'Night' started with Elie being a staunch adherent of his religion and a strong believer in God. However, his views changed due to the terrible experience under German Nazis.
Elie witnessed the hanging of a young boy (pipel) and exclaimed that God was also dead “hanging from the gallows”. The young boy died a slow painful death as the rest of the prisoners watched. The boy’s weight was insufficient to cause instant death by hanging.
Behind me, I heard the same man asking:
"For God's sake, where is God?"
And from within me, I heard a voice answer:
"Where He is? This is where—hanging here from this gallows …"
Elie was unable to participate in observing the practices of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. He had a conflict with his religion and God. Elie did not understand how the people would still bless God’s name regardless of the torment they were going through. He accused God of allowing thousands of children to burn in the crematoria, and the creation of the different concentration camps.
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? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe...,
Elie had stopped believing in God. However, he remembered that Eliahu’s son may have tried to abandon his father during the run from Buna. Elie was forced to pray that he would not do the same to his father. Elie did not want to abandon his father, and he tried his best to be with him until the end.
And in spite of myself, a prayer formed inside me, a prayer to this God in whom I no longer believed.
"Oh God, Master of the Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu's son has done."
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