Judaism’s Worldview Series with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer

A slave of the Hasmonean king, Alexander Yannai, killed a man and was brought to trial. Since the Torah required that even an ox accused of goring a person to death be testified against together with its master, the judges summoned the monarch to court. The Talmud recounts how Yannai arrived and sat down. The presiding judge, Shimon ben Shetach, instructed him: “Yannai the king, stand on your feet before the One Who spoke the world into being, as both sides give their testimony.” Yannai countered: “I will not stand when you alone say this to me, but according to what your colleagues say, and if the whole court tells me, I will stand.”

Turning to the judges, Ben Shetach found every one with his face to the ground, completely silent. Ben Shetach said to them: You are masters of thoughts alone. May the Master of thoughts come and punish you. Immediately, the angel Gabriel came and struck those judges to the ground, and they died.

Courage, like that displayed by Ben Shetach, is a universally admired virtue and a common feature in traditional tales and folklore across generations and cultures.

Defined as “the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty,” the word courage derives from the Latin root cor or heart, the symbol of one’s emotional center and spiritual core. Courage originally meant “to tell the story of who you are,” explains researcher Brené Brown, to reveal one’s essence.

Described by Winston Churchill and others as “the first of human qualities,” courage is foundational to successfully practicing all other virtues, most notably in situations when different values conflict.

And just as Aristotle believed, modern researchers have concluded that individuals develop courage by doing courageous acts, a self-reinforcing feedback loop that creates a moral habit.

Accordingly, the cowardly judges who did not second Ben Shetach’s legitimate demand for fear of the king’s wrath undermined not only justice but also the likelihood of their acting courageously in the future.

In Judaism, a similar notion of courage is expressed by the Hebrew term ometz lev, courage of the heart or heart-strength. According to Rabbi Marc Margolius, every human is innately endowed with ometz lev, which can be accessed at any given moment.

Yet despite being a core spiritual and ethical value, courage is rarely addressed independently in traditional Jewish literature.

There is the familiar biblical charge of chazak v’amatz, “be strong and courageous…do not be afraid” when God expects the Israelites to be resolute in the face of dangers. On the eve of battle, the priests are obligated to similarly rally the troops. Judges are exhorted, “do not be afraid because of a man,” meaning, “do not cater decisions to aristocrats or bullies,” Rabbi Yitzhak Blau explains.

Courage is perhaps best learned from the endless stories of individual Jews throughout history. Abraham. Miriam. Mordechai. Esther. Rabbi Hillel. Dona Gracia Nasi, rescuer of Inquisition Jews. Jacob Barsimon, champion of New World Jews’ equal rights. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, reviver of the Hebrew language. Frieda Caplan, produce-industry pioneer. Harold Grinspoon, founder of PJ Library. Noa Tishby, Zionist activist and author.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught that courage isn’t “not to fear at all,” but rather choosing not to frighten ourselves beyond the fear we already experience. “Courage involves moving forward despite our fear…doing that which is right and just, even in the face of challenging emotions.”

Ancient lawsuit. In the fourth century B.C.E., an assembly of Egyptians appeared before Alexander the Great to bring a lawsuit against the Jews. The Egyptians claimed the Jews took an enormous amount of valuables when they left Egypt, justifying their claim with Ex. 12:35-36, which says the Jews “stripped” Egypt of such items.

In response, the Torah scholar Gebihah Ben Pesisa used the 40th verse in the same chapter to show that the Jews lived in Egypt for 430 years. He then issued a counterclaim, demanding payment of the wages owed to the 600,000 Jews who left Egypt for 430 years of enforced labor.

Alexander gave the Egyptians an opportunity to reply, but they left the court and never returned.

Dinner party. Laura Z. Hobson could have passed for gentile, but she was fiercely proud of her Jewish heritage. Just before World War II, she was at a dinner party in New York. When the conversation turned to Europe’s growing Nazi movement, some commented about “those awful Germans.” Others dismissed the Nazis as a fringe group. One guest opined that “the Chosen People asked for it.” When another uttered the cliché, “Some of my best friends are Jews,” Laura chimed in. “Some of mine are, too. Including my father and mother.” Laura Z. Hobson went on to write the 1947 bestselling novel Gentleman’s Agreement about antisemitism in America.

Bench memoir. For a half century, David Tatel has practiced as a lawyer, litigated in the courts, and served as a judge. His commitment to principled decision making based on faithful application of the law led to his appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, America’s second highest court. There, he served for nearly 30 years. He recently retired from the bench and returned to private practice. Tatel’s life is truly “a profile in courage.” Blind for the past 50 years, he has just completed his first book, a memoir titled Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice.

Traditionally recited during the fall holiday season, Psalm 29 ends with “Chazak veya’ametz libecha — Be strong and encourage your heart.” In the year ahead, cultivate courage in your daily activities.

“When we are attentive,” Rabbi Marc Margolius writes, “we notice innumerable opportunities to practice ometz lev by facing our fears honestly and summoning strength from the heart to do that which we recognize as true and just.”

Literature to share

Questioning Belief: Torah and Tradition in an Age of Doubt by Raphael Zarum. Looking for the modern meaning and relevance of Jewish traditions? This thought-provoking work is the perfect place to find some satisfying responses. A combination of history, philosophy, Torah and text, and modern Jewish thought in a conversational format, this award-winner addresses a dozen of the most common topics, from Creation to belief.

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman. In this middle-grade fiction that’s both heartbreaking and hopeful, the storylines of two characters intersect in transformative ways. One is 12-year-old Alex, whose life is significantly imperfect, whose unexpected violence leads to judge-ordered community service, and who believes he doesn’t matter at all. The other is the 107-year-old narrator, Joseph, a Holocaust survivor living in a retirement home who refuses to speak. Courage, friendship, and rising to the occasion are some of the themes that make this novel a great family read or conversation starter.

To read the complete September 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.