“And all the nations of the Earth shall see that the name of the Eternal is called upon you, and they will fear you.”
(Deuteronomy 28:10)
"As much as they would afflict them, so did they multiply and so did they gain strength..."
(Exodus 1:12)
When faced with terror and violence, we are obligated to defend ourselves, for there is no greater mitzvah than saving a life. But we must do more than that. We must show them that they have not succeeded in making us afraid of being Jewish. We will show them that the cause of darkness is hopeless because we will respond not with darkness, but with more light. We will put up more mezuzot, wear tefillin, light Shabbat candles, study Torah. This is what our enemies fear most. A little light dispels a lot of darkness.