Ometz Lev

Value: Ometz Lev

Ometz means strength. Lev means heart. Strength of heart is usually understood as courage. This could be the bravery that David showed when he faced Goliath. But there are other kinds of ometz lev. The haftarah for Hanukkah comes from Zechariah. Verse 4:6 says, “ ‘Not by might, not by power, but by My spirit’ said the Eternal of Hosts.” It teaches us that one Jewish understanding of courage is faith in God. Think of the famous text from Psalm 23:4 “ Though I walk through a valley of deepest darkness, I fear no harm, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.” Here we have the same idea again—that connection to God can be a source of strength. Many Jews have shown ometz lev in battle or in moments that saved Jewish lives. But there is a different kind of ometz lev—the courage to take control of one’s self and become the best possible person one can be. In Pirkei Avot (4:1) we learn, “Who is strong? One who conquers one’s own worst tendencies.” One can show ometz lev in dramatic moments, and one can live ometz lev everyday.

Ometz Lev: Text

David said to Do’eg (someone who betrayed him): “Why, strong one, do you brag about evil?” (Psalms 52:3)

Are you strong if you see someone on the edge of a pit and push that person in? Or are you strong if you find someone on the roof of a building and push this person off? Is this strength? When can someone truly be called “mighty”? When someone is about to fall into a pit, a strong person takes that person’s hand and prevents that person from falling in. When someone has fallen into a pit, a strong person lifts that person out. (Midrash Tehillim

56:2)

1. What does this text teach us about ometz lev? 2. Who do you know of who lives up to this standard?