SOME THOUGHTS ON A HERO

Here's another letter we received on Earl's earlier Web Site.
(Name withheld per request)


Shalom my beloved brother Earl,
I have never met you but have the same blood in my veins as you. Its called Jewish blood.
I was born of a Swedish Jewish mother and an Austrian father.
You once called me a 'Lion of Judah,' and this was the greatest honor that was ever bestowed upon me by the most magnificent of men. I treasure the words.
I am a member of JDL in Australia.
You are a mensch of heroic stature .
Jewish heroes don't always whack baseballs or make billions of dollars in high-tech or lead troops into battle.
A Jewish hero could be the quiet lady next door who collects winter coats for the homeless. Or it could be Moses. Or a Holocaust survivor. Or a brilliant scholar like Albert Einstein.Or a man of courage and valor who defends our people with his very life, such as you, Earl.
You once said in a letter that you made many mistakes.
Every one of our heroes, with a capital H, had a flaw, Moses, for instance, killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a slave. Abraham lied to Pharaoh about his relationship to Sarah.
In fact, human failings can make heroes more real and approachable. It allows us to emulate you. If you were perfect, you'd be out of our range of emulation.
The prototype of a Jewish hero is a far cry from the figures typically glorified by modern American culture.
In America, we're very much about publicity, about celebrity, about physical strength.
In Jewish culture, as you know, we look at things differently, We look at what they overcame and what they give to humanity. In Judaism, a hero can be measured by such traits as integrity, fortitude, courage and faith.
All of these qualities you possess in abundance.You serve as an example of how one should live his life.
I say a prayer for you daily.
Hashem Ehad