A great book. It is truly a remarkable piece of work that everyone should give it a try. The content within its pages is both engaging and thought-provoking. It has the power to transport the reader to different worlds and perspectives. The writing style is captivating, making it difficult to put the book down once you start.

I really liked the afterword by Matthew Fox. His words added an extra layer of depth and understanding to the overall work. In the afterword, he shared his insights and reflections, which provided valuable context and a different angle to the story. It was interesting to see how he interpreted the book and how it related to his own experiences and beliefs. The afterword enhanced my appreciation for the book and made me think about it in a new way.

Not what I was expecting.

This simple statement holds a world of disappointment and surprise. When we have certain expectations, whether it's for a product, an event, or a situation, and those expectations are not met, it can leave us feeling let down.

Perhaps we were anticipating a particular outcome, but instead, we received something completely different. It could be that the quality was not as good as we thought, or the experience did not live up to the hype.

However, it's important to remember that not everything will always go according to plan. Sometimes, these unexpected results can lead to new opportunities or learning experiences. We can use them as a chance to reevaluate our expectations and be more open to different possibilities in the future.

So, while it may be disappointing when things don't turn out the way we were expecting, we should try to look at the situation from a different perspective and see what valuable lessons we can take away from it.

SAM

How can you know so much about God to speak with such certainty and even arrogance? […] Who are you to make comparisons and draw conclusions? Who are you then to want to blame or even question the Creator of the universe? Born from dust, you are nothing but dust.

BERISH

If he wanted me to be dust, he should have left me as dust. But I am not dust. I stand up. I walk. I reflect. I dream. I get angry. I shout: I am a human being, damn it! (p. 88)

This exchange between SAM and BERISH presents a profound and passionate debate about the nature of humanity and its relationship with the divine. SAM challenges BERISH's confidence in speaking about God, emphasizing our humble origins from dust. However, BERISH defiantly asserts his humanity, highlighting his ability to think, feel, and act. This dialogue forces us to consider the age-old question of whether we, as mere mortals, have the right to question and评判 the Creator. It also makes us reflect on the significance of our human qualities in the face of the unknown. Do our capabilities and emotions give us the authority to engage in such discussions, or are we simply overstepping our bounds? The exchange leaves us with much to ponder and invites us to explore our own beliefs and perspectives on this complex and timeless topic.

This is a very poignant and highly thought-provoking play. It was written by an Auschwitz celebrated concentration camp survivor who also wrote the must-read NIGHT memoir, recounting his experiences as a prisoner in the camps. The play captures one night in the barracks when he was 15 years old. He witnessed three frustrated men who questioned where God is in all their suffering. Do you think He cares? Why does He do nothing about it? What is the point of all their suffering? Isn't God immoral for standing by, watching them without intervening? So, they literally put God on trial and convict Him as intimately responsible for their torturous plight at the hands of the Germans.

This play is very reminiscent of Job's story where so many horrific things happen, and yet he chooses not to hold God accountable for his misfortunes. The Auschwitz barracks scene had such an impact on Wiesel that he chose to set his play within a fictitious setting in a 17th century pogrom. The cast of characters both love and hate God again for His inaction to their village being wiped out by the Russians. During the feast of Purim when Jews celebrate their victory over Roman oppression, the three minstrels of The Trial cast the prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge, with a surprise cast for Sqtan.

It is quite a fascinating story, and one that very few people would ever have the courage to ponder, much less write. Wiesel, though, is the voice of their generation and asks the deep, dark questions that likely every Jewish person harbored in their heart but were afraid to ask for risk of offending their culture and faith. If anything, this speaks much to the purpose of suffering, whom do you say that God is, and how do you rectify God as all-powerful and all-loving with the atrocities within the camps.

In "The Trial of God," Wiesel delves back into the theological inquiries that have been central to "Night" and his other works.

How could a just God permit such extreme suffering?

