What is the secret to Jewish strength and courage?

At first glance, the answer seems obvious. The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches: “Eizehu gibor? Hakovesh et yitzro” – who is strong? One who conquers his inclination. Strength, in this classical sense, is internal. It is discipline, self-control, the ability to live with restraint and moral clarity.

But that is only part of the story.

There is another language of strength in our tradition that Moshe told Yehoshua shortly before Moshe’s death: “Chazak ve’ematz!” – be strong and courageous. Not inward, but outward. Not restraint, but action. The courage to step into battle, to confront enemies, to defend what matters.

For most of Jewish history, that second dimension of strength was largely absent. For thousands of years in exile, the Jewish people had no army, no sovereignty, no ability to fight back. Strength was therefore defined almost entirely as inner strength – faith under pressure, commitment under persecution, identity under threat.

But with the creation of the State of Israel, something fundamental changed. Strength no longer meant only surviving – it also meant defending. It meant the courage to fight, to protect, and, when necessary, to defeat those who seek our destruction.

This tension can be seen even in how we remember the past. When Yom HaShoah was first conceptualized, it was called Yom HaShoah u’Mered HaGeta’ot – a day to commemorate not only the destruction, but the heroism of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Secular Zionists were uncomfortable with a narrative of passive suffering; they wanted to highlight the Jew who fought back. But the deeper truth is that Jewish strength has never been one-dimensional. It has always meant faith and endurance – and resistance and defense.

Religious Zionism embraces both.

We believe in the gevurah of Pirkei Avot – the discipline to master oneself. And we believe in the gevurah of Chazak ve’ematz – the courage to defend Medinat Yisrael.

Chanukah captures this duality beautifully. The Chashmona’im were warriors who rose up against the Syrian-Greeks. But they were also spiritual heroes who were willing to........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)