Night- Ellie Wiesel

Night, written by Elie Wiesel, portrays the story of a boy experiencing the horrifying events of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel came from a Jewish family who had a strong faith in God and the Jewish religion. One of the major conflicts in Night is Elie’s internal battle with his faith. Elie's principles shift during the course of the book from ardently believing in a benevolent God to questioning Him, but ultimately regains his faith by the time he leaves the concentration camp. Elie’s dedication to religion is first demonstrated through his devotion to the Talmud and his yearning to learn the teachings of Cabbala. Because of his father’s reluctance to find him a master, Elie persuades a temple helper, Mosche the Beadle to help him understand the complexity of Cabbala. His commitment to prayer several times a day and his emotional “weeping” as the result of the destruction of a local temple, further depicts how intense his faith in God and religion is. In the beginning of the Holocaust, Elie’s faith in God was incredibly strong and his beliefs could not be shaken easily. Elie’s unconditional trust in God led him to believe that if he was placed at a concentration camp, then so be it, it was for a reason that God had placed him there. However, as the suffering continued Elie began to question his faith in God asking how a benevolent God could allow such evil to take place in the world. After witnessing the harsh circumstances that the Jews were undergoing, Elie began to ask himself why should he continue to pray to a God that has been silent during a time of such pain and turmoil. During the first selection at Auschwitz, Elie questioned God’s mysterious ways saying that, "For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for" (p. 31) This was the first instance of Elie questioning God and his own beliefs. Tormented by the