Jewish Heroes and Heroines

Motek ↓

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 5:53 am

How would you define a Jewish hero or heroine?

Do you have someone you look up to as your model of a Jewish hero or heroine?

anyone from Tanach? Jewish history? contemporary times?

As for me, I can't think of a specific person as my hero or heroine, but when I read stories of people who lived their lives with mesirus nefesh for mitzvos, I am very moved. Examples would be those who kept whatever they possibly could during the Holocaust and in the Soviet Union.

1stimer ↓

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 6:31 am

To me a jewish hero/ine is some1 who does what is right whether it is poplular or not. For e.g. the chofetz chaim who went against the whole generation and made shmiras halashon a household word.

↑ Motek ↓

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 6:36 am

1stimer wrote:

To me a jewish hero/ine is some1 who does what is right whether it is poplular or not.

good definition!

though I never heard that anybody opposed the C.Chaim's sefer on Shemiras Ha'Lashon Confused

by the way, the Ch. Chaim also promoted other things that weren't popular at the time (not opposed, just not popular) like "tzipisa l'yeshua" - urging people to eagerly anticipate Moshiach

another historical point - the Ch. Ch. passed away in the 30's. His shemiras ha'lashon campaign did not continue after his passing! There was nothing happening along those lines from the 40's through at least the 70's. Things picked up again in the 80's with multiple shiurim given on the topic during the 9 Days throughout Yerushalayim. And the Ch. Ch. Heritage Foundation was initiated in the 1989.

gryp ↓

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 6:38 am

I think the stories of the "immigrants" who refused to work on shabbos, cut their beard, eat non-kosher, etc. are extremely inspiring.
as well as the early shluchim sent by the Previous Rebbe to certain cities which were completely dead to Yiddishkeit, and now years later are thriving Jewish communities.
stories that give me hope for the future are ones about young children who are careful in their observance of mitzvos.
and the ones that amaze me to no end are stories about not-yet observant Jews who would do anything for certain mitzvos, ie. a woman concerned about going to mikvah at the proper time, a man who would never take off his yarmulke, etc. it teaches you a lot about mesirus nefesh.

↑ Motek ↓

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 6:41 am

aha

though of course you mean that people weren't especially nizhar (careful) or aware of all the laws, because G-d forbid to say that they weren't keeping it, as a "blanket statement"

Tefila ↓

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 9:04 am

TO me it also is someone who despite difficultys growing up
W/hout a mother. And a father who classified his son as son of a butcher boy (b/c his wife a"h was a daughter of one, and the husband loved to learn) and since this little boy had no desire to learn or even try etc etc.He was called that.
This little boy Grew up to be a great Great Talmid Chacham- The Rambam.

(adapted from the book storys for shauly (about tzaddikim how they were when they were little)

A hero is someone who does great things despite the way he/she was raised Exclamation

carrot

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 12:05 pm

what about heroes that maybe you wouldn't want your kids emulating EVRERYTHING about them, but still have certain exemplary traits?

for example: golda meir (just what comes to mind. not my personal hero, although I like her.)

would you only use heroes that your kids could follow EXACTLY?

would you use a hero that sometimes did the wrong thing?

↑ Motek ↓

Sun, Jun 05 2005, 12:09 pm

carrot wrote:

would you only use heroes that your kids could follow EXACTLY?

since each one of us has his/her own mission in this world, there is no one whom we should be copying EXACTLY, and furthermore, being that we are each different, I couldn't possibly copy someone EXACTLY if I tried!

another point, it says, "who is wise, he who learns from everyone" - so I think we should learn from everybody's good qualities, but that doesn't make everyone into a hero!

Quote:

would you use a hero that sometimes did the wrong thing?

you mean someone human? Wink

well, it would depend what it was, and what makes them a hero, and it would be great if the person fixed up what they did was wrong and that could be learned from them

↑ gryp

Mon, Jun 06 2005, 12:37 pm

my heroes and heroines are Baalei Teshuva that have to put effort into so many things that come naturally to me. certain things I dont give a second thought, and I forget that they might be hard for others, and then I get hit in the face with reality and I am so embarrassed of myself.

A Baalas Teshuva told me how hard saying tehillim is for her, how it takes 1 hour- 1 1/2 hours to say a portion of tehillim she was designated for shabbos mevorchim. How precious and sweet is her Tehillim before Hashem!
and mine? mine is a bunch of ramblings with a little kavana here and there that belong in Hashem's wastebasket. I am so embarrassed, and I am very jealous.

Thank you to this special Baalas Teshuva for the wake up call and reality check!
I have a lot to learn from you.

↑ Motek ↓

Thu, Jun 09 2005, 6:45 pm

RG wrote:

A Baalas Teshuva told me how hard saying tehillim is for her, how it takes 1 hour- 1 1/2 hours to say a portion of tehillim she was designated for shabbos mevorchim.

impressive!

I was thinking about this thread and how heroes can be divided into 3 categories:

1) heroes about things bein adam la'Makom (between man and G-d) like mesirus nefesh for mitzvos in one's personal life and in promoting mitzva observance

2) heroes about things bein adam la'chaveiro (between man and his fellow) like those who are outstanding in chesed and have mesirus nefesh for Ahavas Yisrael

3) heroes who overcome personal difficulties and life circumstances like a difficult childhood and upbringing, handicaps of any kind, those who make significant life changes with mesirus nefesh

do you think these three categories cover all sorts of heroism or can it be divided differently?

meesi

Mon, Jun 20 2005, 6:27 pm

This may not be what you had in mind, but my favourite Jewish hero and heroine were my late maternal grandparents Z"L. They were the only survivors of the shoah in each of their families. They survived unspeakable horrors in the concentration camps, but survived and went on to make full lives for themselves. Their faith never waivered... I will always remember how my grandmother cried when she lit the Shabbos candles every week. To think that anyone could survive what they lived through and continue to have faith was awe-inspiring.

Chana

amother ↓

Mon, Jan 08 2007, 4:01 pm

Esther Hamalka! She's my heroine, she is the epitome of mesirus nefesh, living every moment on behalf of teh Jewish nation. And, best of all, she actually succeeded in bringing salvation to the Jews.

Only two months to go till Purim! Yippee! Just imagine life without Purim - and it's all in her zechus!

↑ amother

Mon, Jan 08 2007, 4:14 pm

my jewish hero is my husband, he had an extremely hard life with very hard challenges which would turn most people into monsters or very hard people. but he took his life into his hands because he chose it on his own he realized that even tho hashem gave him so many tzaros he stil had the ability to turn it around and make himself into a mentch with a strong faith and a gold heart. he has such an incredible faith and beleive in hashem that it inspires me every single day to check myself. and that is why he is my hero because of his enormous strength, dedication, loyalty to hashem and his family.

↑ Motek ↓

Thu, Jan 11 2007, 9:30 am

that's beautiful, previous amother Smile

chocolate moose - sad you think there are no Jewish heroes and heroines today
there are so many special people out there doing amazing things, not necessarily spectacular things either

"Holy Woman" for example, was a Jewish heroine to many and to many more now, because of the book