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Night By Elie Wiesel

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During the Holocaust, the Nazi’s murdered an estimated 6 million Jews, which was about two thirds of the entire European Jewish population. To put this in perspective, the amount of Jews that were murdered during the Holocaust is about the same size as the population of Denmark. The Holocaust is a part of Jewish history that can never be forgotten, and the Jews who fell subject to this inhuman act will never be forgotten either. The Holocaust has changed Jewish culture forever, and has become the 4th crisis of Judaism. Elie Wiesel’s autobiography, Night, is an account of Elie’s terrifying experiences and memories of the Holocaust. This autobiography not only reveals many horrifying details and a first-hand account of the Holocaust, but …show more content…

On page 4, Moishe the Beadle, a poor Jew who Elie befriends, asks Elie “Why do you pray?” Elie responds to this question by asking, “Why do I live? Why did I breathe?” This passage reveals Elie’s devoutness and commitment to his religion and belief in God. Breathing is a natural act that humans do not have to think about. For Elie to compare breathing to prayer acknowledges that Elie believes prayer is just as natural and essential as breathing. The instinctiveness of God’s presence will guide and nurture Elie through the horror that he is about to endure. A person who lives a sanctified life is blessed, and believes that they are living life according to God’s plan and purpose. By believing in God, you are essentially sanctified and therefore are human. Elie’s life is sanctified because he is a devout Jew who does not doubt or question the power of God. Little does he know the horror that awaits him and his family. When Elie arrives at Auschwitz he begins to question the power of God’s. On page 44 Elie says, “I was not denying His existence, but I doubted His absolute justice.” Here, Elie is trying to still believe that God exists, but is questioning his motives and the reasoning behind the millions of people suffering under the Nazi’s. It is difficult to believe in a God that would permit such suffering and evil in the world. Elie’s sanctification, belief in God, and

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