What Makes a Hero?

By Abe Fried-Tanzer
KOC Assistant Editor
New York University

You don't have to look very far to find a Jewish hero. Dating back to the beginning of Judaism, there are heroes everywhere. Abraham argued with God in an attempt to save the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorra. David slew Goliath. There are examples of heroism all throughout Jewish history, and Jewish heroes aren't limited by one single meaning of the term.

There are many definitions of the word "hero," and it's impossible to pinpoint any one characteristic to qualify someone as a hero. Selflessness and courage are high on the list of heroic traits and every person will give different qualifications that make up a hero for them. Drastic circumstances also shape heroes, when people are forced to make difficult choices in the face of unforeseen or impossible events. Survivors of the Holocaust, for instance, are considered heroes because of what they had to endure and the incredible strength and resilience with which they continued to live their lives through unimaginable occurrences. A recent example of heroic bravery is that of Liviu Librescu, the professor who, after having survived the Holocaust sixty years earlier, blocked the door of his classroom and sacrificed his life to allow his students to escape from a shooter at Virginia Tech. True heroism shows itself when people put others before them.

But must there always be something to combat? Nathan Fillion's Captain Hammer sings a song from last summer's web series "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" that goes, "Everyone's a hero in their own way; everyone's got villains they must face." Must all heroes have an evil in their lives which agitates them to rise up? David's nemesis was Goliath, but what about Abraham? God wasn't the villain in that story – the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were. Abraham put himself on the line to defend people whose guilt couldn't really be denied. Yet he still sought to fight for the inner good in people, desperately seeking to show that even five or ten were worth saving. Jewish teachings and ethics serve as guiding principles that create good within everyone. As the first Jew, Abraham had the right idea. Captain Hammer's not far off either – everyone can be a hero if they apply their lives to doing something good.

[Posted 6/21/09]