When you hear the word ‘hero’ does a certain type of person or action comes to mind?
Acts of bravado. Uniquely courageous behavior. Individuals who do remarkable things and stand out through their heroism. Perhaps, deep down, you think a hero is a ‘larger than life’ kind of character. Something you would not expect of yourself. I recently bumped into a man that I haven’t seen for quite some years. I told him that I missed seeing him around. He told me that with the claws of depression gripping his brain each morning just to step out of bed takes super human strength. That person had really aged and since I had not seen her in a long time I hadn’t gotten used to the changes gradually. She was walking with great difficulty down some steps with a stick on one side and a middle-aged child supporting her on the other. It dawned on me that here was heroism in an unsung form. Many a concentration camp survivor has spoken about the urge to touch the electrified fence and just be over with the excruciating life they faced in the death camp. If you think about it (although it is truly unthinkable), not to take one’s life in that kind of circumstance, while imprisoned in subhuman conditions is an act of defiance. To continue living such a wretched existence, day in and day out, was heroic. I know have given an extreme example. Nothing we know of, can be compared to the unspeakable suffering and torture afflicted on our people during the Holocaust. I use the example to give a different context to the concept of heroism. To make it more relatable and relevant. Heroism is living up to what is expected of you, against all odds. Breathing in and breathing out when life is full of aches and pains, is form of heroism. Unsung heroism. Because let’s face it, for the most part, old people are not looked up to as giants. In the words of the ‘Ethics of our Fathers’ ‘be humble before every person’. Treat your fellow as a hero. It will inspire them to be more heroic. Understand that the daily choices and challenges you face are your own opportunity for unsung heroism. The difference between making a right choice or a wrong one, is between you and G-d only. Nobody else may ever find out. The biggest battles are the ones that remain unknown. But who cares? You didn’t do it to be written up in the news headlines. You did it because it was the RIGHT thing to do. G-d knows. And YOU know. And that is all that counts. Rabbi Menachem (Mendel) Bluming and Rabbi Cantor
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AuthorRabbi Mendel Bluming also dedicated six years to serving on the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, where he received the Matthew H. Simon Rabbinical Award for exceptional communal leadership. Archives
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