Israelis were gripped when Eli Sharabi was interviewed on Channel 12. The former hostage’s return a few weeks ago broke hearts as we watched him ascend the Hamas stage, gaunt, and frail. We heard him share his anticipation of seeing his wife and daughters – while our hearts plummeted realizing we knew something he didn’t – that they were killed on 10/7. How would he be able to go on?
Only weeks later, he was on the news, raising awareness of a hostage friend, Alon Ohel, whom he had been forced to leave behind. The interview was shocking as he described the extreme hunger he endured in captivity – which truly evoked scenes of the Shoah – and was also inspiring as he spoke about saying Shema and Eishet Chayil in the dark tunnels, despite the fact that he hadn’t prayed before being taken captive. But the most unreal moments were at the end of the interview.
“Contrary to what everyone thinks,” he said, “I’m not angry, I am a bar mazal. I was lucky to have been married to my wife, Lianne, for 30 years. I was lucky to have my daughters. I was lucky to survive and return home to my parents and siblings. I’m a lucky man.”
How many of us who live relatively happy lives with families and full refrigerators and spend much of our time focusing on what we don’t have and complaining about the small things that don’t go our way?
If Eli Sharabi can feel lucky after everything he endured and the tragic reality he returned home to, it bears asking ourselves if we would call ourselves a bar mazal?
