In chapter 1, Elie talked a lot about his childhood and how he was very interested in his faith/religion. Elie would study the Talmud in the day and at night he'd always go to the synagogue to cry over the destruction of the Temple. And Elie, at the age of 13, would insist on his father finding him a master to guide him in his studies of the Kabbalah, which one usually studies and learns when they are 30. His father would try to get Elie to drive the idea of studying Kabbalah out of his mind, but Elie wouldn't drop it, and eventually found someone to teach him the Kabbalah, a man named Moishe the Beadle. Moishe was basically a homeless man who knew a lot about the Jewish tradition and faith. Though a lot of people avoided him and he did the same.
It's crazy and interesting to know that during the course of the book/his life, Elie goes from a devoted Jew, being very interested and invested in finding more about his religion. To (after the war) barely believing in God and no longer interested in his faith as he used to be. I would think that after surviving the war, which was crazy, because it was rare that a Jew would survive from the concentration camps, so for him to survive everything that he went through, it was like a miracle. So I'd think that it'd only make him believe more in God and because he was so devoted to God and prayed always, it would make him think that God really is watching over him, making him more devoted to his faith, though it did the opposite. Which is interesting to me, though I could see why he went the opposite direction, he might've felt that if God was really real, how could he let anything like this happen, the massive amounts of killings of Jews, for humans to treat other humans like this, etc.
You did a great job with your blog post. You did a good job summarizing Elie's religion and the part of Moishe. I agree with many of your opinions. I also find it fascinating and crazy that Elie went to be a very devoted Jew to questioning his believe in God. I liked reading your opinions on his religion. I also agree that since he survived the Holocaust, its surprising that he isn't even more devoted to God. I would expect him to be even closer to God, because like you said, it's a miracle to survive all of this. Overall, great job with your blog post, I really enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteYou did a very good job in your blog post. I find it very crazy that at such a young age, he wants to be devoted to God, and I agree with his father, because you have to live a little to know for sure that he wants to do this thing. I ask myself how is Moishe homeless, if he knows so much about the jewish religion, I think he should take advantage of his knowledge, and teach about the religion. I also think that he should of been more devoted to God after this major event in his life, but it didn't work he has almost none or no belief in God anymore. Overall I really liked your post.
ReplyDeleteGood job with your blog post. You did a good job summarizing the chapter and you opinion was good. I also have to agree with you, it's very hard to imagine what Elie has gone through, many of us will never suffer so much. I also find it interesting how Elie changed in the course of years. At one point he was a very devoted Jew but in the course of the years he became almost the opposite of that. I think he couldn't comprehend why God would let someone do something like this. He didn't comprehend and might have never. And like you said, it surely was a miracle that Elie is alive, telling us his story. Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog comment.
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