The survivors of a pogrom and a group of three traveling minstrels aiming to stage a Purim play decide to put God on trial.

The sole issue is that no one is eager to serve as God's defense attorney - until a mysterious stranger comes forward.

The stranger presents a highly eloquent defense of God's goodness.

However, the implications of his words transform from being comforting to deeply disturbing once the stranger's identity is disclosed.

I grappled with understanding Wiesel's intention behind this twist.

It was only when the members of my book group pointed out the parallels between "The Trial of God" and the book of Job that I began to see.

They suggested that sometimes, the only appropriate response to the profound depths of human suffering is not to engage in argument or attempt to justify, but rather to recognize that there are simply no sufficient words.

This realization added a new layer of complexity and depth to my understanding of Wiesel's work.

One can tell upon looking at this book that the author is striving for a play that has an impact similar to that of the book of Job, especially in the context of the horrors of the Holocaust, which are at least hinted at in foreshadowing within this tale of a dark night. Here, a pogrom pursues the survivors of previous pogroms carried out by Poles and Ukrainians in what later became the Pale of Russia. These groups, who hated each other, ended up killing the generally harmless Jews who were in the vicinity.

It is straightforward to see what the author intends to do. He uses a historical device to appropriately frame his own passionate cry of the heart against God for His silence and absence during the Holocaust. However, this book is neither the book of Job nor does it possess the same power. This is because the book lacks something that made the book of Job profound, namely a hero who cries out in pain and anguish yet maintains his faith and also has someone who offers a genuine defense of faith in the form of Elihu. This book has the three worthless friends and a sufferer, along with a couple of other minor characters, and it even includes Satan, but it lacks Elihu and the Job is of the wrong kind, and this matters significantly.

The play consists of three acts and is indeed a grim piece of theater work. Act one introduces the play, where three Jewish minstrels chance upon a tavern in the town of Shamgorod. Here, the only Jewish father has lost his faith due to the events of the previous Purim (one year before the present-day of the play), during which every Jew in town was murdered except for him and his daughter, who was brutally raped by a crowd of local non-Jews and has become more or less insane as a result. The three discuss matters of faith and their own personal experiences before coming up with the brilliant idea of putting God on trial. The second act involves their efforts to put God on trial and find people to fulfill the various necessary roles, and the action lags a bit here. The third act, however, features a mysterious and malevolent presence named Sam who undertakes to speak on behalf of God even though he is Satan, and concludes with the ominous approach of a group of angry Gentiles who seek to kill all the Jews present who had survived previous pogroms.

There are several major issues with the play as it is conceived. For one thing, the characters in the play (and presumably Wiesel himself) believe they have the standing to put God on trial and do not realize that they are actually on trial themselves by God. The author attempts to stack the deck against God, not only by denying Him the opportunity to speak for Himself or have an able advocate who understands His scripture but also by making it seem as if the people of Europe hated the Jews without reason. God is surely big enough to endure the slurs he endures at the author's hands, and the author appears unable or unwilling to discuss the various factors that made the Jews appealing targets, namely their helplessness and their tendency to divide and quarrel among themselves. Nevertheless, although this play is not as powerful as the author would like it to be, it does indeed give voice to the feelings of despair and isolation experienced by survivors of the Holocaust who reflected on the violent history of anti-Semitism in Europe.

Valuable, though unfortunately disappointing.

The concept, and the supposedly real-life scenario it is based on, where several rabbis in Auschwitz held a trial finding God "guilty", is extremely philosophically potent. It can arguably be seen as an essential means of framing the horrors of the Holocaust and giving a detailed and incomprehensible structure to the extremes of what we call evil.

Most of the play, unfortunately, is more tragicomic small talk than a proper trial. While there is some powerful exploration here of the difficulty of making sense of religion in a world of atrocity, there is no rigorous examination of the items that could easily be used to render a "guilty" verdict. These items pose a serious, and potentially logically unanswerable challenge to any religious explanation of how atrocities like the Holocaust can fit into a worldview which relies on the "benevolence" of God.

