The Trial of God (as it was held on February 25, 1649, in Shamgorod) A Play by Elie Wiesel Translated by Marion Wiesel Introduction by Robert McAfee Brown Afterword by Matthew Fox
Where is God when innocent human beings suffer? This drama lays bare the most vexing questions confronting the moral imagination.
Set in a Ukranian village in the year 1649, this haunting play takes place in the aftermath of a pogrom. Only two Jews, Berish the innkeeper and his daughter Hannah, have survived the brutal Cossack raids. When three itinerant actors arrive in town to perform a Purim play, Berish demands that they stage a mock trial of God instead, indicting Him for His silence in the face of evil. Berish, a latter-day Job, is ready to take on the role of prosecutor. But who will defend God? A mysterious stranger named Sam, who seems oddly familiar to everyone present, shows up just in time to volunteer.
The idea for this play came from an event that Elie Wiesel witnessed as a boy in Auschwitz: “Three rabbis—all erudite and pious men—decided one evening to indict God for allowing His children to be massacred. I remember: I was there, and I felt like crying. But there nobody cried.”
Inspired and challenged by this play, Christian theologians Robert McAfee Brown and Matthew Fox, in a new Introduction and Afterword, join Elie Wiesel in the search for faith in a world where God is silent.
Release date:
May 8, 2013
Publisher:
Schocken
Print pages:
208
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As the curtain rises, MENDEL, AVRÉMEL and YANKEL are sitting at a table. MARIA is wiping off the chairs at another. BERISH comes in, running; he is annoyed. BERISH A glass, Maria. Hanna will get up any minutes, and she’ll be thirsty; and there is no glass in her room. I don’t understand, Maria—do you? I have glasses everywhere, for everybody; except for Hanna! (He goes to a table to pick up a clean glass) MARIA You’re running, running, Master. You’re always running. Where to, Master? Where from? Why are you running? (BERISH stops; he is startled) Don’t you see we’ve got customers? Hanna is asleep. Leave her alone. When she gets up, I will be there to take care of her, as I always do. But the customers, Master, have you forgotten them? Do I have to do everything, see everything, be everywhere?
BERISH Be quiet, Maria. Hanna is restless. She’ll get up any minute. She’ll want her milk. Where have you put the clean glasses?
MARIA In my pocket. In my bed . . . Don’t you see I’m busy? Somebody has to clean up the place—right? (YANKEL tries to catch their eyes) You should pay more attention to the customers, Master.
BERISH Don’t tell me what to do. You’re getting on my nerves. The customers are getting on my nerves. The whole world is getting on my nerves.
MARIA Then you better get yourself another trade, Master. Better yet, get yourself another world.
BERISH I’ll get myself another helper if you don’t stop this.
YANKEL Leave her alone, innkeeper. Why don’t you listen to us instead? We’re waiting for you.
BERISH Who are you?
YANKEL His Majesty’s special emissaries . . . Who do you think we are? Don’t you have eyes? We are customers!
BERISH What do you want?
YANKEL Service.
BERISH Service . . .
YANKEL Does the word sound strange to you? We would like to order drinks,
BERISH Drinks . . . (He emerges from his daze) All that people want is—drinks. (He places a bottle and three glasses on their table) One of these days I’m going to close up this place, I promise you that. I’ll sell it or burn it to the ground. And I’ll get out of here.
MARIA Right.
BERISH You don’t believe me? I’m telling you, I’ll go away.
MARIA You’ll go away, you’ll go away. . . . Where would you go?
BERISH Anywhere. To the end of the world.
MARIA No farther?
YANKEL (Laughs) Bravo, woman! Wouldn’t you like to join us?
MARIA Why—are you going to the end of the world, too?
YANKEL No, we have just come from there,
MARIA (To BERISH) Where is the end of the world?
BERISH I don’t know. . . . Yes, I do. The end of the world is where you’re not.
YANKEL (To MARIA) How do you manage to live under one roof with him?
MARIA Mind your own business! He’s my master. If he feels like insulting me, let him!
YANKEL (Mischieviously) Wouldn’t you like to join us?
AVRÉMEL The end of the world . . . I remember it well. In my village there was a small dusty street. An old witch lived in the last shack. The children were convinced that it was the end of the world.
BERISH The end of the world, the end of the world. In my hometown we were told . . . I forgot what we were told.
MARIA Forget it again, Master. You’ll feel better.
AVRÉMEL The witch and her shack. People would be seen entering it—no one was ever seen leaving it. The children were scared even to look at it—to look at it from far away.
MARIA Can’t you change the subject?
YANKEL What’s wrong with this one?
MARIA Change the subject. And change the inn too. You’re annoying us.
YANKEL But we’ve said nothing. We would like to talk to you, innkeeper.
BERISH I’ve got nothing to tell you.
YANKEL How do you know?
AVRÉMEL What if we asked you not to tell us anything but to listen to us while we tell you something?
BERISH I’m not interested.
YANKEL What do you mean, not interested? There must be something that interests you.
BERISH Right! One thing: to see you get out.
YANKEL All right, all right. We’ll leave. Afterwards.
BERISH After what?
YANKEL Have you forgotten that it’s Purim tonight? We must celebrate—have you forgotten how to celebrate?
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