STRENGTH

It is delightful to feel strong. When we exert ourselves, when we train for a race and feel our hearts pounding within us, when we overcome a difficulty, we exult. It is a joy to conquer, to sweat, to persevere. Conversely, when we are weak or afraid, we experience a kind of psychological strain, something akin to shame. It hurts to be weak and to need others.

Ometz lev is a core Jewish virtue. It can be translated as courage, but it literally means “strength of the heart.” This is a strength we can cultivate even when we are experiencing a time of weakness, suffering, and fear. The heart is strong, not because we are strong, but because God is strong. We are able to move forward, despite fear and weakness, because we believe that God is with us.

Consider Moses’ fear as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. A rational man would have known it would be impossible to escape bondage. But Moses faced his fear and knew his weakness and listened to God, who did all things to lead His people through the wilderness, across the Red Sea–and eventually to the promised land. None of this was possible, and yet God made it possible. Because Moses encountered his limitations honestly and was willing to obey God, despite his fear, he became a man of great ometz lev, a man of courage and faith.

Whatever you are encountering now–whether you are in the bodage of sickness or fear or loneliness or weakness of any kind–take heart, for the Creator of all is with you. You do not need to be unafraid, only to have ometz lev enough to listen to God, who is leading you to a promised land.