Masada and the Heroism of the Zealots

but killing oneself to avoid slavery is more problematic.

The morality of their decision notwithstanding, Masada tells a tale of heroism in the darkest moments of our history, when the future of Judaism seemed bleak and hopeless. The fact that its sites are visited by thousands of proud Jews each year tells the story of Jewish perpetuity.

Although the zealots believed Jewish life in the Holy Land was all but over, history has proven them wrong: the Jewish nation is alive and well, both in Israel and the Diaspora, and will continue to endure for eternity.

Reprinted from the current website of Chabad.Org