NIGHTNIGHT

Section 5 NotesSection 5 Notes

““THE NEW YEAR”THE NEW YEAR”

JEWISH TRADITIONJEWISH TRADITION

In In NightNight, at the end of the , at the end of the summer, the summer, the Jewish High Jewish High Holidays Holidays arrive.arrive.

1. 1. Rosh HashanahRosh Hashanah, the , the celebration of the celebration of the spiritual new spiritual new yearyear, occurs first., occurs first.

2. 2. Ten Days of Repentance Ten Days of Repentance follow. follow.

This includes This includes self-reflection, early self-reflection, early morning prayers, and fastingmorning prayers, and fasting..

3. 3. Yom KippurYom Kippur, the , the Day of Day of Atonement Atonement concludes the concludes the holidays.holidays.– Its central theme is atonement and Its central theme is atonement and

reconciliationreconciliation. . – Fasting begins at Fasting begins at sundown sundown and and

ends ends after nightfallafter nightfall the following the following day.day.

These High Holidays are a time These High Holidays are a time of of divine judgmentdivine judgment. .

According to the prayer book, According to the prayer book, Jews pass before God on Rosh Jews pass before God on Rosh Hashanah like Hashanah like sheep before the sheep before the shepherdshepherd, and God determines , and God determines who will live and who will die in who will live and who will die in the coming yearthe coming year..

In the concentration camp, Eliezer hints In the concentration camp, Eliezer hints at a at a horrible reversalhorrible reversal that has taken that has taken place during these sacred Jewish place during these sacred Jewish holidays. holidays.

– Soon after Rosh Hashanah, the SS performs Soon after Rosh Hashanah, the SS performs a a selectionselection on the prisoners at Buna. on the prisoners at Buna.

– All of the prisoners pass before All of the prisoners pass before Dr. Mengele, Dr. Mengele, a famous and cruel Nazi doctora famous and cruel Nazi doctor. He is the . He is the one who determines one who determines who will be condemned who will be condemned to death and who can continue to liveto death and who can continue to live..

This creates a disturbing This creates a disturbing parallelparallel: the Nazis have : the Nazis have placed placed themselves in God’s rolethemselves in God’s role..

Nazi ControlNazi Control

This message of the Nazis This message of the Nazis winning and taking over the role winning and taking over the role of God is further emphasized in of God is further emphasized in other characters:other characters:– 1. When the 1. When the faceless inmatefaceless inmate tells tells

Eliezer: “I’ve more faith Eliezer: “I’ve more faith in Hitler in Hitler than in anyone else. He’s the only than in anyone else. He’s the only one who’s one who’s kept his promiseskept his promises …to …to the Jewish people.”the Jewish people.”

– 2. 2. Akiba DrumerAkiba Drumer, who was known , who was known for his faith and hope, for his faith and hope, loses his will loses his will and does not survive the selection.and does not survive the selection. Eliezer promises to Eliezer promises to say the Kaddish say the Kaddish for himfor him, but , but forgetsforgets his promise. his promise.

– Eliezer’s loss of faith means Eliezer’s loss of faith means betrayal not just ofbetrayal not just of God,God, but also of but also of his fellow human beingshis fellow human beings..

PRESENCE OF HOPEPRESENCE OF HOPE

Yet, even in rejecting God, Yet, even in rejecting God, Eliezer and his fellow Jews Eliezer and his fellow Jews cannot erase God from their cannot erase God from their consciousnessconsciousness..

Akiba Drumer requests Eliezer Akiba Drumer requests Eliezer say the Kaddishsay the Kaddish; this shows hope ; this shows hope in God and his faith.in God and his faith.

In the first volume of his In the first volume of his autobiography, autobiography, All Rivers Run to All Rivers Run to the Seathe Sea, Wiesel speaks more of his , Wiesel speaks more of his religious feelings after the religious feelings after the Holocaust. Holocaust.

“ “My anger rises up within faith and My anger rises up within faith and not outside itnot outside it,” he wrote. ,” he wrote.

““I had seen too much suffering to I had seen too much suffering to break with the past and reject the break with the past and reject the heritage of those who suffered.heritage of those who suffered.””

Even though Eliezer declares his Even though Eliezer declares his loss of faith he is loss of faith he is unable to unable to reject the Jewish tradition and reject the Jewish tradition and God completely.God completely.

Therefore, the Therefore, the very existencevery existence of of this memoir shows Eliezer’s this memoir shows Eliezer’s continued belief in the continued belief in the importance of human lifeimportance of human life. .

If both Elie Wiesel and Eliezer If both Elie Wiesel and Eliezer were completely hopeless, were completely hopeless, then then why was why was Night Night writtenwritten??