Prayer Quote by Elie Wiesel
““Why do you pray?" he asked me, after a moment. Why did I pray? A strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe? "I don't know why," I said, even more disturbed and ill at ease. "I don't know why." After that day I saw him often. He explained to me with great insistence that every question possessed a power that did not lie in the answer. "Man raises himself toward God by the questions he asks Him," he was fond of repeating. "That is the true dialogue. Man questions God and God answers. But we don't understand His answers. We can't understand them. Because they come from the depths of the soul, and they stay there until death. You will find the true answers, Eliezer, only within yourself!" "And why do you pray, Moshe?" I asked him. "I pray to the God within me that He will give me the strength to ask Him the right questions.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Night by Elie Wiesel, 1956
The passage suggests that questioning is a spiritual practice that deepens self‑knowledge and connection to the divine, more than seeking definitive answers.
In simple terms: Questions deepen faith and self‑understanding.
Key Takeaway
Embrace questioning as a path to inner strength.
Themes
spirituality
self‑reflection
faith
Mood
contemplative
introspective
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- prayer practice
- seeking meaning
- contemplative meditation
Key Concepts
existential inquiry
inner dialogue
theology
Questions to Reflect On
- What questions can you ask to reveal your inner purpose?
- How does uncertainty shape your faith?
A Different Perspective
Answers may remain elusive, leaving uncertainty.
![“[Moishe] explained to me, with great emphasis, that every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer… And why do you pray, Moishe?' I asked him. I pray to the God within me for the strength to ask Him the real questions.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3b5/elie-wiesel-341_answers_moishe-explained-to-me-with-great-emphas_1541018.jpg)
![“[Chinese] are a huge empire now, you'll soon be - in a few years two billion people in the world. So, you should be more compassionate, more understanding. And above all, you don't need all their trouble.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/751/elie-wiesel-341_billions_chinese-are-a-huge-empire-now-you-ll-soo_28398.jpg)
