In a World of Bold Lies, Dare to Speak Bold Truth
Resilience is one of those qualities we all wish we had in greater measure. In today’s volatile social and political climate, where norms shift rapidly and unpredictably, our ability to endure and stay grounded isn’t just helpful – it’s essential.
Resilience is the ability to quietly endure – to stay rooted amid chaos, to bend without breaking. But there are moments when endurance alone is not enough. In times of moral confusion we must also summon defiance: the courage to actively resist and challenge forces that undermine truth and justice.
One of the greatest illustrations of resilience and defiance was the arrest and liberation of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe in Communist Russia.
On 15 Sivan 5687 (June 15, 1927), Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn was arrested by Soviet authorities and imprisoned in Leningrad’s notorious Spalerno Prison. Though initially sentenced to death, his punishment was commuted to exile and ultimately overturned. His release on 12–13 Tammuz is now celebrated as the Chabad Festival of Liberation.
During one of the interrogations – conducted, ironically, by two Soviet officials, both of whom were descendants of Chassidim of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn’s illustrious grandfather – they mockingly asked the Rebbe: “Do you know where you are?”
The Rebbe responded with unwavering composure:
“Yes. I am in a place which, according to Jewish law, does not require a mezuzah.”
This bold, coded response drew on Jewish law, which exempts impure places like prisons from requiring a mezuzah – an acknowledgment of the spiritual filth he was in.
At the same time, it was a clear rejection of any attempt at intimidation or coercion associated with that infamous prison. His message was delivered without a trace of fear – only with defiant irony and unshakable clarity.
The Rebbe’s timeless legacy is more relevant today than ever. When the Jewish people are confronted with bold and outrageous lies, we must summon the courage to be defiant – to confront falsehood with fearless conviction and speak the simple, bold, and timeless truth.
But to do so, we must first know our story: who we are, where we come from, and the responsibility we carry toward the world. We can only shape the narrative if we are confident in our own.
Knowledge breeds conviction. Conviction fuels courage. Courage leads to defiance. And defiance, in the face of falsehood, is the only path to genuine peace.
