In the first part of the book, Eliezer and Moishe the Beadle, Eliezer's Kabbalah mentor, discuss the reason for and philisophy behind prayer.

The moment is significant because it shows how devoutly religious Eliezer is at the beginning of the story. He says that prayer, to him, is as essential and necessary to his life as breathing. It is also important because in this moment, Moishe teaches Eliezer an important lesson: to trust more in himself rather than rely on divine intervention to save him, suggesting that the key to individual survival, the key to life itself, isn't inside any book or temple or God, but inside of himself. Moishe pushes Eliezer to think more critically about his religious faith, and he helps him become more self-sufficient and act with more resolve, which becomes an invaluable lesson that will ultimately help Eliezer survive in the concentration camps.