Elie Wiesel, as a survivor, has an essential voice in helping us to understand the Holocaust. It is unfortunate that he did not use the opportunity to give voice to the philosophical arguments surrounding modern evil and, in the tradition of Dostoevsky's goal in The Brothers Karamazov, to craft the best argument in favor of the "opposition" in order to disprove it. This missed opportunity leaves the play falling short of its potential to deeply engage with the profound and complex issues at hand.

This play is truly a remarkable testament to the profound depth and complexity that Elie Wiesel brings to his work.

There are two specific elements within the story that I found particularly captivating, namely the historical and the theological aspects.

The author, himself a survivor of the Holocaust, presents a unique analysis of Jewish tragic history as a continuous thread. He places the Trial of God, which stems from feelings of abandonment, after a Medieval Pogrom rather than in Auschwitz, where it actually took place. This choice offers a fresh perspective on the long and harrowing history of the Jewish people.

Secondly, the characters in the play closely examine the figure of God in his humanity. They draw upon the Bible's concept of the "image and likeness," which leads to an interesting ambiguity. It becomes unclear whether they are judging humanity or if they are passing judgment on God himself.

Lastly, the philosophical aspect of the play is equally fascinating. The plot features a situation where Satan is able to present logical arguments and even show compassion. This sends a powerful message that even the darkest and most malevolent entities have a human, and therefore godly, side to them.

Overall, this play is a thought-provoking exploration of history, theology, and philosophy that leaves a lasting impression on the reader or viewer.

Some books are truly a waste of time. This particular one managed to waste a whopping 3 hours of my precious life :/.

*Spoiler alert*

By the time you reach 70% of the book, the trial of God still hasn't even begun

This book truly came as a pleasant surprise to me.

What astonished me was that although it is a play, it was incredibly easy to read.

The story had such a captivating charm that it effortlessly sucked me in from the very beginning.

It tugged at my heartstrings, making me feel a wide range of emotions.

It is indeed a great book, and the author is simply amazing.

Their ability to create such a vivid and engaging world within the pages of a play is truly remarkable.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique and enjoyable reading experience.

It is a work that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

This play is absolute genius.

From the moment the curtain rises, it captivates the audience with its unique storyline and engaging characters.

The dialogue is sharp and witty, filled with clever one-liners and profound insights.

The stage design is equally impressive, creating a vivid and immersive world that draws the viewers in.

The actors bring the characters to life with their outstanding performances,展现ing a range of emotions and personalities.

Each scene builds upon the last, leading to a climax that leaves the audience on the edge of their seats.

Whether you are a theater enthusiast or simply looking for a great night out, this play is not to be missed.

It is a true masterpiece that will stay with you long after the final curtain call.

And when you will have finished reading, a shiver will run down your spine and a question you will repeat: “And God in all this?”

The story takes place on the day of Purim, the Jewish Carnival, the Festival of Masks, the ‘festival of not knowing. Of the refusal of knowledge’.

They wanted to put on ‘stage’ a Purim Spiel, a play with jesters and masked buffoons, instead a trial is held against the ‘d.o’ of the Jews, among survivors of a pogrom and on the eve of a pogrom and I remain intoxicated by the mere idea that, while men accuse him, it is the ‘devil’ himself who defends him, he himself being subject to his role.

…that shiver again, that question again: “And God in all this?”

The events unfold in a rather unusual and thought-provoking manner. The setting of Purim, with its air of mystery and celebration, adds an interesting backdrop to the story. The idea of a trial against the ‘d.o’ of the Jews is both shocking and captivating. It makes one wonder about the nature of justice and the role of different forces in such a situation. The presence of the ‘devil’ defending the accused further complicates the matter and leaves the reader with a sense of unease and a lingering question about the place of God in all of this.