Dialetic Journal #2

“Blessed be the name of the Eternal!”

Why, but why should I bless him? In every fiber I rebelled. Because he had thousands of children burned in his pits? Because he kept six crematories working night and day, on Sundays and feast days. Because in His great might he created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to him: “Blessed art Thou, Eternal, Master of the Universe, who chose us from the races to be tortured day and night, to see our fathers, mothers, brothers end in the crematory? Praised be Thy Holy Name, Thou who hast chosen us to be butchered on Thine altar.

This thought comes into Elies head right before the start of Rosh Hashanah the start of the Jewish year, a service was being held and they were saying a prayer. Elie blames god for all the trouble he has caused him and for all the trouble of the Jewish people. “I was the accuser and God was the accused” thought Elie. He envisioned a world without God, man, love, or mercy. This is probably one of the deepest quotes of the entire book, I mean to put a blame on a force such as God. Elie was at his breaking point and he had, had enough.He rebelled even more by not fasting when he was suppose too. “I no longer accepted God’s silence. As I swallowed my bowl of soup, I saw the gesture as a act of rebellion and protest against him.”