Page 38 - HaMizrachi Chanukah 2021 - USA

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FROM TH~ <HASHMONA'IM TO TH~ ll>F

Rabbi Reuven Brand

S convention nearly 70 years ago, does secular cultures of every kind, subject
itting under the stars on the
hard stone slab of an amphi-
theater, witnessing the swear- not connote physical strength: "Gevu- to powerful cultural influences that
threatened to pull us away from a life
rah signifies heroism. The hero is not
ing-in ceremony of newly the physically strong one, but the one of Torah. On occasion, individuals have
minted Israeli tank soldiers, is a pow- possessed of the quality of heroism." slipped into the tide of darkness, losing
erful experience. As a young Jew from their grip on Hashem's hand. Yet our
For as long as our people could con-
the Diaspora attending the ceremony, people have overwhelmingly found the
sciously remember, collective gevurah
I felt many emotions. gevurah to uphold our inner spiritual
has meant one thing: The heroism of
I was awed by the precision and survival. Despite impossible odds, the and religious convictions, embracing
Hashem with our choices, despite the
professionalism of the officers Jewish people have done "the paradoxi-
and cadets. I was moved by cal, the absurd" in the words of the Rav: ongoing moral chaos and confusion
the parents of these young We have survived. We survived physi- that has surrounded us.
soldiers, beaming with cally, despite being exiled, expelled and Chanukah, however, reveals a different
pride. I was also con- tormented. And we have survived spir- dimension of gevurah, a form of hero-
scious of witnessing itually, despite experiencing periods ism from our distant historical past,
history, of experi- of loneliness and Divine hiddenness. "DiJiJ D'T,l!~," which is re-emerging in
encing firsthand a Across centuries of oppression, our our day, "il·!iJ ll'J[~-" It is the gevurah of
historic transition of people collectively found the courage to the Chashmona'im. The Chashmona'im
the Jewish people. As cling to Hashem. As communities scat- were Jews who became heroes through
a Jew, especially one tered across a vast Diaspora, we blessed their military initiative. Hashem
still living in the Dias- Hashem each day, ill.np ~~nip~ 1r.iN, blessed their physical efforts with suc-
pora, I was attentive to "Who girds Israel with strength." cess, and the Rambam highlights their
what was playing out political victory as the reason for our
Individually, we have followed the strict
before my eyes - a new celebration of Chanukah today.
interpretation of the Mishnah in Pirkei
type of gevurah.
Avot (4:1}: i1:;t~ n!5 IZi;).biJ 1b~ ~ilr,'l:~, "who In the modern era we have witnessed
Gevurah, as Rabbi Joseph B. is a gibor? One who conquers his incli- this gevurah in the soldiers in the IDF.
Soloveitchik zt"l explained nation." Throughout our long history, A sparse group of courageous Jews
in an address to a Mizrachi we have lived in Christian, Muslim and formed this fighting force after the

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