Elie had struggled with his relationship with God frequently throughout the book. In the beginning he practiced Kabbalah but in chapter 5 he doesn’t even want to acknowledge God’s presence. He had a complex relationship with God and he wavered in his beliefs. His relationship with God is important because we see how hardships can change someone's belief and how easy it was for him to put the blame on God. During chapter 5 it was the end of the Jewish year and the prisoners got together and prayed.
Elie says “Blessed be God’s name? Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days?
The Holocaust affects Jews in a way that seems unimaginable, and most of these effects seem to have been universal experiences; however, in the matter of faith, Jews in the concentration camp described in Elie Wiesel’s Night are affected differently and at different rates. The main character, Elie, loses his faith quickly after the sights he witnesses (as well as many others); other Jews hold on much longer and still pray in the face of total destruction. In the beginning, all of the Jews are more or less equally faithful in their God and religion.
Belief and Faith is a “double-edged sword” to the jews, it cuts both ways. It keeps them alive, and at the same time makes them oblivious, and leads to their suffering. Over time, Elie’s belief in god, diminishes and eventually he questions God’s existence extensively and at point, Elie is infuriated that even though they are being tormented and enslaved, the Jews will still pray to god, and thank him, “If god did exist, why would he let u go through all the pain and suffering (33). This is a major point in the ongoing theme of faith and belief, because for once he is infuriated with the thought of religion in a time of suffering. Throughout the book, with the nazis ultimate goal is to break the jews and make dehumanize them and if anything, their goal is take and diminish their belief.
Turns out he was right since he then stated that there was a truck that drew closer and unloaded something in the fire and then he realized there were little babies being thrown into the fire. Elie soon started to question himself, asking “ Was I still Alive? Was I awake? How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and that the world kept silent?”
Throughout the memoir, Elie’s faith towards God is tested, and by the end of the book his faith is reduced to almost nothing. In the beginning Elie follows all of the traditions of being a Jew but slowly loses his faith when he gets to the camp. Toward the middle Elie’s faith is really tested and is wearing down because he is fed up with God. At the end Elie wonders why he even believed in God and his faith is basically nonexistent.
I concurred with a job. I was not denying his existence, but I doubted his absolute justice.” Elie is not denying the fact that God doesn’t exist, but little by little he’s getting separated farther from him. In conclusion Elie’s faith towards God does shift around throughout the story.
“I no longer accepted God’s silence. As I swallowed my ration of soup, I turned that act into a symbol of rebellion, of protest against Him.” (Page 69) This means that Elie is irritated of God not doing anything
Throughout the book, Elie’s thoughts expresses anger towards God. For example, on page 67, it states,”Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves?” He is feeling frustration as a result of God’s unwillingness to do something to end the mass destruction.
and it changed him. In the book, Night, the main theme, is religion and belief which is shown when Elie talks about the his strong religion and belief as a boy, his disconnection from religion, and the inhumane actions the Nazi 's caused. Having such a strong belief in something and then dramatically changing how you think, is a very significant event. During this time, many people questioned where God truly was. Even Elie was questioning where God was.
This is where– hanging from the gallows…” (65). This was a big turning point for Elie’s view towards god. He started to doubt God and what he stood for. Maybe he still thought God was there, but in Auschwitz, God was nowhere to be
Religion is something that many people have consistently believed in and turned to in times of need and support. Some of these people rely on their faith more than their own family and friends. Their religion is their entire life and they can’t imagine their lives without it. Imagine a scenario that’s so terrible that God won’t take you out of it. These people will wonder where God is and pray for Him to come.
I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long.” (page 68) So, at this point, God, who Elie had once considered to be everything, was now lesser than ashes and practically dead to him. He also expressed this the night the young pipel was hung, “’For God’s sake, where is God?’ And from within me, I heard a voice answer: ‘Where He is?
Notably, when Elie thinks, “Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? […] Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar?”
Elie struggled with his relationship with God frequently throughout the book. In the beginning he practiced Kabbalah but in chapter 5 he doesn’t even want to acknowledge God’s presence. He had a complex relationship with God and he wavered in his beliefs. His relationship with God is important because we see how hardships can change someone's beliefs and how easy it was for him to put the blame on God. During chapter 5 it was the end of the Jewish year and the prisoners got together and prayed.
