A Declaration of Confidence | Rabbi Naftali Reich

My saintly Rebbi, the Nesivos Shalom, זכר צדיק לברכה would, once in a while, share a quote from the iconic wartime leader, Winston Churchill, to encourage us in our fight against the Yetzer Hara. In June of 1940, the mighty German army had overrun France and was poised to conquer the United Kingdom. The picture was very, very bleak. Hitler, יימח שמו וזכרו, had presented his so-called peace terms, and Churchill delivered a rousing address to the British people. And he concluded with these words, Well, we, too, have a declaration to make. Yes, the monster Yetzer Hara of our time has spread his ugly tentacles in almost every area in which we operate. He seems poised for victory. But we stand together, arm in arm, to defend our island of Kedushah and purity from his evil traps and designs. He tells us, It's no use. You might as well give up. You've tasted my forbidden fruits already, haven't you? So just give up. Well, we have a message for you. Your tyranny is not our future. You’re but the passing storm of a violent hour. Sometimes we can fall, but And stand we will, because we stand on solid rock. On the rocksteady Emunah of our Zeydes and Bubbes, who, for thousands of years, were willing to walk through fire and water to be Mekadesh Shem Shomayim. You confronted them with every challenge that you could, and their step never faltered. And so we refuse to barter an eternal, blissful life for a life in eternal shame and chains. Because we stand on their shoulders. So you've offered us your terms of surrender. Well, here, then, are ours, We will fight this war, and we will win it!