Unreal bird strike

writes:

I have read that the 737 has a higher takeoff weight than landing
weight -- ie you could takeoff heavier than you could land.

That is true for a great many aircraft, especially large aircraft.

Is that so? Is it just a recommendation? If this were to happen in a
737 and you need to land right away, is the weight issue blown off?

It's a strong recommendation. You can either dump fuel until you are under
the maximum landing weight, or you can land overweight. In the latter case,
however, you risk structural damage to the aircraft, which is why the
limitation on landing weight exists.

If not, why would you ever take off heavier than you could successfully land?

Because you might have a full load of fuel that you'll burn off during the
flight.