Week 3 Story: The Golem of Prague

 The Golem Source

It was a cold dark night again in Prague, and the winding streets had long been deserted.  A few lights flickered faintly in windows, but chilly air kept them shut and only the barking of dogs disturbed the otherwise peaceful scene.  In a three-story house, in the top floor, one room shone brighter than the rest.  Rabbi Loew was up late again, as was his habit.  He was regarded with a mixture of fear, respect, and admiration among the local population.  Some thought he was a crazy old man, others suspected he was a wizard, while others saw him as a wise and powerful Rabbi.  Mostly, he kept to himself though, trying not to disturb anyone, but the flashing lights and loud bangs that often emanated from his attic would sometimes cause the more ignorant neighbors to complain.

Rabbi Loew had lived alone for some time now and his physical frame was not as strong as it used to be, though his mind was as sharp as ever.  Tasks like hauling water and firewood up the narrow stairwell quickly tired him and his back ached constantly.  He thought to himself that it would be nice to have some kind of servant, but he did not have the funds to pay for a young helper.  He went back to his extensive library and began to peruse some of the older chapters in a darkly bound ancient leather tome.  He had often thought about trying some of the things written in the book, but had never dared to try those experiments.

In the faint candlelight, he began to shape the clay, wood, and metal parts until it began to resemble a large man.  He thought he would make it as large as possible, in order to be strong enough to work tirelessly throughout the entire day.  The man labored tirelessly, driven by that strange mixture of curiosity, excitement, and fear.  Never before (to his knowledge at least) had anyone actually attempted the dangerous rituals necessary to create a golem.

By mid-afternoon the next day, his work was nearly complete.  He took the sacred scroll which would give life to his creation and paused before inserting it into its mouth.  He wondered if it was truly the right thing to do, if giving life to such a creature would be ethical.  But his aching back and empty stomach quickly persuaded him to go through with the motion and as soon as the holy word touched the mouth of the golem, it sprang to life and bowed down in front of him.

He jumped for joy and quickly gave his new servant instructions for drawing water, starting the fire, and chopping wood.  He figured that all of the neglected chores would occupy the golem for long enough for Loew to get a good night’s rest.

Screams and shouting interrupted the night and Rabbi Loew rushed outside.  The heathen soldiers were attacking the Jewish quarter!  He remembered his golem and called out to it, ordering it to defend his people.  The golem sprang into action immediately, and quickly began to destroy the enemies.  He watched first in relief and then growing horror as the golem killed man after man, without ever being hurt.  Eventually the killing stopped, but dozens of men lay dead in the streets.  Horrified, the Rabbi resolved to never use the Golem again, and removed the holy scroll from its mouth.  He dismantled and hid his creation, but legend says that if it were ever to be needed again, the magic would still function.

Author’s Note: I based this loosely off the story of the Golem in classical Jewish mythology, but I wanted a story where the golem actually saved the Jewish people, instead of dealing with the moral quandaries of creation of life.  I liked the idea of a golem actually saving the people, instead of creating problems for its owner, so I rewrote the story how I wanted it.

Source: Story source: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa (1919).