After 491 days in captivity by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, newly released hostage, Eli Sharabi stood before the United Nations. His body was thin, but his voice was resolute. Later, at the grave of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, this secular Israeli revealed his survival secret: reciting Shema Yisrael every morning, singing Eishet Chayil each Friday night, and making Kiddush (the blessing over wine) over plain water in place of wine. These ancient Jewish practices sustained him and fellow captives through unimaginable darkness. When Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky asked what message he had for the Jewish people, Eliāwho lost his wife Lianne and two daughters to Hamas murderersādeclared without hesitation: “With the power of faith it is possible to conquer everything. The power of faith. And unity, our unity, is the most important.”
What secret power did these ancient words hold that sustained Eli when all else was taken?
The song Eishet Chayil (“Woman of Valor”) that Eli mentioned comes from the Book of Proverbs, chapters 31:10-31. This poem, traditionally sung by Jewish husbands to their wives before the Sabbath meal, describes the ideal woman who manages her household with wisdom, strength, and dignity. However, the text reaches far beyond simple household management.
One particular line deserves our attention: ā “She watches over the ways of her household” (Proverbs 31:27).
The Hebrew root of tsofiyah (צ×פ××) is tsafah (צפ×), meaning to watch, to look out for, or to anticipate. This isn’t merely about supervision; it’s about vigilant, hopeful expectation.
The same root appears in the phrase “Ayin l’Tzion tsofiyah” ā “An eye gazes toward Zion,” which became immortalized in Israel’s national anthem, Hatikvah (“The Hope”). This expression of yearning for Zion captures a two-thousand-year faith that never wavered despite exile and persecution. In Jewish thought, this watching isn’t passive but active ā filled with hope and certainty that what is watched for will come to pass.
This root ×¦×¤× (tzafah) appears throughout the Hebrew Bible in moments of watchfulness and expectation. In Psalm 5:4, we read:
Here, the psalmist doesn’t merely pray and forget, but watches with anticipation for God’s response. The watching itself is part of the prayer.
In the darkest times, when all evidence suggests our situation is hopeless, this tzafah ā this watchful expectation ā becomes most crucial. We see this in the words of Habakkuk, who stands at his watchpost:
This stance of watchfulness isn’t casual observation but deliberate positioning. The watchman climbs to the highest point, strains his eyes toward the horizon, and maintains his post regardless of fatigue or discouragement. His very posture is one of faith.
For Eli Sharabi in the underground hell where he survived for nearly 500 days, reciting ancient words connected him to this tradition of watchful faith. When every external circumstance spoke of abandonment, these words reminded him to watch expectantly for rescue, for dawn, for God’s intervention.
The woman of valor in Proverbs doesn’t just manage her household; she watches over it with this same faithful expectation. She anticipates needs before they arise. She looks beyond present circumstances to future possibilities. She stands on the ramparts of daily life and scans the horizon with eyes of faith.
When we embrace this tzofiyah stance in our own lives, we refuse to be defined by current circumstances. Like the eye that gazes toward Zion in Hatikvah, we maintain our watchful expectation even through centuries of waiting. This isn’t denial or escapismāit’s the most realistic stance possible, because it aligns with the deeper reality that transcends our temporary situation.
Perhaps the most beautiful expression of this watchful faith comes from the prophet Micah, whose words have been set to a haunting melody sung in synagogues and homes:
The power of faith that sustained Eli Sharabi is one we should all strive to embody. Our eyes should always be fixed on the future, certain that what is promised will surely come. In our most trying times, when darkness seems impenetrable, we too can become watchers, scanning the horizon with defiant hope, knowing that light will surely break through.
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