Kabbalah and Moisha the Beetle

Moisha the Beetle

• Moisha was a poor man from Seget, Transylvania.
• He was called "Moisha the Beetle."
• He was shy and made himself seem unimportant.

The Narrator

• The narrator was a Jewish boy from Seget, Transylvania in the 1940s.
• He was observant, studying Talmud and praying in the synagogue.
• He wanted to study Kabbalah but his father thought he was too young.

Moisha and the Narrator

• The narrator met Moisha and was drawn to his wide, dreamy eyes.
• Moisha, a Kabbalah student, taught the narrator the importance of questions, believing answers are within.

Kabbalah

• Kabbalah is Jewish mysticism, understanding God through hidden Torah meanings.
• The Shekinah (feminine aspect of God) is in exile, and its redemption links to humanity's.

Moisha's Story

• Moisha and many other Jews were expelled from Seget, transported to a train for Galicia, Poland.
• The Gestapo took over the train, forcing Jews off onto trucks.
• They were driven to a forest, ordered to dig trenches, and then shot by the Gestapo.
• Moisha survived due to a wound, being left for dead.

Moisha's Return

• Moisha returned to Seget to warn Jews about the dangers.
• His warnings were not believed; people thought he was mad or seeking pity.
• Moisha was heartbroken and felt alone.

The Years 1942-1944

• 1942: Moisha told the narrator about the Gleason Forest massacre.
• 1943: Life in Seget seemed relatively normal despite the war.
• 1944: Spring: The narrator’s family prepared for Hilda’s wedding.

The Arrival of the Germans

• Optimism existed about the Red Army and a belief that Hitler wouldn't harm them.
• The Jewish community, like the author's family, paid little attention to rising fascism in Hungary.
• German troops arriving caused unease and worry; initial politeness quickly escalated.
• Jewish community leaders were arrested, and restrictions increased.

Life in the Ghetto

• Two ghettos were established, confining Jews under strict regulations.
• Jewish council members encouraged ghetto acceptance, believing it offered community.
• Daily life in the ghetto appeared normal, focused on the belief of remaining there until the war's end.
• Despite outward calm, fear and anxiety remained persistent.

The Deportation Order

• The Jewish Council received a summons, signaling impending doom.
• The Council announced ghetto liquidation and forced deportation to unknown locations.
• Uncertainty and fear prevailed about labor camps and forced work.
• Frenzied packing of belongings and goodbyes occurred.
• Optimism for quick return remained despite the desperate situation.

The Journey by Train

• The journey was harrowing – crammed cattle cars, extreme heat, thirst, and threats.
• Mrs. Schachter lost her sanity, symbolizing the fear and despair.
• The train stopped at Kashau, adding humiliation and confiscation.
• Passengers were informed of deportation beyond Hungary, fostering extreme fear.
• The journey illustrated confinement and escalating threats with diminishing hopes.

Arrival at Auschwitz

• Arrival at Auschwitz caused dread – a place of unknown horror.
• Separation from mother and sister was a heart-wrenching experience.
• The arrival process was chaotic and dehumanizing, guided by SS officers.
• The permanent separation of family members took place.

Arrival at Auschwitz (Later Version)

• The author and his father, with other inmates, arrived at Auschwitz.
• A hostile SS officer threatened death at the crematorium, pointing to the flames in a nearby ditch.
• The inmates were terrified and stunned.
• The author felt dread and disbelief.

The Selection

• Inmates were taken to a clearing for selection by Dr. Mengele.
• Mengele used a baton to direct inmates, left or right.
• Inmates were relieved to stay together, whether left or right side.
• The author was separated from his mother, and his father was heartbroken.
• The author was destined for the crematorium.

Facing the Flames

• The author witnessed children thrown into the flames.
• The sheer horror and implications of the violence were incomprehensible.
• The silence of the world surrounding such atrocities was perplexing.
• The author's father spoke of the family, challenging the belief of such brutality.
• The author and his father faced the crematorium, experiencing hopelessness.
• The author wished to run into the electrified barbed wire for immediate death.
• The author's father grieved, and inmates recited Kaddish.
• Anger at the world occurred, with the author questioning divine sanctification.
• The author whispered a prayer for deliverance.
• The author was pulled back from self-destruction.

The Barracks

• Inmates were stripped, belongings confiscated, and shaved bald.
• A pile of clothes in the barracks symbolized equality.
• Inmates were selected for the Sonderkommando, forced to work at the crematorium.
• The author feared separation from his father.
• Strong inmates were selected, forcing them to be "meerkat figures."
• Mismatched clothing was given.
• The constant chaos and despair were overwhelming.
• Inmates cried out in grief, questioning their survival.
• The author experienced a loss of hope and felt a weight of despair.
• The SS officer emphasized the camp reality (work or death).

The Gypsy Camp

• The author and others were moved to another barracks—a stone building to sit.
• The author's father had a colic attack and asked for the toilets.
• A Gypsy inmate responded cruelly, slapping his father and making him crawl back.
• The author's moral compass cracked.
• The author experienced outrage and remorse.

Guarding the Gates

• The author and his father were moved facing constant violence and threats.
• Lives constantly hanging in the balance.
• Taken to Auschwitz for another selection.
• The author's lives in constant risk.

The Irony of Freedom

• The author passed a gate with "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Makes You Free), a horrific irony.
• The author experienced the despair and fleeting hope of reaching the showers.
• More violence occurred with the SS officer's message of camaraderie to survive.
• The author settled into block 17 facing bleakness.

Arrival at Auschwitz (Duplicate Version)

• The author and others arrived at Auschwitz and were assigned bunks.
• Veterans treated new arrivals with kindness.
• Received new clothing and black coffee
• Allowed to leave block for sunlight.
• Prevailing view was that the war was ending.
• Soup was provided for lunch.
• The author refused soup due to upbringing; his father ate it.

Tattooing Numbers

• Prisoners were ordered for a medical procedure.
• Three veteran inmates tattooed numbers on prisoners' left arms.
• The author received the number A7713.

Daily Routine at Auschwitz

• A roll call was conducted at dusk.
• A camp orchestra played during roll call.
• SS checked inmate numbers.
• Prisoners looked for friends and family.
• Meals included morning coffee, midday soup, and evening bread.
• Evening roll call, followed by evening bread and something else.

Encounter with Stein

• After roll call, Stein approached the author's father (Visel).
• Stein was small, bespectacled, and weathered.
• Stein asked if Visel was from Siget.
• Visel recognized Stein from deportation in 1942.
• The author recognized Stein because Rozelle (Stein's wife) was familiar.
• Rozelle's aunt had written to them in the past.