Since October 7, the slogan we see in print on buses, highway updates – all over Israel – is ביחד ננצח (sometimes יחד ננצח) – together we will win.
ננצח, we will win, is a form of לנצח – to win. Likewise, victory is ניצחון.
For example:
ניצחון באולימפיאדה מביא גאווה לישראל.
Victory at the Olympics brings pride to Israel.
לנצח, a פיעל verb, didn’t always mean to win. In Biblical times it referred to conducting a group of musicians, a meaning still in use today.
So what’s the connection between victory in the arena (or on the battlefield) and symphony orchestras? The idea of eminence, shining, standing out: just as the victor experiences a moment of glory, a musical conductor shines as the head of a group producing music. After all, the root נ.צ.ח is all about prevailing, enduring, eminence.
