Night Essay
Night Study Guide Answers 1. Who was Moshe the Beadle?
Moshe was the caretaker at the Hasidic synagogue. 2. What does Wiesel tell the reader of Moshe?
He was poor and lived humbly. He was physically awkward and a dreamer who could appear to be so insignificant as to almost disappear. 3. How does Wiesel describe himself as a boy of 12?
He was a serious student of religion who studied the Talmud during the day and prayed at night. 4. How does Wiesel describe his father?
He was a man of learning and culture who was highly regarded by the Jewish community. 5. Why did Elie’s father prohibit him from studying the Cabala?
He felt that Elie was too young and should first learn basic subjects. 6. How did Wiesel realize his wish to study the Cabala?
He began studying with Moshe the Beadle. The two would talk and read for long hours over the mystical texts. 7. What happened to Moshe?
He was expelled from the village of Sighet because he was a foreign Jew. 8. Several months later, Elie saw Moshe the Beadle again. What story did Moshe tell?
T-2
The train carrying Moshe and the other deportees traveled to Poland where the Gestapo took charge. The Jews were forced from the train and taken to a nearby forest, where they dug huge graves. The Jews stepped up to the graves they had just dug and were then slaughtered by the Gestapo. 9. How was Moshe able to escape?
He was wounded in the leg and pretended he was dead. Later, he was able to escape. 10. How had Moshe changed as a result of his experience?
He no longer had any joy in his eyes and no longer sang. He would not talk of the Cabala any more, but only of what he had seen. 11. How did other people in the village react to Moshe’s story? Why do you suppose they reacted this way?
No one believed his story; some refused even to listen to him.
They refused to believe it was true because it was too frightening to comprehend. They also felt that bad things happen only to other
Moshe was the caretaker at the Hasidic synagogue. 2. What does Wiesel tell the reader of Moshe?
He was poor and lived humbly. He was physically awkward and a dreamer who could appear to be so insignificant as to almost disappear. 3. How does Wiesel describe himself as a boy of 12?
He was a serious student of religion who studied the Talmud during the day and prayed at night. 4. How does Wiesel describe his father?
He was a man of learning and culture who was highly regarded by the Jewish community. 5. Why did Elie’s father prohibit him from studying the Cabala?
He felt that Elie was too young and should first learn basic subjects. 6. How did Wiesel realize his wish to study the Cabala?
He began studying with Moshe the Beadle. The two would talk and read for long hours over the mystical texts. 7. What happened to Moshe?
He was expelled from the village of Sighet because he was a foreign Jew. 8. Several months later, Elie saw Moshe the Beadle again. What story did Moshe tell?
T-2
The train carrying Moshe and the other deportees traveled to Poland where the Gestapo took charge. The Jews were forced from the train and taken to a nearby forest, where they dug huge graves. The Jews stepped up to the graves they had just dug and were then slaughtered by the Gestapo. 9. How was Moshe able to escape?
He was wounded in the leg and pretended he was dead. Later, he was able to escape. 10. How had Moshe changed as a result of his experience?
He no longer had any joy in his eyes and no longer sang. He would not talk of the Cabala any more, but only of what he had seen. 11. How did other people in the village react to Moshe’s story? Why do you suppose they reacted this way?
No one believed his story; some refused even to listen to him.
They refused to believe it was true because it was too frightening to comprehend. They also felt that bad things happen only to other