There is, however, one casualty of this war that is very welcome, and that is the aura of invincibility and power that enveloped Israel and its armed forces for decades
Question: are these not contradictory? How do we reconcile these two passages that seem to offer opposing messages? For a suggested answer, see below.
The anguish and suffering of the war’s daily casualty lists are shared by all of us. May the Merciful One comfort the bereaved, bind all wounds, speedily return our captives, and grant us a lasting triumph over those who would destroy Am Yisrael.
There is, however, one casualty of this war that is very welcome, and that is the aura of invincibility and power that enveloped Israel and its armed forces for decades. On October 7, this myth of “kochi v’otzem yadi — my power and my strength”(Devarim 8:17 ) was shattered. We grieve for the victims of that terrible day and the war that followed, but the lessons learned on that day — not only military lessons but especially conceptual and religious ones — can only benefit us in the long term.
That a military force should believe in its own power is both good and bad. It is good, because a) self-confidence is crucial; and b) such myths cause enemies to think twice before meddling with us. But it is also bad, because overconfidence and excessive pride can lead to apathy, slipshod thinking, and, most dangerously, to underestimating the enemy, for all of which Israel is now paying a heavy price — although the IDF still remains one of the top fighting forces in the world.
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