The BiG Story

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1 emet, truth, across his forehead.
Rabbi Loew's amazing golem,
I The presence of this was vital, for it
I though probably the best-known,
I allowed the creature's master to
I marks just one appearance by the
I control the golem. Though made of
I unusual creature in Jewish history.
I mud or dust, the golem increased in
In fact, the word golem appears
I once in the Torah (Psalms 139:16), i size each day — and could even
i grow out of control if its human -
1 usually translated to "embryo."
I overseer forgot to erase each night
I Adam, before he became a. man,
I the aleph, the first letter in emet,
I was said to have gone through
I thereby changing the word "truth"
I seven stages of being, including
I to "death."
. I one as a golem, a kind of shape-
Numerous films, plays and books
I less, unrefined figure without a soul.
have
focused on the story of the
I
I During the Middle Ages, when
I golem. The first movie on the sub-
I the Jewish community became
: increasingly interested in magic, the I ject was made in 1920 in Ger-
1 notion of the golem as a robot, cre- I many, followed by a 1937 French
I film. In 1921, H. Leivick's Der
I ated to do its master's - bidding,
Golem made its debut on 1
I became prevalent. It was
the
Russian stage, then
I even believed that rabbis
You can cut out . seven years later came to.
I of the Talmudic period .
these pieces and ,
America. Probably. the -
I had managed to create a
ace them togeth - most famous book is Gus-
place
I golem, which they
(there is no sin- tav Meyrink's Der Golem,
I brought to life by writing
g way to do this) which has been translat-
1 a special series of words
and create your • ed into numerous Ian-
I on a piece of paper they
own golem:
guages. The creature also 1
' then placed into the
served as the inspiration I
i mouth of the clay man.

i

Exactly what words will bring the I for Mary Shelly's famous Franken-
I stein.
golem to life only a handful knew
— or know — though invariably - I More recently, the golem made
I they include a secret combination of 1 an appearance in Isaacc-Bashevis
i• Singer's The Golem, and was cited
I letters from the Torah, as well as
I in an episode of "The X-Files." Its
I names for God.
I also the name of an Internet
In the 16th century, when Jews
I crawler, and the subject of frequent
I suffered persecution on virtually
' discussion among computer devo-
1 every front, the golem took on a
I tees, who leave various messages
I 'new responsibility: protector of the
Jewish people. The first man credit- I in search of a formula to bring the
I ed with creating such a golem was I golem to life. It's interesting to note
I that it's not lust Jews who have been
I Elijah of Chelm, who eventually
I intrigued by the story; numerous
I destroyed his creation because he
1 works by gentiles also tell of the
I feared it would bring havoc to the
I mythical being.
I world.
I One of the most memorable tales
After Rabbi Loew, numerous

1 prominent figures were said to have I about the golem involves the Nazis.
I When they marched into Prague,
I made their own golem. Most
I Hitler's army did its best to destroy
i images of these golem show a
I anything and everything Jewish.
1 human-like creature — large and
thick, but still with recognizable fea- I Oddly enough, however, they left
tures — but some believe the poor I intact the Altneuschul, where Rabbi
,
I Loew's golem was last seen, and
1 being was unable to participate in
I at least one very human activity: he I where he is said to wait still for the
I magical spell that will bring him
I could not speak.
back to life. ❑
1 The golem always bore the word

8/28
1998

Detroit Jewish News

81