When Eliezer fears his father has been selected, he is scared. He fears he will finally lose his father.
When he learns his father has been selected, he receives his father's knife and spoon. These items are the only things his father can give his son before he dies.
When Eliezer learns his father has avoided the second selection, he is happy and relieved. He views it as a miracle. Soon, he and his father choose to be evacuated rather than stay in the infirmary when the Russian army closes in.
