So, in a good parenting moment, she feigned interest. Oh, that's so great. tell me all about it. So glad you enjoyed the game with dad. Great. Later that night, after he and the other kids went to sleep, I'm alone, just me and my wife. And she says, "Hey, sounds like it was a good game, huh?" Now, right away, my Spidey sense starts tingling because I know that she has no interest in the game. And she knows that I know that she has no interest in the game. So, why is she asking me about the game? So, I say it was mildly amusing. Why do you ask? And she says, "Well, I was just thinking that Simka's Torah is in a couple weeks and I know that you generally don't like to dance with the Torah. You sill aside with a safe for learning, but I was just thinking that, you know, our son saw you dancing after the big touchdown. And then in a couple weeks, he's going to see you not dancing with the Torah, so maybe I said, "Say no more." And that year, as you can guess, I danced with the Torah. And every year since then, in front of my kids and now, thank God, my grandkids, I dance with the Torah. It was a point wellade and a point well taken. I want to make that point in another context. A few weeks ago, I hosted a group of students from Sydney, Australia, in my office and in my home. They had just endured the horror of the shooting at the beach. And so, not surprisingly, during the question and answer session, a woman raised her hand and asked, "Given what happened to us in Sydney and what's been happening on American campuses, university campuses since October 7th and elsewhere in the US and across the world, what's your best advice? How do we combat anti-semitism? How do we protect the Jewish people?" I told her that I have advice for you, but it might not be what you expect. I would suggest that you all marry Jewish. And in order to marry Jewish, I suggest that you make a commitment to only date Jewish. The guy next to her raised his hand and he said, um, she asked about anti-semitism, not about assimilation. I said, I know, but she asked about protecting the Jewish people. Anti-semitism is horrifying. It's scary. It could be deadly, but I'm not that worried about it because God has promised that the Jewish people will survive. And that's why when I put my hand on the pillow at night, I can go to sleep knowing that we're going to survive. And that's why on Yum Kipper, we can sing. How can you sing on the Yum Kipper during the prayer services? We're praying for our lives. We sing because we know that although no individual Jew has a guarantee, no lease on life, for an automatic next year, we'll have losses. We know that for the Jewish people, the verdict is already in. We're going to survive another year and another year and another year unless we extinguish ourselves. Assimilation, that's the big threat. That's the one that worries me. So, date Jewish and marry Jewish. And after the Q&A, that woman who had asked the question found me and asked me privately. She said, "I don't understand. I'm a woman and so the way Judaism works is that if I marry out, my children will still be Jewish." I said, "But what if you have a son? What are you going to tell him?" She said, "I'll tell him that he can marry out." I said, "How will you explain it?" She'll say, "I'll explain that it goes by the mother. So for me, my kids are still Jewish, but if you marry out, your kids won't be." I says, "Let me get this straight. You're going to tell your son not to do what you did? It doesn't work that way. We don't realize. Every single one of us has eyes on us. Whether we realize it or not, we're all influencers. It could be the eyes of your children, of your grandchildren, of your friends, of the guy or woman who sits next to you in Schaw, of the person who shops next to you, people you interact with during the week, whether you're on film, not on film, have a public persona on social media or not. You influence people. We're all influencers. And so, it's fine to be passionate about things. If you're one of the Seattle 12 or if you're a loyal member of Patriot Nation or if you're tuning into the game for an excuse to eat chicken wings or to check out what's going to happen on the prop bets or for Bad Bunny, although if you're watching this, fortunately, you've skipped that. You can be passionate about all of that, but be at least as passionate as you are for touchdowns and extra points as for touchdowns for Torah and extra points for mitzvah and for Torah study. People are watching us. We have to make sure that our passion is just as intense for our Judaism and for mitzvah and for Torah as it is for anything else. Passion is contagious. Other people catch it. So be passionate about the right things. [music] >> [music]