Amidst the sadness, today’s Israel is full of inspiration from and pride in the heroism, bravery, and self-sacrifice of our soldiers, security forces, their families, and everyday citizens. On October 7, as well as for the months of sustained war that have followed, hundreds of thousands of people have displayed remarkable strength of character in supporting their families, communities, and fellow Israelis through extreme adversity.
These traits of heroism and bravery have been regarded with admiration for thousands of years, yet only recently have they received attention in psychological literature. Leading scholars have offered a definition of heroism as referring to “people who faced the fact of their mortality, who took serious risks and/or overcame major hardship, and who did so in the service of a principle” (Franco et al., 2016).
Before considering perspectives from Chazal regarding heroism, we might narrow in on what is meant by these terms. In contemporary secular Western culture, and in contrast to what the terms have meant in previous eras, the concepts of heroism and bravery have commonly been applied to a person who publicly displays some aspect of his personal identity. The major hardship being overcome is usually a social fear, and the higher principle being served is some sort of self-actualization.
The inspirational stories of courage and bravery emerging from the war are of a different kind, both in terms of the risks and of the higher principle being serviced. Soldiers and security forces face the risk of severe physical harm, and those who support the soldiers and their families may incur significant financial losses. And, of course, the higher principle being served is participating in a milchemes mitzvah, which involves protecting our homeland and its people and, as best as possible, maintaining our way of life.
Some research indicates that heroism during war or, maybe more specifically, the acknowledgement of a soldier’s heroism, might be beneficial to the soldier himself, as it is associated with lower levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms (Stein et al., 2020). Other writers have suggested that social recognition of a soldier’s heroism may foster social cohesion and growth for the community (Allison & Cairo, 2016). In the coming years, psychological research will likely have more to say about the psychological, emotional, and social impacts of heroism in war.
It is worth considering how Chazal viewed this type of heroism and bravery. Of course, our mesorah is full of courageous warriors, including Avraham; the Israelites who fought enemy nations in the desert and upon entering and settling the Land of Israel; the fighters in the time of Purim and Chanukah; and any number of other stories from our history. However, the nevi’im and chachamim have warned us about several pitfalls associated with heroism. First, misplaced heroism can inspire impetuous or self-serving decisions, and thus lead to sin and disastrous consequences. Second, the celebration of bravery can turn into hero worship, and we can fall into the trap of believing that “my strength and the might of my hand made me all this wealth” (Devarim 8:18). Despite these warnings, bravery as a character trait is among the most admirable and desirable when applied properly.
Of the many and diverse examples that we are taught in Tanach and Chazal about the bravery of our ancestors, I would like to focus on one. In presenting the laws of who is qualified to be a judge, the Rambam (Hilchos Sanhedrin 2:7) explains the Torah’s phrase “anshei chayil” (loosely translated as “men of power”) as follows: “[T]he phrase…also implies that they should have a courageous heart to save the oppressed person from the one oppressing him.”
The Rambam’s prooftext may be surprising. When Moshe ran away from Egypt, he found himself near a well in Midian. Yisro’s daughters, who were shepherding their father’s flock, approached this well to water their sheep and were accosted by other shepherds who, according to the midrashim, tried to either rape (Shemos Rabbah) or drown (Tanchuma Yashan) the women. The Torah tells us that “Moshe got up and saved them.” In this situation, there was no prophecy telling him that he should take a stand, and he had no personal stake in defending Yisro’s daughters who were strangers to him at that time. Nonetheless, Moshe acted with conviction to protect the victims of the other shepherds’ aggression. The Rambam teaches that this trait shown by Moshe, the fearlessness to bravely stand up for the oppressed, is essential to being a judge. If this trait is necessary for a judge, it is certainly true when we are fighting a milchemes mitzvah (Hilchos Melachim 5:1, 7:15).
There is an additional lesson that we might learn from this Rambam. Just as the other traits the Rambam describes as essential to a judge’s character are qualities that a person can train himself in, so too can this attribute of bravery be trained. However, this type of heroism –the trait of bravely protecting those who need protection – seems to be more specific than the general need to serve Hashem fearlessly and with conviction (Avos 5:20), as highlighted by Hashem to Yehoshua (see Rashi on Yehoshua 1:9). As such, it may require specific focus and emphasis to train oneself in this desirable quality beyond the refinement of character needed to be moser nefesh to follow the Torah.
We are so blessed to have in our midst so many people who display such high levels of heroism and bravery on behalf of the Jewish people during this time of war, both in risking their physical safety and contributing their financial resources. We pray that Hashem helps these heroes be successful in their respective missions, and that the brave actions of others can inspire us to bring the spirit of bravery and heroism to our own conduct.
