The sweat dripped from Sarit Amiel's brow and stung her eyes. She would have wiped it immediately, but every muscle in her body ached from the long, exhausting march. The young Israeli, only months out of high school, looked to the left and to the right. Her comrades-in-arms shuffled listlessly alongside her; gasping for breath. They had trudged fifteen kilometers under a veil of darkness, working as a team to make sure that no one dropped out of the formation, Now their platoon stood in a dark tunnel. What would they find when they emerged on the other side?

Sarit's heart thumped widely. The order came to put on berets. In one swift motion, the young women, who soon would declare their allegiance to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), donned their colorful headgear. Somehow, they summoned the energy to march in unison out of the narrow tunnel and into an open field. As she stood at rigid attention, Sarit spied a tank perched on the ledge of cliff. "I felt proud and excited," she recalled. "Our unit had worked very hard for this moment." Without warning the tank roared to life. A blank round exploded out of its turret and a burst of sparkling colors filled the air. The commander stepped forward crisply. In a clear, booming voice, he read the declaration of allegiance that all soldiers recite when they enter the Israeli military:

I hereby swear...to be faithful to the State of Israel, to its constitution and its authorities...to obey all commands and orders given by authorized commanders [of the IDF], and to devote all my strength, and even sacrifice my life, to the defense of my country and the freedom of Israel.

"And even sacrifice my...." A lump forms in your throat when you utter the words. Yet, Sarit and the hundreds of other young soldiers who had assembled under the canopy of stars answered with one, strong voice: ani nishba (I swear). With these words Israelis enter the "people's army" and assume the lifelong responsibility of defending Israel.

Unfortunately, Israel's enemies have been relentless. During every minute of its fifty-three years, the State of Israel has been forced to dedicate huge amounts of resources to national defense. The most important resources, of course, are the citizens. At the age of 18, boys and girls enter military service. Boys serve in the IDF for three years and girls serve for 22 months. Afterward, the men continue to serve in the reserves until they are fifty-five.

Though they are greatly outnumbered by their foes, the IDF ultimately has been victorious in every encounter with those who wish Israel harm. For many, these military successes are evidence of the role and strength of the Almighty in Israel's destiny: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit said the Lord of Hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)

The late Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, added to this perspective when he was the Chief of Staff of the IDF. "Our soldiers prevail not by the strength of their weapons, but...by a deep love for their country, and by their understanding of the heavy task laid upon them: to ensure the existence of our people." These viewponts echo an observation made centuries ago by the author of the Book of Maccabees. This ancient text retells the story of how Judah Maccabee and his tiny band of followers defeated the tyranny of the Greeks and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem. "Victory at war," the author concludes, "comes not from the number of soldiers" (Maccabees I, 3:19).

Sarit's brother, Akiva, doesn't like to be compared to ancient heroes, "I don't think anyone should compare us to the Maccabees," he cautions. "The challenge was greater for them." Akiva pauses to think, and then continues. "On the other hand, since we are the few against the many, there is a similarity, but I think we are unworthy to be called modern Maccabees," Nonetheless, Sarit and Akiva's love of Israel and their dedication to its survival, surely equals the love and commitment that propelled the Maccabees to battle their oppressors.

"The spiritual link between those who have fought for the freedom of the Jewish people in the past and those who fight for Israel now, is emphasized during the IDF induction ceremony," explains Gal Luft, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF. "The infantry, armor, and artillery units choose sites for the ceremony that have symbolic meaning for them." For example, Akiva Amiel was sworn in at Latrun, the site of several fierce tank battles during the War of Independence. In 1997, Joel Chasnoff stood at Latrun with his unit. "The memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the State of Israel inspired all of us," he remembered. "We recited the Declaration of Allegiance, and then each of us stepped forward to receive a weapon and a TaNaKh." A gun and a Bible are given together, explains Gal Luft, "as a vivid reminder that the Israeli army draws its strength not simply from its military might, but primarily from the eternal religious values of the Jewish people."

Jewishful Thinking

From the Prayer for the Well-Being of the IDF

May God Who blessed our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand watch over our land. . . May God strike down before them our enemies who rise against us. May the Holy One save and spare our soldiers from all forms of woe and distress . . . and may God invest their every action with blessings and success. May the Holy One vanquish by their means those who hate us, and may God adorn them with a crown of deliverance and a mantle of victory. Thus may the verse be fulfilled: “For it is the Lord your God who marches with you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you victory.”

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The Spirit of the IDF

In all their actions and conduct, IDF personnel will express these basic values: perseverance in the mission, comradeship, disclipline, respect for human life, loyalty, personal example, professionalism, purity of arms, representativeness, responsibility, and trustworthiness. (Excerpted from the Ethical Code of the Israel Defense Forces.)