Independence
Most of us know the word atzmaut from Yom HaAtzmaut, which we translate as Independence Day. The word itself is a modern Hebrew coinage, but it is rooted in atzmi – “myself.” Since independence means the right to self-determination, the ability to stand on one’s own, the name fits naturally.
But the root etzem (ayin, tzadi, mem) carries additional meanings – and each one deepens what we mean when we celebrate this day.
Strength
Sefer Devarim uses this root to describe strength, warning against those who attribute their success to “kochi v’otzem yadi” (8:17) – the power of their own hand. This meaning is no accident. Independence both signals and enables strength. It allows individuals and nations to develop their full potential. Israel’s independence has done exactly that, driving our physical and spiritual growth as a people in ways that would have been unimaginable in exile.
Bones
Etzem also means bones, the strongest part of the human body. This is perhaps the most striking connection of all, because our independence has been part of a national revitalization that Yechezkel saw in prophecy. He described the Jewish people as dry bones (Yechezkel 37), shriveled in exile, and then watched as G-d rejuvenated those bones, added flesh and blood, and returned them to life in Israel. When we use the word atzmaut, we are, whether we realize it or not, invoking that vision. The State of Israel is its fulfillment.
Essence
Etzem is also used in the abstract sense of essence – b’etzem, the core of a thing. Here too, the connection runs deep. Scattered across the world, our ancestors were forced to conform to others’ expectations and absorb foreign cultural norms. Independence gives us the opportunity to be ourselves again, to live out our unique Jewish identity in our natural surroundings, our ancestral homeland.
Growth
Some linguists connect etzem to the root etz (ayin, tzadi) – tree. This calls to mind Yishayahu’s comparison of the Jewish people’s redemption to the life of a tree (65:22): capable of reawakening after a dormant winter, of regenerating even after branches – or part of the trunk itself – have been cut away. After millennia of exile, we have come back. That resilience, too, is part of what we call atzmaut.
Our celebration
Each of these meanings belongs in our celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut – as a cause for joy and as a call to responsibility. We celebrate the revival and strength that independence has made possible. And we ask ourselves what the ultimate purpose of that independence must be: the realization of our true identity and G-d’s mission for us and for the world.
This Yom HaAtzmaut, as we continue our struggle against those who fight to undermine everything we have built, let us thank Hashem for what our independence has already achieved – and rededicate ourselves to what we are still meant to accomplish.
May our appreciation for Hashem’s gift of atzmaut, and our commitment to realizing its ultimate purpose, merit us His continued berachot and help in completing the work of our true and complete redemption.
I thank David Curwin for helping me understand the relationship between the various usages of the root.
Rabbi Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA. His new book, Essentials of Judaism, is available at rabbireuventaragin.com.