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devout
"Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?" p4
Praying was as natural and necessary to life as breathing and living. Shows that he was deeply observant. -
conversation with Moishe
"He smiled indulgently. After a long silence, he said, 'There are a thousnad and one gates allowing entry into the orchard of mystical truth. Every human being has his own gate..." p5
This conversation inspired Elie to begin studying the Kabalah on his own with the help of Moishe, to discover within the essence of infinity. -
testimony of Moishe when he returned
"The joy in his eyes was gone. He no longer sang. He no longer mentioned either God or Kabalah... He kept shouting in the synagogue, between the prayer at dusk and the evening prayer." p7
Loss of Moishe's faith. Might also contribute to Elie's loss of faith later, since there was no one to support him on his journey anymore. -
passover with synagogue closed
"The Bible commands ys to rejoice during the eight days of celebration, but our hearts were no longer in it. We wished the holiday would end so as to not to have to pretend." p10
The Jews had caught the severity of the situation. Their temple was down on one of the greatest celebrations in their tradition. They themselves did not truly want to celebrate anymore. Collective loss of faith. -
Chief Rabbi walk to the small gretto
"Here came the Chief Rabbi, hunched over, his face strange looking without a beard, a bundle on his back." p17 -
leaving the large getto
"Yet I felt little sadness. My mind was empty." p19 -
night in synagogue
"The altar was shattered, the wall coverings shredded, the walls themselves bare. There were so many of us, we could hardly breathe... It was Saturday--the Sabbath--and it was as though we were there to attend services." p22
humiliation on the holy place of Sighet. loss of faith. -
Mrs. Schachter went mad
"'Keep her quiet! Make that madwoman shut up. She's not the only one here...' She received several blows to the head, blows that could have been lethal. Her son was clinging desperately to her, not uttering a word. He was no longer crying.
blinder taken off; the son was desensitized -
entering the Birkenau camp
"For the first time, I felt anger rising in me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to remain silent. What was there to thank him for? -
first night in camp: burning people
"Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever...Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me of all desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams into ashes." p34