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and religious convictions, embracing interprets gevurah as “overwhelming Nonetheless, the Chashmona’im of old and
Hashem with our choices, despite the force” (Bereishit 7:18), a form of strength the chayalim of today are bound together
ongoing moral chaos and confusion that and power the Jewish people could only through their gevurah, their heroic will-
has surrounded us. dream of during our long exile. But this ingness to fight on behalf of Hashem, His
form of gevurah is no longer a fantasy, and people and His land. For this we recite al
Chanukah, however, reveals a different
dimension of gevurah, a form of heroism the IDF’s reputation as a great military haNissim.
force is a constant source of pride for our
from our distant historical past, “םיַ ּמְָּ�יַ ַ� בְּ people. When we sit at an Armored Corps swear-
ם ֵה ַה,” which is re-emerging in our day, “ן ַמְְּ�ז ַ� בְּ ing-in ceremony or see a proud young Jew
ה ֶ�ז ַה.” It is the gevurah of the Chashmona’im. Most importantly, the IDF’s purpose and crossing the street in uniform, defending
The Chashmona’im were Jews who became guiding values express the deepest form the land of our fathers, we are witness-
heroes through their military initiative. of gevurah. It represents the collective will ing a modern Chanukah miracle – but not
Hashem blessed their physical efforts with of the Jewish people to stand together in an unexpected one. Long ago, the rabbis
success, and the Rambam highlights their righteousness, to uphold our Divine values promised us that the gevurah of Chanukah
political victory as the reason for our cele- even in the height of battle. would one day shine forth again among
bration of Chanukah today. our people, “ה ֶ�ז ַה ן ַמְּ ְ�ז ַ� בְּ ם ֵה ַה םיַ ּמְָּ�יַ ַ� בְּ, as it was in
The IDF’s mission dictates that “Soldiers of
In the modern era we have witnessed the IDF shall act according to the values of those days, so it will be again in our time.”
“ה ֶ�ז ַה ן ַמְּ ְ�ז ַל �וּנַ ָעיַ ּ�גְ ּה ְוּ �וּנַ ְמְַּ�יַ ּק ְוּ �וּנַָיַ ֱחַ ֶה ֶ ׁשַׂ,” Blessed are
this gevurah in the soldiers in the IDF. A the IDF and its commands, while abiding
sparse group of courageous Jews formed by the law, upholding human dignity, and You Hashem, for the gift of seeing this
this fighting force after the Holocaust respecting the values of Israel as a Jewish promise fulfilled, before our eyes!
and overcame impossible odds; with their and democratic state.” As Rav Avraham
improbable victory over six Arab nations, Yitzchak HaKohen Kook explained in his
�
Hashem blessed them with the State of note on the daily ה ָרַ�וּבְּ ְגְ ּ� בְּ ל ֵאֵ ָרַ ְשַּׂיַ רַ ֵזֹוּאֵ bless-
Israel. Today we witness this gevurah in ing: “This is the gevurah that is the bond
young people who put their personal lives of Israel, that is fitting for the ethically
and aspirations on hold and dedicate years pure foundation and elevated value of a
of their lives to national service, in cha- human being.”
yalim who risk their lives by wearing a
uniform that makes them a target of our The members of the Chashmonai clan, Rabbi Reuven Brand
whose individual and collective gevurah
enemies. Many thousands of these heroic we celebrate each Chanukah, are reborn in is the Rosh Kollel of the YU Torah MiTzion
young men and women have made the our own time through the holy and heroic Kollel, a community Torah institution with
ultimate sacrifice, going up to the akeidah soldiers of the IDF. Certainly, the legacy of a vibrant Beit Midrash, array of creative
of Yitzchak, the paradigm of gevurah, but learning opportunities, unique women’s
not returning from their journey. the Chashmona’im is complicated, their initiative and diverse outreach program-
efforts did not produce complete redemp- ming. He lives in Skokie, Illinois with his
The IDF has revealed new dimensions of tion and not every aspect of the IDF has wife, Nechama, and their five children.
gevurah within our nation. The Ramban achieved Rav Kook’s spiritual vision.

(PHOTO: REFAEL AMAR/IDF SPOKESPERSON)
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