Comments on: The Golem: Jewish Mythology or Kabbalistic Robot?

By: Rafi G

Rafi G — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:20:15 +0000

I am fine with that. Debunk it all you want. I just though that “taking offense” at the belief that if it existed it was to protect the Jews is a bit harsh.
Something that is a common belief needn’t be so shocking when expressed that one needs to take offense. One can refute it, I was just commenting on the take offense. I read a lot this year about the Golem and am fairly convinced it was a myth, even though I believed it until recently never having heard it was a myth. But most people I think still believe it to be reality. And I think of the most people who believe it was real also believe its purpose was to protect the jews from blood libels and the likes. Those are the stories we grew up with.

So debunk it, but no need to take offense at what is an extremely popular belief and has only been discussed and refuted in recent years.

I guess it can compare, though I cringe a bit as I do so, to Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, and Hannukah Harry (not really).

By: Rafi G

Rafi G — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:14:57 +0000

those are not reliable sources???

By: rabbifink

rabbifink — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:51:47 +0000

My Rebbeim never taught me about the golem. I learned it about it from 2 of the least reliable sources I know of. The Jewish Press Comics and the Mendy and the Golem comic books published by Chabad.

By: rabbifink

rabbifink — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:47:51 +0000

Denise, Is there anything you don’t like reading?

As to your point about the golem being our subconscious need to defend ourselves – that reminds me of the whole Inglorious Basterds thing…

By: rabbifink

rabbifink — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:44:46 +0000

Rafi, I merely aim to debunk another myth, that’s all. And in true weblog fashion I present my personal feelings on the subject as they were raised when I heard about a golem challenge in a popular culture phenomena.

By: Joshua Zelinsky

Joshua Zelinsky — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:12:52 +0000

The Maharal’s Golem brings up a more serious issue: If things like this can easily slip into the popular knowledge to the point where many rebbeim take it for granted, how can one trust that there has been any reliable mesorah?

By: Denise M.

Denise M. — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:24:12 +0000

I enjoyed your post (read this morning) about the “golem” of Prague. I caught the tail end of that section of the Amazing Race last night .

Anyway, I happen to be one of those people who likes golem stories. I will read almost any modern retelling of it, such as Pete Hamill’s “Snow in August”, Michael Chabon’s “Cavalier & Clay”, and Thane Rosenbaum’s “The Golems of Gotham”.

Even though I know that the “golem” has to defend the helpless Jewish population – somewhere in my brain I always think of the golem perhaps as the Jewish subconscious, wanting to be feared by our attackers.

By: Rafi G

Rafi G — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:01:00 +0000

you cannot really take offense at that. I think most of us Jews who know about the Golem (and especially those of us that still believe it to be true and not a fabrication) think that he was there to protect the Jewish Community, and that the Maharal sent him to save people form blood libels and the like.
Perhaps we can thank the Jewish Press and the famous Golem book for that, but if that is what we know about the Golem you cannot really expect the goyim to think any differently.