"On Eagles Wings" a source sheet for Superbowl LII

And Moses went up to God, and Adonai spoke to him from the mountain saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Moses came and summoned the elders of the people and put before them all that Adonai had commanded him. All the people answered as one, saying, “All that Adonai has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the people’s words to Adonai.

A similar consideration prompted Adam to name the eagle נשר, as he recognized that the eagle amongst the birds was what the lion is amongst the mammals on earth. The eagle’s ability to fly higher than any other bird makes it the king amongst the birds. We have a tradition that when an eagle completes his tenth year he flies so high that he approaches the planet which is the source of fire. Due to the excessive heat in that region he dives into the sea having already lost his feathers. Subsequently the eagle renews itself as before. This process repeats itself once every ten years until the hundredth year. At that point, the eagle flies even closer to the source of the fire and as a result drops into the sea and dies. This is what Rav Saadyah Gaon wrote (in connection with Psalms 103 5). At any rate, Adam, who was aware of the nature of that bird, named it נשר, the letter ש representing the word אש, “fire,” the letter ר symbolising רוח, “Holy Spirit, and the letter נ symbolising נפילה, the fact that it “falls” into the sea. The eagle’s name in Hebrew therefore alludes to its role in history and its eventual demise; this is also what Adam is reported as having said (according to the Midrash we quoted) לזה נאה לקרותו נשר, “this creature would appropriately be called נשר.”

Saul and Jonathan, Beloved and cherished, never parted in life or in death! They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

--> Eagles are fast and true.

But they who trust in Adonai shall renew their strength. As eagles grow new plumes, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall march and not grow faint.

--> Eagles possess great energy and endurance.

The following you shall abominate among the birds—they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, and the black vulture.

--> Eagles must never be devoured.

He sates your mouth with good, and your youth is renewed as [the wings of] the eagle.

--> Rooting for the Eagles keeps you young and invigorated.

(3) על כנפי נשרים UPON EAGLES’ WINGS — as an eagle which bears its fledglings upon its wings. Scripture uses this metaphor because all other birds place their young between their feet since they are afraid of another bird that flies above them, but the eagle fears none except man — apprehending that perhaps he may cast an arrow at it — since no bird can fly above it; therefore he places it (its young) upon its wings, saying, “Better that the arrow should pierce me than my young!” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:4:3). — “I, too”, said God, “did thus”: (Exodus 14:19, 20) “And the angel of God journeyed etc… And he came between the camp of Egypt etc.” and the Egyptians were casting arrows and stone missiles and the cloud caught these (cf. Rashi on these verses).

--> Eagles are models of good parenting, and are brave and selfless.

Like an eagle who rouses his nest. He directed them with compassion and sympathy, like the eagle who is compassionate with his children. He does not enter his nest suddenly, until he causes a commotion and disturbance over his children with his wings, between one tree and another, between one branch and the next, so that his children are roused, and are capable of receiving him.

--> Eagles are again models of good parenting, and care about the needs of others and their community.