The Lesson Of Yehudis

By Zahava Deitsch

The Chanukah epic leaves us with many lessons, but possibly one of its most “enlightening” messages delineates the balance between idealism and realism. The dictionary definitions of idealism and realism highlight the difference between the Torah’s and the secular perspective on this subject. Idealism means “seeing things as they should be.” Realism, on the other hand, is “seeing things as they are.” A realist is pragmatic, efficient, and effective.

These definitions seem to suggest that secular culture considers idealism and realism complete opposites; a person is either one or the other. The Torah perceives these concepts as complementary rather than contradictory; both are necessary to produce a perfect blend which will balance the equation.

Can we “average” people walk the tightrope between the two without losing our balance and falling from our rather precarious perch? Our dissatisfaction with Webster’s myopic view of “reality” might soon be replaced by our wish for a guidebook on the ABCs of balancing idealism and realism. Within the story of Yehudis we find just such instruction. Let us follow Yehudis as she walks us through this incredible drama, gaining insight and inspiration as we go along.

Yehudis, one of several heroines at center stage in the Chanukah drama, was the woman who severed the head of Holofernes, the general of the Greek army. What adjectives would we use to describe such a daring woman? We would conjure up the image of someone who works out, lifts weights, drinks gallons of Gatorade, devours protein bars, and pops vitamin pills 24/7. We would imagine her as aggressive, almost ruthless, who would destroy anyone who gets in her way.

Surprisingly, this composite portrait is inaccurate. Yehudis was a widow, respected for her wisdom and renowned for her piety and her power of prayer. Since she spent her days davening and fasting, it seems unlikely that she was a muscle-bound athlete. What caused this tzadekes to turn into an assassin?

As the scenario unfolds, Yerushalayim is under siege by the Greek army, and the majority of the population is at the brink of dying from thirst. If death had previously been imminent, it now seemed inevitable. Desperate to discover a new source of water, the Kohen Gadol and the chachamim pleaded for Hashem’s help within five days. When prayer, the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of Am Yisrael, had not brought salvation, they then turned to Yehudis to plead for their survival. She realized that their tefillos were not answered because Hashem cannot be given an ultimatum. Help will come only if and when Hashem wants it to. Yehudis requested that the entire city unite in ta’anis and tefillah with pleas for a long-term solution.

Yehudis’s approach for finding a solution to this particular problem is a model of her method for dealing with problem-solving in general. And here is how Yehudis employed her ABCs technique.

  1. Make an Assessment. We must assess the situation in two steps: First, to compare how we think things should be with how they actually are and then decide on the specific goal that we want to attain. Second, formulate a detailed plan of how to reach this goal.
  2. Have Bitachon. While we must believe that the goal can actually be achieved, we must remember that no matter how perfect the plan, Hashem’s help is necessary to ensure its success. We must do our hishtadlus, but it is Hashem’s hashgachah alone which totally determines the outcome.
  3. Do It with Courage and Confidence. The success of her strategy was the blending of her bitachon, brilliance, and bravery. The elders of Yerushalayim assessed the siege in terms of a short-term goal–finding a new source of water. Yehudis understood that a long-term solution was necessary–the total defeat of the Greek army. This goal of Greek withdrawal could only materialize if the “head” of the army was removed, compelling the Greek forces to flee in panic.

After the communal tefillah and ta’anis had been completed, Yehudis now turned to the second step of her assessment, devising a detailed strategy that would compel the Greek army to completely withdraw. Three conditions were needed for her plan to be implemented: she had to be allowed behind enemy lines, given access to Holofernes, and have permission to leave the camp freely three times daily to pray, as was her custom, so that she could easily escape after the deed was done.

Yehudis left Yerushalayim with her basket of wine and cheese, making her way to the Greek camp. She made it clear to the sentries that she had no interest in Hellenistic culture or any intention to convert or compromise her Judaism. Yehudis explained that a Divine decree had been sealed; the Jewish army would be defeated and Jerusalem destroyed. To remain in the city meant certain death; seeking asylum, she wanted to join the winning team. Impressed by both her beauty and wisdom, the general’s guards brought her to Holofernes’s private quarters.

Yehudis served the wine and cheese, whose soporific effect soon put him into a deep sleep. Her well-planned strategy was quickly “executed.” Wielding Holofernes’s sword, Yehudis quickly severed his head and concealed it in her basket. The return to Yerushalayim evoked no resistance since the sentries were accustomed to her leaving the camp to pray. The sight of their general’s severed head impaled above the wall of Yerushalayim sent the Greek army retreating in terror.

Act Swiftly (b’zerizus). The last letter of Yehudis’s ABCs, the “s,” can also be considered a basic component in balancing the equation. Once Yehudis had established a goal and devised her strategy, she carried it out swiftly–with incomparable courage and confidence. The Sifsei Chaim says that speed is a prerequisite for proper avodas Hashem. If you set a goal, then you must pursue it with zerizus, as swiftly as possible.

During the time of the Chashmonaim, Klal Yisrael lost the privilege of performing the avodah for 52 years as a punishment for being lackadaisical and lethargic. The Torah teaches us that dreaming without doing is an exercise in futility.

The Mishnah in Avos advises us to be as light as an eagle and to run like a deer. An eagle symbolizes our goals; soaring heavenward, it rises above the mundane and material world of gashmiyus. But flying skyward like an eagle is not enough; like a deer, we must run swiftly, yet still have our feet on the ground. As a deer runs, it constantly looks back to keep an eye on the proximity of its pursuer. We too must continually reassess the situation and determine whether we must change direction or take an alternate route.

This Mishnah provides us with a vivid picture of the perfect balance between idealism and realism which Yehudis had achieved. Although a goal may be idealistic, the strategy for attaining it must be highly realistic. Both the means and the end must always be within the parameters of what is halachically permissible. A master teacher, Yehudis taught us a model lesson on how the Torah wants us to deal with our avodas Hashem–from the minutest details of daily life to our loftiest dreams and monumental decisions.

SHARE
Previous articleMindBiz
Next articleGreasy Inventions

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here