To Be Strong Like a Lion
In the question: He became strong. He was strong over emotions that weakened him. He acted with strength against obstacles (Ari means lion).
("He will rise up like a lion to serve his Creator, who is the one who stirs up the morning" - Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim, the way of life, the conduct of man in the morning, Simeon 1, and so on: "The morning is not yet light and the sun has called for the service of the Creator. But Gershom did not rise up like a lion to serve his Creator. It is not that he does not stir up the morning, but Even to awaken his soul he did not deserve" - Agnon/ Elo Wa Elo, Hindah, 26, and so on: "And he ended by knowing that as soon as he knew the return...he would grow strong like a lion and shake from his soul all thoughts and ideas until they would not recognize and would not feel any hatred in him" - Y. Burla/ Ksuphim, 65, and so on: "Every day I vow in my heart: Tomorrow, if God wills, I will begin with the hot spring... A man must become as strong as a lion... and as hard as a cedar..." - Bialik/ Safih, Chapter from The Departed
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי
Definition (Hebrew)
בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: הִתְגַּבֵּר בְּעָצְמָה. גָּבַר עַל רְגָשׁוֹת שֶׁהֶחְלִישׁוּ אוֹתוֹ. נָהַג בְּחָזְקָה כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּכְשׁוֹלִים (אֲרִי מַשְׁמָע אַרְיֵה).
("יִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי לַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר לַעֲבוֹדַת בּוֹרְאוֹ שֶׁיְּהֵא הוּא מְעוֹרֵר הַשַּׁחַר"- שֻׁלְחָן עָרוּךְ אֹרַח חַיִּים הִלְכוֹת הַנְהָגַת אָדָם בַּבֹּקֶר סִימָן א, וְכֵן:"הַבֹּקֶר טֶרֶם אוֹר וְהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ קָרָא לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא. אֲבָל גֵּרְשֹׁם לֹא הִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי לָקוּם לַעֲבוֹדַת בּוֹרְאוֹ. לֹא דַּי שֶׁלֹּא עוֹרֵר שַׁחַר, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ לְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת עַצְמוֹ לֹא זָכָה"-עַגְנוֹן/ אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ, הִנָּדַח, 26, וְכֵן:"וְגָמַר בְּדַעְתּוֹ, שֶׁאַךְ יֶדַע הַתְּשׁוּבָה...יִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי וִינַעֵר מֵעַצְמוֹ כָּל הִרְהוּרִים וּמַחְשָׁבוֹת עַד שֶׁלֹּא יַכִּירוּ וְלֹא יַרְגִּישׁוּ בּוֹ כָּל שִׁנּוּי"- י.בּוּרְלָא/ כִּסּוּפִים, 65, וְכֵן:"בְּכָל יוֹם אֲנִי נוֹדֵר בְּלִבִּי: מָחָר, אִם יִרְצֶה הַשֵּׁם, עִם הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה אַתְחִיל...חַיָּב אָדָם לְהִתְגַּבֵּר כַּאֲרִי..וְלִהְיוֹת קָשֶׁה כָּאֶרֶז..."- בְּיָאלִיק/ סָפִיחַ, פֶּרֶק מֵהָעִזָּבוֹן)