Why did Elie choose to eat, rather than fast, on Yom Kippur?
a
Elie ate as an act of private rebellion against God.
b
Elie wanted to please his father who forbade him to fast.
c
With so little food, they were already fasting year-round at the camp.
d
All of the responses are correct.
d
To understand why Elie chose to eat, rather than fast, on Yom Kippur, we should refer to the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel, which provides insight into his experiences during the Holocaust. In the book, Elie and his father are prisoners in a concentration camp. Yom Kippur is a significant Jewish holiday that involves fasting as an act of repentance and atonement.
In the book, Elie decides to eat on Yom Kippur for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he explains that in the camp, their daily existence consisted of constant hunger and deprivation. They were essentially fasting every day due to the severe scarcity of food. Therefore, the act of fasting on Yom Kippur, when they already endured ongoing hunger, did not hold the same significance it would in normal circumstances. Elie and the other prisoners were essentially living in a state of constant fasting.
Additionally, Elie's father, who was also imprisoned with him, forbade him from fasting. His father believed that in their desperate situation, preserving their strength and physical well-being was more important than adhering to religious traditions. Out of respect for his father and the concern for his own survival, Elie chose to eat on Yom Kippur to maintain his strength and increase his chances of survival.
Therefore, option c, "With so little food, they were already fasting year-round at the camp," is the most accurate answer. While option d, "All of the responses are correct," may seem plausible, only option c aligns with the specific circumstances presented in the book.
b
Elie wanted to please his father who forbade him to fast.