Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling book, Unbroken, tells the story of Louis Zamperini, 1936 Olympian and one of the leading distance runners in the United States pre-WWII. Louie was in the Air Command in the Pacific during the war when his plane went down. Only three members of the plane's crew survived the ocean crash. With no food or water, Louie found a way to survive over eight weeks adrift on a raft, with the constant companionship of circling sharks and numerous near misses of certain death. Rather than rescue, Louie and his pilot were captured by the Japanese, which led to years of incarceration in ever-increasingly horrific POW camps. With each page, the reader is left with wonderment that Louie, and his captured compatriots, could possibly endure any additional hardship. And yet he does.
This week's parashah, Naso, contains the famous words of the priestly blessing, beginning "May the Lord bless you and watch over you...." Depending on the congregation, this blessing may be recited daily, weekly, or on holidays by the Kohanim. In times of celebration and of great need, this blessing has provided inspiration and comfort to the recipients.
Laura Hillenbrand is herself a remarkable survivor. She suffers from a particularly debilitating form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, causing her to rarely leave her home. Yet, she has managed to conduct literally exhausting research to write two critically acclaimed books about characters who inspire others by their tenacity and will to succeed (first Seabiscuit and now Louie). What they all share in common is the ability to reach beyond themselves to find inspiration to keep going.
It is easy to feel blessed when everything is going well, all according to plan. It is much more difficult when illness, forces of nature, or other enemies seem to be in control. In these moments, with the assistance of others or because of the depths within ourselves, we can follow the lead of Louie Zamperini and recognize the potential within the priestly blessing, the potential to overcome the greatest of odds, and "May God lift up his face unto you and give you peace."
Shabbat Shalom.
