Survival Isn’t Strategy It’s a Miracle

Otto von Bismarck once said, “Those who live through history rarely realize it.”

As we witness history unfolding in real time, its full magnitude and implications are almost impossible to grasp. A recent article titled “How Tiny Israel Brought Iran to Its Knees” captures the sense of awe reverberating around the world.

Sir Isaiah Berlin once said that a Jew is someone with a deep sense of history.

As Jews, we carry a profound awareness of the historical context – shaped by the enduring story of our people’s survival through the millennia.

Any casual observer of history recognizes that the Jewish people are an anomaly by every historical standard. Historians and writers remain perplexed over the secret of Jewish immortality.

Consciously or not, many have come to the same conclusion: the Jewish people seem to transcend the conventional laws of history that govern the fate of other nations.

The most profound explanation is beautifully expressed by King David in the Psalms: “Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

In one word, the secret of the Jewish people’s survival is a miracle. By definition, a miracle is an extraordinary event that defies the laws of nature and is attributed to divine intervention.

So why are we afraid to say the word miracle?

Are we worried our friends will respect us less?

Afraid of offending our non-Jewish colleagues?

Trying to win favor in the eyes of broader society?

Do we think political leaders will be more sympathetic if we sound less… religious?

History tells a different story.

The Jewish leaders who had the greatest political and moral impact were those who embraced their identity unapologetically – who proudly stood as Jews and identified themselves as a people under divine protection.

One of the most powerful examples is Joseph, Viceroy of Egypt. Despite reaching the pinnacle of Egyptian society, he never hid his faith. In fact, the phrase that best captures his greatness, drawn from the biblical narrative, is: “The name of Heaven was constantly on his lips.”

There’s something strange – and counterproductive – when we, the Jewish people, are hesitant or disingenuous about who we are.

It’s time we come out of the closet – not with defiance, but with dignity.

We owe it to ourselves.

We owe it to the world around us.

And above all, we owe it to “the Guardian of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps.”